Brad Gushue, the 45-year-old St. John’s skip, bowed out of his final Brier after a 7-5 playoff loss to Brad Jacobs, ending a decorated curling career and leaving the title up for grabs. Saturday at 3: 00 p. m. ET, the result — reflected in the brier 2026 scores — propelled Jacobs into the semifinal and set up a clash of former Sault Ste. Marie teammates on Sunday.
Gushue’s Final Game Ends 7-5 Loss to Brad Jacobs
Gushue was ousted 7-5 in the playoff game, with Jacobs scoring singles in the eighth and 10th ends to seal the win, after a three in the sixth had pushed Jacobs to a 5-2 lead; Gushue answered with two in the seventh to narrow the gap to 5-4, and was held to a single in the ninth, 7-5 finishing the contest.
Every draw featuring Gushue in St. John’s packed the arena, and ice technicians had to compensate for temperature swings during games; Gushue is 45 and leaves the Canadian men’s championship after a career that included six Brier titles and multiple world and Olympic medals.
Mark Nichols, Gushue’s longtime teammate, reflected on a partnership that spanned 26 years and helped bring Olympic gold and a first hometown Brier title in 2017; Nichols credited their shared drive and the overcoming of geographic and financial barriers tied to coming from Newfoundland and Labrador.
Former Sault Teammates to Meet in Sunday Semifinal
With three teams left in the 18-team field, Brad Jacobs advanced after beating Gushue 7-5 and will face the Dunstone rink, which includes Sault Ste. Marie natives E. J. Harnden at second and Ryan Harnden at lead, in Sunday afternoon’s semifinal; Dunstone reached the 3v4 Page playoff following a late-week win over Manitoba’s Braden Calvert.
Jacobs said the team played its best game of the week and felt in control, while Dunstone called it a chance to challenge the Olympic champions; Jacobs’ rink features third Marc Kennedy, second Brett Gallant, and lead Ben Hebert, a lineup Jacobs praised for its performance in the 7-5 win.
Brier 2026 Scores Include Koe’s 9-7 Extra-End Victory and Key Playoff Outcomes
In the 1v2 Page playoff game, Alberta’s Kevin Koe beat Manitoba’s Matt Dunstone 9-7 in an extra end to secure a spot in the tournament final, a result that appears in the latest Brier 2026 Scores and sets up Sunday night’s championship match.
Dunstone described the loss as a battle and noted a missed shot by a centimeter that cost the game; the Dunstone rink now faces Jacobs in the semifinal, with the winner advancing to meet Koe in the final, which will determine Canada’s representative at the World Men’s Curling Championship later this month in Utah.
Gushue said he was thankful for the appreciation shown by the St. John’s crowd and called the memory of that support something he will have for the rest of his life, even as the disappointment of the loss remained; he confirmed this season would be his last in competitive men’s curling.
Next confirmed events: Sunday afternoon semifinal at 3: 00 p. m. ET and the Sunday title game at 7: 00 p. m. ET.
