Matt Dunstone has secured his inaugural Canadian men’s curling championship after coming close to victory in previous years.
The Manitoba team, led by Dunstone, triumphed over four-time champion Kevin Koe from Alberta with a score of 6-3 in the final held in St. John’s on Sunday.
This marks Dunstone’s third appearance in the finals over the past four years, having faced defeats in 2025 and 2023. His teams also placed third in both 2021 and 2020.
“This moment is more amazing than I ever envisioned,” expressed the 30-year-old skip.
“The disappointments our group has experienced over the last three years, along with the lessons I’ve learned, allowed me to play freely and confidently all week.”
“When you experience pain enough times, it loses its fear factor, especially when you know what lies ahead.”
Dunstone, along with teammates Colton Lott, E.J. Harnden, and Ryan Harnden, will represent Canada at the men’s world championship from March 27 to April 4 in Ogden, Utah.
Matt Dunstone and his Winnipeg-based team defeat Kevin Koe and his Calgary-based team 6-3 in the Brier final.
The Granite Curling Club team from Winnipeg has also earned the right to defend their title at next year’s Brier in Saskatoon.
In addition to the championship title, the winning team will receive $100,000 from a total prize pool of $300,000.
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Dunstone advances to Brier final after overcoming Olympic trials defeat to Jacobs
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Dunstone defeated by Jacobs in best-of-three final at Olympic trials
Dunstone faced defeats in both the Olympic trials final and the Canadian championship final against Brad Jacobs last year.
However, Dunstone’s team managed to eliminate the reigning Olympic champion Jacobs this time, securing a 7-3 victory in the semifinal on Sunday.
‘Good reset’ after Olympic trials
This set the stage for a rematch against Alberta’s Koe, who had remained unbeaten until Sunday.
“The two months following the trials were quite challenging for us,” Dunstone remarked. “We had a significant reset. This was a key event where we aimed to excel.”
“While we would have loved to represent Canada at the Olympics, this was next on our priority list. Considering that this team will not remain intact next year due to E.J.’s retirement, we owed it to ourselves to give our best effort and capture a Brier title.”
Dunstone had previously lost to Koe 9-7 in an extra end during a playoff match the night before.
The final was closely contested, featuring three blank ends in the first six, with Koe leading 2-1 going into the seventh end when the game shifted.
Dunstone declared “it’s time to dance” after Koe misfired on a runback hit, presenting the skip with an opportunity for a multi-point end.
Dunstone’s initial throw was a tap and roll to set up three. Koe’s attempt to freeze was off-target.
Dunstone’s precise tap pushed Koe’s stone far enough to yield the first three points Koe had conceded all tournament, giving them a 4-2 advantage heading into the eighth end.
“That was a significant turning point in the match,” Dunstone noted.
The Dunstone team applied immense pressure on Koe by crowding the rings with stones behind guards. Koe managed to hit and roll for just enough of the button to score one point, narrowing the gap to 4-3.
After Lott skimmed two guards to remove an Alberta stone, allowing Manitoba to lie three, Koe misfired on a draw. Dunstone added two more points in the ninth end, extending their lead to 6-3.
Dunstone achieved a 94 percent shooting rate
Dunstone fell to his knees as his final takeout sailed down the ice in the tenth end.
His shooting percentage in the final was an impressive 94 percent, compared to Koe’s 86 percent, while his team’s combined percentage was 90 percent against Alberta’s 85 percent.
This also marked the first Brier title for 30-year-old Lott, who had previously won a Canadian junior championship alongside Dunstone a decade ago.
E.J. Harnden secured his fourth title after winning with Jacobs in 2013 and with Brad Gushue in 2023 and 2024.
At 42, Harnden has indicated that this is his final season of competitive curling. His brother Ryan, aged 39, also won a Brier title with Jacobs in 2013.
“I’m not finished yet. This is amazing,” said E.J., who was named the tournament’s MVP. “I never envisioned this being my last Brier, and to win it was the objective; actually achieving it, given how challenging it is to win a Brier, is incredible.”
“I couldn’t be more thrilled for Matt, Colton, and Ryan. It’s been a 13-year journey for Ryan. It’s the first Brier for both Colton and Matt, and I really wanted to be part of that, and now I am. This is phenomenal.”
The brothers embraced warmly during the post-game festivities.
“A lot of love was shared, and we still have a few more games to play,” E.J. added.
The total attendance for the 2026 Brier was 143,100, marking the highest turnout since St. John’s last hosted the event in 2017, which saw 122,592 attendees.
