Brendan Bottcher is returning to skip duties on a new Alberta-based rink that will include Geoff Walker and Northern Ontario brothers jacob horgan and Tanner Horgan, the team announced Monday.
New Alberta Rink: Roles Confirmed
The newly formed lineup lists Bottcher as skip and Walker as lead, with jacob horgan set to play third and Tanner Horgan at second. The Horgan brothers spent the past two seasons on John Epping’s team and did not qualify for the Brier this year.
Jacob Horgan To Play Third On Bottcher-Led Team
Jacob Horgan will move into the third position on the new Alberta-based rink, providing the middle-order shotmaking alongside his brother at second. The announcement names the Horgan brothers as the Northern Ontario components of the new Alberta team.
Background On Bottcher And Walker
Bottcher and Walker had been teammates on Brad Gushue’s Newfoundland and Labrador team for the past two seasons, with Bottcher serving as second and Walker as lead during that span; that partnership included a Montana’s Brier win last year. Walker spent 15 years with Team Gushue, winning six Brier titles, while Bottcher joined the team in 2024. Bottcher was a longtime skip before joining that arrangement; his former team won bronze at the Brier in 2022, and he captured world junior gold in 2022.
Announcement And Immediate Outlook
The formation of the Alberta-based rink was announced Monday. In social media posts earlier in the week, Walker indicated he would not be part of a Newfoundland and Labrador–based team in the future, and Bottcher shared that his time with the previous team had come to an end. The new lineup pairs Bottcher’s skip responsibilities with Walker’s return to lead and the addition of the Horgan brothers to complete the four-person roster.
The new team brings together recent teammates from Newfoundland and Labrador and Northern Ontario veterans into an Alberta-centered rink; further details on competition plans were not included in the announcement.
