ej harnden has become the rallying point for Team Dunstone as the Manitoba rink chases a national title at the 2026 Montana’s Brier in St. John’s, N. L. The team moved to 2-0 after a 9-4 victory over British Columbia’s Cody Tanaka on Sunday evening, and teammates are clear about their aim: send their veteran second out a champion. Motivation from the front end, and the Harnden brothers’ sweeping, has been cited repeatedly as a decisive edge.
Ej Harnden and the team’s motivation
The emotional backdrop is simple and stark: E. J. Harnden has announced his retirement at season’s end, and teammates openly frame this Brier as a chance to give him a final sendoff. Colton Lott made the team’s intent plain with the chant at the heart of the rink’s public remarks: “Do it for E. J. — do it for us. Like it’d be a nice one in the history books, for sure. ” — Colton Lott, third, Team Dunstone.
Harnden himself balanced the sentiment with focus. “Yeah … it’d be really special to win, ” he said. “And I’d be lying to say it wasn’t in the back of my mind. But at the same time, too, I’m really trying to treat this no differently than any other Brier. ” — E. J. Harnden, second, Team Dunstone. That mix of emotion and routine has set the tone for the rink’s preparation and in-ice responses.
On-ice results and momentum
Team Dunstone’s 9-4 win over B. C. came after an early exchange of points and featured a pivotal steal that shifted control in Dunstone’s favour. The Manitoba rink pushed its record early in the event with a series of wins that, combined with recent form, left them positioned to climb the standings. The pairing of E. J. and Ryan Harnden on the front end—often called “The Brush Brothers” in commentary for their sweeping—was highlighted as a key factor in the team’s ability to convert scoring chances and defend leads.
Skip Matt Dunstone and his unit have worked through recent narrow defeats on big stages, and the group pointed to a deliberate reset ahead of the Brier. “This team’s right where it needs to be right now, ” Dunstone said, describing the feel inside the squad. — Matt Dunstone, skip, Team Dunstone.
Elsewhere on the ice, other rinks mentioned crowd energy and workload balance as factors in performance. “I’m balancing between still giving as much as I can out here on the ice and also still trying to recoup a bit of energy for the rest of the week, ” said Brett Gallant after his team’s win. — Brett Gallant, second, Team Jacobs.
What’s next
The immediate schedule will test how the motivation translates into consistency; Team Dunstone has an upcoming match that will be watched closely as they try to maintain momentum and keep the focus on their veteran second. The clock is ticking on ej harnden’s final season, and every draw from here on becomes part of the bid to send him off with the one title that still eludes parts of the four-player lineup.
