St. John’s, N. L. — Thursday, ET. matt dunstone clinched a playoff spot at Montana’s Brier as pool play wrapped up, while Brad Gushue finished Pool A undefeated with a 4-2 win over Brad Jacobs. The outcomes reshaped Friday’s playoff bracket and put established veterans and rising teams on collision course for the weekend.
Gushue rides hometown roar; pool standings set
Brad Gushue closed out pool play in St. John’s with a 4-2 victory over defending champion Brad Jacobs, finishing 8-0 in Pool A and sending the Mary Brown’s Centre into repeated celebrations. Gushue, a six-time Brier champion, landed a decisive hit for two in the ninth and a double takeout in the 10th to secure the win. Mark Nichols, longtime teammate of Brad Gushue, said, “There’s probably only a few more roars like that left for this team, ” speaking to the emotion around the skip’s final appearance.
Gushue’s team — including Mark Nichols and Geoff Walker — are chasing a record seventh Brier title in what has been described inside the rink as an emotional hometown run. Jayden King and his rookie Ontario squad from Tillsonburg captured the final playoff spot in Pool A at 5-3 after a win that clinched the tiebreaker over Quebec’s Jean-Michel Menard.
Matt Dunstone: Manitoba secures playoff berth
Manitoba’s Matt Dunstone locked down a spot in the playoffs for Pool B with a morning victory over Northern Ontario, improving his pool mark and ensuring a Friday appearance in the next round. Four-time Brier champion Kevin Koe of Alberta secured the top seed in Pool B at 7-0, while Dunstone reached a 6-1 record that keeps Team Manitoba firmly in the hunt for the weekend’s Page playoff seedings.
Dunstone plays with vice Colton Lott and veterans Ryan and E. J. Harnden on his rink; the Harndens were positioned to make the playoffs with a 5-1 pool record heading into Thursday’s final draws. E. J. Harnden, second for Team Manitoba-Dunstone, reflected on an emotional season and confirmed this Brier will be his last, saying he is “trying really hard to just stay in the moment. ” Ryan Harnden, lead for Team Manitoba-Dunstone, added that the pair have been visualizing a memorable finish.
Playoff format, stakes and immediate reactions
The top three teams in each nine-team pool advanced from pool play to Friday’s playoff round; those games will determine the four Page playoff teams and their seedings for Saturday. The victor on Sunday will earn the right to represent Canada at the men’s world championship later this season. Kevin Koe’s Alberta team sits atop Pool B, while Manitoba under matt dunstone has ensured its place among the contenders.
Brendan Bottcher, long a contender, seeks a second Brier title on a field that also includes seasoned champions and a handful of rising rinks. Jayden King described his team’s approach as embracing the underdog role, saying his roster “likes having our backs against the wall” and relishes the lack of pressure heading into sudden-death scenarios.
What happens next: teams advance to Friday’s playoff round in St. John’s, where seedings for Saturday’s Page playoff will be decided and momentum from pool play will be tested under elimination pressure. Expect Alberta’s Kevin Koe to defend his Pool B top seed, while matt dunstone and his rink will prepare for a high-stakes Friday draw that could define their path through the weekend.
