ST. JOHN’S — Kevin Koe may be a four-time Canadian men’s curling champion, but he acknowledged his team was an underdog heading into the Montana’s Brier this year.
The sixth seed in the 18-team tournament were a win away from a Canadian championship after beating Matt Dunstone 9-7 in an extra end in a playoff game between the top two seeds Saturday.
Koe’s Glencoe Club foursome from Calgary punched an express ticket to Sunday evening’s championship game in St. John’s, N.L.
Dunstone dropped to Sunday afternoon’s semifinal to face Brad Jacobs, who ousted Brad Gushue from contention earlier in the day and exactly two weeks after winning an Olympic gold medal in Cortina, Italy.
The semifinal victor meets Koe at night.
Koe, 51, reached his ninth Brier final and his first since 2022 when he lost to Gushue in Lethbridge, Alta.
But his teams missed the Brier playoffs the last two years.
In a field that included reigning Olympic champion Jacobs and six-time champ Gushue, Koe’s team wasn’t considered a favourite.
“I don’t think people gave us much of a chance coming here for sure,” Koe said. “It’s not like we did a lot for people to say we should be favourites, but we’re up there with them.
“I don’t need extra motivation when I get to this event. It’s the Brier. Who knows when it will be my last one? Could be tomorrow so what a better way to go than hopefully out on top.”
Koe, Tyler Tardi, Aaron Sluchinski and Karrick Martin also have an opportunity to go undefeated in St. John’s.
Koe skipped the last team to run the table in 2019 when his team prevailed in Brandon, Man.
Martin won a Brier playing lead for Brendan Bottcher in 2021 in Calgary. Tardi, 27, and Sluchinski, 38, will play in their first final.
Sluchinski is Koe’s vice, but Tardi throws third stones.
“I’m getting old. I was old before this event,” Koe said. “I’m excited for the chance to get Tyler and Aaron one.
“I’m feeling good. It’ll be my ninth final. I’ve been in a lot of them. I feel like I’m throwing it good and hopefully I can carry the guys.”
Koe’s long runback double hit to lay two in the extra end was pivotal Saturday.
Dunstone missed a draw, so the Alberta skip didn’t have to throw his final stone.
Dunstone fell to Jacobs in the final of both the Olympic trials and the Canadian championship in 2025.
“We obviously owe them from the last couple of times,” Dunstone said. “Won’t be in the final this time, but looking forward at a crack at the Olympic champs.”
Dunstone’s second E.J. Harnden posted 99 per cent shooting accuracy and lead Ryan Harnden was at 98 per cent Saturday.
But the Manitoba skip was wincing with knee pain after throwing his first stone of the ninth end.
“Just had a little bit of a tweak when I got into the hack,” Dunstone said. “You’re up against the time a little, but I rushed it a bit. That’s all I really want to say about that, but I’ll be playing tomorrow.”
Jacobs, Marc Kennedy, Brett Gallant and Ben Hebert arrived with tanks nearly empty after their run to Olympic gold. The foursome dug deep to stay in contention, and eliminate hometown favourite Gushue 7-5 on Saturday.
“That was our best team game of the week,” Jacobs said. “It’s nice to put a full team game together. It’s been a little while. We hadn’t done that here yet this week, so we did it at the right time, that’s for sure.
“When we put it all together like we did today, we’re a really tough team to beat.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 7, 2026.
Donna Spencer, The Canadian Press
