Koe Reaches Brier Final, Gushue’s Storied Career Ends

St. John’s, NL – Kevin Koe of Alberta has advanced to the final of the 2026 Montana’s Brier, whereas Brad Gushue’s remarkable curling career concluded with a 7-5 loss to Brad Jacobs of Canada in the Page Playoff 3-4 game on Saturday.

Gushue’s Final Game

Newfoundland’s Brad Gushue saw his final competitive curling appearance at the Brier end with the defeat. Gushue had previously announced that this Brier would be his last in elite men’s curling. He leaves the sport with an impressive record, including six Brier championships, a 2017 World Championship title, and a gold medal from the 2006 Olympic Games.

The game against Jacobs was closely contested. Gushue scored one in the first end, and Jacobs responded with a pair in the third. Gushue added another single in the fifth, tying the game 2-2 at the break. Jacobs then took control with three points in the sixth. Gushue fought back with two in the seventh, but Jacobs added a single in the eighth to lead 6-4. The teams exchanged single points in the final two ends, securing a 7-5 victory for Jacobs.

Koe Advances to Final

Earlier on Saturday, Kevin Koe’s Alberta team defeated Matt Dunstone of Manitoba 9-7 in an extra end to secure a direct path to the final. Koe, with third Tyler Tardi, second Aaron Sluchinski, and lead Karrick Martin, started strong, scoring three in the second and two in the fourth to lead 5-3.

Semi-Final Matchup Set

Brad Jacobs, alongside Marc Kennedy, Brett Gallant, and Ben Hebert, will face Matt Dunstone in the semi-final on Sunday morning. The winner of that match will then compete against Kevin Koe in the championship final on Sunday evening at 7:30 PM local time.