Jacobs Rink Opens Brier Defense with Victory Amidst Olympic Afterglow, Hebert Sidelined

Fresh off their gold medal triumph at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, Brad Jacobs’ rink began their defense of the Montana’s Brier title with an 8-3 victory over Tyler Smith of Prince Edward Island on Friday night in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador .

Olympic Champions Begin Brier Campaign

The Jacobs rink, comprised of skip Brad Jacobs, third Marc Kennedy, second Brett Gallant, and lead Ben Hebert, entered the Brier as the defending champions and riding the momentum of their recent Olympic success . However, the team faced an early challenge as Ben Hebert was sidelined due to illness, forcing them to compete with only three players for the opening game .

Steals Define Victory

Despite being a player down, the Jacobs rink secured the win through a series of steals. After trading points in the first two ends, Smith blanked the third before Jacobs stole a point in the fourth. Jacobs continued to capitalize, adding single-point steals in the fifth and sixth ends, and then a significant steal of three points in the seventh, extending their lead to 8-2 . Smith managed a single point in the eighth, finalizing the score at 8-3.

Looking Ahead in the Brier Tournament

Jacobs is scheduled to return to action on Saturday evening against Kelly Knapp’s Saskatchewan-based rink . The tournament also features Matt Dunstone’s Manitoba team, who lost to Jacobs in last year’s final, and will begin their round robin schedule against James Grattan of Fresh Brunswick on Saturday afternoon .

Brier Format and Championship Implications

The 2026 Montana’s Brier features 18 teams divided into two pools. The top three teams from each pool will advance to the playoffs. The playoff format includes a Page playoff system, culminating in a final game on Sunday, March 8th . The winning team will represent Canada at the World Men’s Curling Championship, to be held in Ogden, Utah, at the end of March .