Everything you need to know about the 2025 Brier: Lineups, curlers and skinny for each rink
Three-time defending champ Brad Gushue leads star-studded field of curlers into the men's national championship
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The Season of Champions continues its national team finals with the 2025 Montana’s Brier.
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Everything you need to know about the 2025 Brier: Lineups, curlers and skinny for each rink Back to video
It begins Friday at Prospera Place in Kelowna, B.C.
Here’s the lineup, the rock stars and the skinny on all 18 rinks in pursuit of the Canadian men’s curling championship.
Canada (RE/MAX Centre-St. John’s Curling Club)
Brad Gushue (skip), Mark Nichols (vice-skip), Brendan Bottcher (second), Geoff Walker (lead), Adam Casey (alternate), Jeff Hoffart (coach)
The way into the Brier: 2024 Brier champion
The skinny: It’s no surprise the star-studded Gushue rink is the favourite heading into the Brier. After all, Gushue, Nichols and Walker come in having won the past three titles. But it’s a different look at second, with 2021 Brier-winning skip Bottcher in that spot after an early season shuffle dealt E.J. Harnden out of the mix. Can the two skips co-exist and win the Brier like Gushue did for 2006 Olympic gold with Russ Howard trading skip duties for second responsibilities? It’s hard to bet against such an encore.
Alberta (The Glencoe Club, Calgary)
Brad Jacobs (skip), Marc Kennedy (vice-skip), Brett Gallant (second), Ben Hebert (lead), Mike Caione (alternate), Paul Webster (coach)
The way into the Brier: 2023-24 Canadian Team Ranking System qualifier
The skinny: The top Alberta entry also underwent a massive makeover, with last year’s bronze medallists opting to part with Bottcher in favour of Jacobs at the boss position. The difference is the shift at skip took place in April, giving the Calgary rink more time to find chemistry to go along with through-the-lineup talent matched only by Gushue. Perhaps that little extra time together is enough to push Jacobs past the other contenders to the title.
Alberta (The Glencoe Club, Calgary)
Kevin Koe (skip), Aaron Sluchinski (vice-skip), Tyler Tardi (second), Karrick Martin (lead), Mike Libbus (alternate) John Dunn (coach)
The way into the Brier: 2025 Alberta champion
The skinny: Another team sporting two skips is Koe, after the four-time Brier king invited last year’s Alberta-winning skip, Sluchinski, to join his squad. It was another early season move, which begs the question of whether sufficient time has passed for these minds to mesh together enough to have become championship ready. The answer is ‘yes’ — like Gushue, Calgary’s Koe knows how to manufacture success on the fly.
Manitoba (Fort Rouge CC, Winnipeg)
Matt Dunstone (skip), Colton Lott (vice-skip), EJ Harnden (second), Ryan Harnden (lead), Adam Kingsbury (alternate), Caleb Flaxey (coach)
The way into the Brier: 2023-24 CTRS qualifier
The skinny: Another contender, another mid-season change. And this one came later in the year for Dunstone, as BJ Neufeld was jettisoned and Harnden joined the team at second. That shifted Lott to third. So plenty going on with a group that has been knocking at the door of a championship for a few years now, including a runner-up finish to Gushue in 2023 London. Having his brother already at lead should help Harnden fit in quickly.
Manitoba (Granite CC, Winnipeg)
ReidCarruthers (skip), BJ Neufeld (vice-skip), Catlin Schneider (second), Connor Njegovan (lead), Kyle Doering (alternate), Rob Meakin (coach)
The way into the Brier: 2025 Manitoba champion
The skinny: Neufeld landed not long ago on Team Carruthers, replacing veteran second Derek Samagalski, who stepped away to stay closer to home and family. So it’s another late retooling of a lineup for another contender. Yes, it’s a trend heading into the Brier, but again Carruthers is a savvy veteran of a dozen national championships and a winner back in 2011 London.
Saskatchewan (Nutana Curling Club, Saskatoon)
Mike McEwen (skip), Colton Flasch (third), Kevin Marsh (vice-skip), Daniel Marsh (lead), Brett Laing (alternate), Pat Simmons (coach)
The way into the Brier: 2023-24 CTRS qualifier
The skinny: Team McEwen is another legit contender, but it heads to Kelowna without a change to its lineup. That consistency could be the difference for the Saskatoon rink. And it also boasts the right motivation, after losing to Gushue in last year’s 9-5 Brier championship draw. McEwen’s season has been right on, as well, as the third-ranked CRTS side behind Dunstone and Jacobs.
Northern Ontario (Northern Credit Union Community Centre, Sudbury)
John Epping (skip), Jacob Horgan (vice-skip), Tanner Horgan (second), Ian McMillan (lead), Mike Harris (coach)
The way into the Brier: 2025 Northern Ontario champion
The skinny: Team Epping represents the top of the next-best rinks at the 2025 Brier after moving west last off-season to hook up with the Horgan brothers. And continuing with another theme for the final, Tanner Horgan was a longtime skip until Epping came along, bumping him to second. So it’s another two-skip camaraderie question to be answered, with Epping trying to match or better his bronze won in 2018 Regina.
Québec (Glenmore/Valleyfield/Etchemin/Des Collines/Belvedere CCs)
Félix Asselin (skip), Jean-Michel Ménard (vice-skip), Martin Crete (second), Jean-Francois Trépanier (lead), Pierre Charette (coach)
The way into the Brier: 2025 Québec champion
The skinny: Asselin, Crete and Trépanier return after missing last year’s national championship with a champion calling the line in the house. That’s Jean-Michel Ménard, who won the 2006 Brier in Regina. Perhaps that’s the push they need to make playoffs, after just missing out last winter with a solid 5-3 record. All totalled, the rink has made a whopping 30 Brier visits.
New Brunswick (Gage Golf & CC, Oromocto)
James Grattan (skip), Joel Krats (vice-skip), Paul Dobson (second), Andy McCann (lead), Drew Grattan (alternate), Dean Grattan (coach)
The way into the Brier: 2025 New Brunswick champion
The skinny: It has been a while since Brier veteran Grattan has tasted success at the championship. He was twice a bronze medallist way back in 1997 and 2002, as skip of his own rink and third for Howard, respectively. This will be his 17th Brier appearance, returning with the same squad that finished an ugly 1-7 last year.
Yukon (Whitehorse Curling Club)
Thomas Scoffin (skip), Kerr Drummond (vice-skip), Trygg Jensen (second), Joe Wallingham (lead), Darren Moulding (coach)
The way into the Brier: 2025 Yukon champion
The skinny: In five previous Brier trips, Scoffin hasn’t collected more than two wins annually. But the Whitehorse talent gets help this year at third, with Drummond having won Alberta last year under Sluchinski and Jensen and Willingham — now at second and lead, respectively — after having joined Scoffin on four of those Yukon-repped trips to the finale.
Prince Edward Island (Crapaud CC)
Tyler Smith (skip), Adam Cocks (vice-skip), Christopher Gallant (second), Ed White (lead), Paul Flemming (coach)
The way into the Brier: 2025 P.E.I. champion
The skinny: It’s a fifth straight visit to the Brier for skip Smith, who brings back the same lineup as last year and the year before. So that bodes well for consistency in trying to improve on a 5-3 near-playoff effort last winter in Regina. They were a fast 4-1 out of the gate at that Brier.
Saskatchewan (Nuntana Curling Club, Saskatoon)
Rylan Kleiter (skip), Joshua Mattern (third), Matthew Hall (vice-skip), Trevor Johnston (lead), John Mattern (lead), Dean Kleiter (coach)
The way into the Brier: 2025 Saskatchewan champion
The skinny: The next wave of Canadian men is led by Kleiter. The Saskatoon side is sixth on the CTRS list thanks to a Tier 2 win at the Grand Slam of Curling’s Tour Challenge and a 1-3 finish in the GSOC’s Masters, giving them solid experience against the top teams of men’s curling in the country. The talent and chemistry is there, too, as Johnson and Mattern have both curled with Kleiter for 11 seasons and boast the 2019 world junior title together.
Ontario (Whitby CC)
Sam Mooibroek (skip), Ryan Wiebe (vice-skip), Scott Mitchell (second), Nathan Steele (lead), Gavin Lydiate (alternate), Jake Higgs (coach)
The way into the Brier: 2025 Ontario champion
The skinny: Also considered an up-and-comer, Mooibroek upended defending Ontario title-holder Scott Howard to make his first Brier. The team from Whitby is not exactly flying under the radar, ranking eighth on the CTRS list thanks to a win at the Stu Sells Brantford Nissan Classic, a runner-up finish a the Stu Sells 1824 Halifax Classic and a Tier 2 semifinal appearance at the GSOC’s Tour Challenge. But this is a first-time Brier visit for all four Mooibroek members.
B.C. (Victoria CC)
Cameron de Jong (skip), Alex Horvath (vice-skip), Corey Chester (second), Brayden Carpenter (lead), Paul Cseke (alternate), Bryan Miki (coach)
The way into the Brier: 2025 B.C. champion
The skinny: Team de Jong has a bit more Brier experience, but not much. Horvath played lead for both Catlin Schneider and Jacques Gauthier in 2024 Regina and 2023 London, respectively, and Chester went as an alternate with Brent Pierce to 2022. It was Pierce joining skip Greg McAuley that previously won the Brier for B.C. back in 2000.
Newfoundland (RE/MAX Centre-St. John’s CC)
Ty Dilello (skip), Ryan McNeil Lamswood (vice-skip), Daniel Bruce (second), Aaron Feltham (lead), Nathan King (alternate), Mike Mahon (coach)
The way into the Brier: 2025 Newfoundland and Labrador champion
The skinny: Dilello made the move to Newfoundland from Manitoba and it has paid dividends, knocking off last year’s provincial king, Andrew Symonds, in a final that went down to the last rock. Dilello, Bruce and Feltham all are first-timers at the Brier, while McNeil Lamswood has a taste after being an alternate for Gushue in 2021 Calgary.
Nova Scotia (Halifax CC)
Owen Purcell (skip), Luke Saunders (vice-skip), Scott Saccary (second), Ryan Abraham (lead), Calan MacIsaac (alternate), Colleen Jones (coach)
The way into the Brier: 2025 Nova Scotia champion
The skinny: Another first-time skip at the Brier is Purcell, who has a bronze medal in his pocket from the 2022 world junior. But he has veterans along with him in Saunders, who has been there the past two years, and Saccary, who sports six previous visits to the finale. And it doesn’t hurt the rink to have six-time Scotties Tournament of Hearts queen Colleen Jones as its coach.
Northwest Territories (Hay River CC)
Aaron Bartling (skip), D’arcy Delorey (vice-skip), Norman Bassett (second), Eric Preston (lead), Adam Naugler (coach)
The way into the Brier: 2025 Northwest Territories champion
The skinny: Team Bartling is the first rink to rep Hay River, NWT, at the finale. That comes after beating 17-time Brier stalwart Jamie Koe in a 7-6 extra-end territory final last month. And all four members are fresh to the national experience, with hopes of at least equalling what Koe and NWT did last year in finishing 5-3 and making the playoffs.
Nunavut (Iqaluit CC)
Shane Latimer (skip), Sheldon Wettig (vice-skip), Justin McDonell (second), Peter Van Strien (lead), Katie Brooks (coach)
The way into the Brier: 2025 Nunavut champion
The skinny: Latimer returns only half the team that played at last winter’s Brier, with McDonell and Van Strien now in for Brady St. Louis and Christian Smitheram, respectively. But the Nunavut skip is hoping for at least twice the success. Latimer & Co. wrapped up last year with a 1-7 record having beaten Nova Scotia in Regina.
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