A capsule look at the 2026 Canadian men’s curling championship field

A capsule look at the field for the 2026 Canadian men’s curling championship, Feb. 27 to March 8 in St. John’s, N.L. (lineups include alternate):

POOL A

Canada

Brad Jacobs, Marc Kennedy, Brett Gallant, Ben Hebert, Mike Caione.

The Glencoe Club, Calgary.

Defending champions coming off an Olympic gold medal in Cortina, Italy.

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Newfoundland and Labrador

Brad Gushue, Brendan Bottcher, Mark Nichols, Geoff Walker, Adam Casey.

RE/MAX Centre/St. John’s Curling Club.

Last Brier for six-time champ Gushue. Pre-qualified with a national men’s ranking of fourth at the end of last season.

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Ontario provincial champion

Jayden King, Dylan Niepage, Owen Henry, Victor Pietrangelo, Spencer Dunlop.

Tillsonsburg Curling Club.

King will be the first Black skip in Brier history. Third, Dylan Niepage is deaf and wears cochlear implants.

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Saskatchewan provincial champion

Kelly Knapp, Brennen Jones, Dustin Kidby, Mat Ring, Trent Knapp.

Highland Curling Club, Regina.

Knapp skipped Saskatchewan to a 4-4 record in his Brier debut in London, Ont.

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Quebec provincial champion

Jean-Michel Ménard, Félix Asselin, Martin Crête, Jean-François Trépanier.

Des Collines, Glenmore, Belvédère, Etchemin, Valleyfield curling clubs.

Ménard was a Brier champion and world silver medallist in 2006. Asselin throws fourth stones.

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Nova Scotia provincial champion

Kendal Thompson, Stuart Thompson, Bryce Everist, Michael Brophy, Adam McKerihen.

Halifax Curling Club

Thompson skipped Nova Scotia to a 3-4 record in 2019. The rest of the team are Brier rookies.

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Prince Edward Island provincial champion

Tyler Smith, Adam Cocks, Edward White

Crapaud Curling Club.

Playing a three-man team because of Chris Gallant’s job commitments. Went undefeated in P.E.I. provincials as a trio.

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Newfoundland and Labrador provincial champion

Nathan Young, Colin Thomas, Nathan Locke, Ben Stringer, Jeff Thomas.

RE/MAX Centre/St. John’s Curling Club.

Third appearance for 23-year-old skip after a 1-7 debut in 2022 and a 2-6 improvement the following year.

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Nunavut territorial champion

Derek Samagalski, Sheldon Wettig, Christian Smitheram, Justin McDonell, David Aglukark.

Iqaluit Curling Club.

Samagalski has played in nine Briers as a front-end player for Jacobs, McEwen and Reid Carruthers. Started skipping Nunavut last year.

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POOL B

Manitoba

Matt Dunstone, Colton Lott, E.J. Harnden, Ryan Harnden, Jacob Horgan.

Granite Curling Club, Winnipeg.

Qualified as the No. 2 men’s team in Canada at the end of last season. Dunstone was a runner-up in both 2025 and 2023, and at last year’s Olympic trials.

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Saskatchewan

Mike McEwen, Kevin Marsh, Colton Flasch, Dan Marsh, Brent Laing.

Nutana Curling Club.

Qualified as the No. 3 men’s team in Canada at the end of last season. McEwen runner-up in 2024 in Regina. Kevin Marsh throws second stones.

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Alberta provincial champion

Kevin Koe, Aaron Sluchinski, Tyler Tardi, Karrick Martin, Jacob Libbus.

The Glencoe Club, Calgary.

Koe is a four-time Brier and two-time world champion. Sluchinski throws second stones. Tardi was Jacobs’ alternate an Olympic Games.

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Manitoba provincial champion

Braden Calvert, Corey Chambers, Kyle Kurz, Brendan Milawka, Rob Gordon.

Fort Rouge Curling Club, Winnipeg.

All Brier rookies except alternate Gordon. Calvert is a 2015 world junior champion.

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New Brunswick provincial champion

James Grattan, Joel Krats, Andy McCann, Noah Riggs, Drew Grattan.

Gage Golf & Curling Club, Oromocto.

Grattan’s 18th Brier appearance ties him for third all-time with Russ Howard, Jamie Koe and Ben Hebert behind Gushue (23) and his third Nichols (22).

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British Columbia provincial champion

Cody Tanaka, Mitchell Kopytko, Jared Kolomaya, Coburn Fadden, Sam Husdon.

Kamloops and Tunnel Town Curling Clubs.

All Brier rookies except vice Kolomaya (Lethbridge, 2022). He throws second stones.

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Northern Ontario champion

Dustin Montpellier, Sandy MacEwan, Olivier Bonin-Ducharme, Luc Ouimet, Lee Toner.

NCU Community Centre, Sudbury

MacEwan throws fourth stones. Play a five-man rotation with Ouimet and Toner swapping at lead.

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Yukon territorial champion

Thomas Scoffin, Kerr Drummond, Trygg Jensen, Joe Wallingham, Ben Robinson.

Whitehorse Curling Club.

Scoffin’s best record in five Briers as skip was 4-4 last year in Kelowna, B.C. His vice Wallingham throws lead stones.

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Northwest Territories territorial champion

Jamie Koe, Glen Kennedy, Roland Robinson, Shadrach McLeod, Cole Parsons.

Yellowknife Curling Club.

Koe’s 18th Brier appearance as a skip ranks him second all-time behind Gushue (23).

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 26, 2026.

Donna Spencer, The Canadian Press