5 Burning Questions heading into the 2025 Brier

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The 2025 Brier opens Friday in Kelowna, B.C.

So it’s time to zero in on a few key questions — burning ones, if you will — heading into the Canadian men’s team curling championship, the second event on Curling Canada’s Season of Champions calendar.

From queries about Brad Gushue’s dominance to who are the true contenders and what’s up with Broomgate 2.0, we’ll offer our convictions on what’s about to unfold over the 10 days of the event …

1. Where is Broomgate 2 headed?

The curling entities just can’t seem to sweep this controversy under the rug.

Mostly because there’s nothing against the rules going on — those put in place by World Curling — with what many are calling Broomgate 2.

But fair play and integrity is at the heart of an issue over foam firmness in some manufacturers’ broom-heads having too much control on the trajectory of a delivered rock.

And much like what happened ahead of the Scotties Tournament of Hearts, the sport’s biggest players — Mike McEwen and Brad Jacobs, with help from Gushue and Matt Dunstone — reached out to all the Brier teams “to see where everyone’s heads were at,” said Jacobs, adding they achieved consensus on the issue.

“It wasn’t surprising when everybody agreed to ‘No … we don’t want to bring those products to the ice, because we’re able to manipulate the curling stone way too much.’”

If even one rink does opt to use the controversial Goldline or Balance-Plus black-foam broom-heads — and remember that there are some rinks sponsored by those companies — then there might be switches among many teams along the way.

“We need to applaud the women in the Scotties for sticking to that verbal agreement,” Jacobs said. “They did the right thing. They kept the equipment in question — these black foams — they were able to keep it off of the field of play, which was amazing.

“None of us as curlers want to see that stuff in two of the biggest events in curling.”

By the way, the use of those controversial foam-heads became an issue at last week’s Canadian Under-18 Curling Championships in Saskatoon.

2. Another Gushue run to the title?

Gushue is back for a run at a fourth straight Brier championship.

That’s wowzer stuff in its own right, given the strength of so many men’s teams in Canada.

And the six-time national king knows his squad is the favourite and being marked by counterparts, despite what’s been a down year by Gushue’s standards — one that’s included a major switch at second.

“I think I’d be mocked pretty hard if I went in there saying that we’re a heavy underdog, having won it the last three years,” Gushue said. “But I wouldn’t say with the way we’ve played this season and certainly the way some other teams have been performing lately that we’re an overwhelming favourite. But I can’t go and say that we’re an underdog. I think people would laugh at me if I did.

“And then, from our perspective, we know if we go out and play to our capability, we’re going to be there at the end of the week.”

That said, the ‘Roar for Four’ might depend on whether Brendan Bottcher — who replaced E.J. Harnden in the lineup — has settled in properly with the Gushue group.

It’s been an adjustment after the switch was made in the fall, and the results — again — haven’t been top notch for the stacked rink from The Rock.

Case in point, an 0-4 record at the Grand Slam of Curling’s Masters last month.

Ouch.

3. Has Jacobs adjusted?

Just as stacked is Team Jacobs out of Calgary, which includes Gushue’s former second, Brett Gallant, making it the obvious second choice to win at the Brier

Remember, that’s where Bottcher used to be, as skip of a dynamic lineup that also features world-class shooter Marc Kennedy at third and front-end guru Ben Hebert at lead.

Kennedy, Gallant and Hebert went a different direction at skip after last season, so the shuffle from 2021 Brier winner Bottcher to 2013 Brier winner Jacobs was made.

And chemistry seems to have kicked in, with 6-1 efforts and final appearances made at each of the last two GSOC events.

“We’ve steadily improved,” Jacobs said. “And I think one of the things that has been great about our team is when we have rough weeks — and we’ve had a few this season — we’re really good at figuring out why and continuing with the great systems that we have in place and believing in one another and bouncing back and having strong weeks.

“So I know everybody’s confidence is really high, especially after the Guelph (Masters) slam.”

4. Can you ever count out Koe?

After an — ugh — 2-6 record at last year’s Brier in Regina, you just get the feeling veteran Kevin Koe is going to make some noise this winter.

Sure, there are those pundits who will put Matt Dunstone and Mike McEwen — runners-up of the last two Briers, and Nos. 1 and 3 on the Canadian Team Ranking System for 2024-25 — ahead of Koe on the odds board, and rightfully so.

But you can’t cut the four-time national champ from the contenders’ list.

The Calgary skip is usually stone-cold clutch when it counts, and now he’s got redemption on his mind from last year’s debacle.

“Last year was weird at the Brier — obviously, we were terrible there,” lamented Koe. “I hope it was an aberration. But we’ll see.”

Koe’s picked up skill to help beat that memory back, adding last year’s Alberta championship skip, Aaron Sluchinski, to play third after dropping second Jacques Gauthier in the fall.

“Aaron has fit in really well,” added Koe, whose team is ranked ninth on the CTRS list. “We’ve had a pretty good run since he’s got on. We’ve lost a lot of big games by close scores that if we’d have won, our season would look a lot better. So we’re encouraged with the way we’re looking for the Brier, for sure.”

5. Which new guys look good?

The next wave has arrived in the form of Saskatchewan king Rylan Kleiter and Ontario champ Sam Mooibroek.

Both are going to be in the spotlight in Kelowna after terrific campaigns — with Kleiter finishing sixth and Mooibroek eighth on the CTRS board.

These young guns — 26 and 25, respectively — can play and have a future in the sport, with Kleiter having defeated veteran Steve Laycock in his provincial final and Mooibroek having dethroned last year’s Ontario winner and member of curling royalty, Scott Howard, to reach this Brier.

“They are the up-and-coming talent,” declared Jacobs. “And there’s also (Nova Scotia’s Owen) Purcell and (B.C.’s Cameron) De Jong and (Newfoundland and Labrador’s Ty) Dilello.

“I feel like the field is incredibly strong this year with those young guys and the likes of experienced guys, like Koe, (Northern Ontario’s John) Epping and (Manitoba’s Reid) Carruthers.

“No easy games out there, and it’ll be important to be focused and energized each time we step on the ice.”

tsaelhof@postmedia.com

X: @ToddSaelhofPM