Brendan Bottcher is returning to the skip position on a new Alberta-based squad that pairs veteran Geoff Walker with brothers Jacob and Tanner Horgan, a lineup that puts Jacob Horgan Curling at third as the team prepares for the next season.
Jacob Horgan Curling Role And Team Lineup
Bottcher will skip, with Jacob Horgan throwing third, Tanner Horgan at second and Walker at lead. The team, based in Alberta, combines the Horgan brothers’ youth and two Brier appearances with Walker’s extensive championship resume. Bottcher described the group as offering “a really fresh desire to be better, to learn, ” and said he was excited about what they can put on the ice.
The Horgan brothers left John Epping’s team last month; they are from Sudbury, Ont., but have been based in Mississauga, Ont. Jacob most recently served as an alternate for Matt Dunstone, who beat Kevin Koe in the Brier final. The brothers most recently represented Northern Ontario with Epping in 2025.
Experience, Ages And The Move To Alberta
The new squad mixes championship pedigree and proven event experience. Walker has won six Canadian titles, one world title and an Olympic bronze medal while playing with his former skip. Bottcher brings a national title won as a skip in 2021 and spent the last year and a half throwing second stones on a team skipped by Brad Gushue, who retired after Montana’s Brier.
Age details reflect a blend of youth and veteran presence: Bottcher is 34, Walker is six years older, Tanner is 28 and Jacob will turn 26 in a few weeks. Bottcher said Jacob will be making the move to Alberta over the coming months, citing residency requirements for the playdown process and the importance of having the core of the team together to practise on a daily basis.
What Changed And What’s Next For The Domestic Scene
The announcement is part of a wider flurry of roster changes on the domestic curling circuit as teams reshape ahead of the next season and quadrennial. In recent days, Tyler Tardi left a long-standing team to skip a new lineup that previously played under another skip who is now a free agent. Other provincial and national lineups have split or reconfigured, and one Halifax-based squad has continued as a four-player team after a departure.
Bottcher said his time playing second “ignited a passion in me that I feel like I have more to do, ” and added, “I’m certainly not done yet, and I’m excited to get back to skipping. ” With the core now assembled, the team will work through relocation and residency logistics ahead of competitive playdowns.
The new Alberta-based group will be watched closely as the season approaches, with their combination of youth and experience setting clear aims toward national championship contention.
