London, Ont., is calling for Canada's top men's curling teams from coast to coast.
The Scotties Tournament of Hearts wrapped up this past weekend and now the Tim Hortons Brier is set to begin.
While Team Einarson was the favourite en route to a record-tying fourth consecutive Scotties title, it's not quite as clear-cut in the men's division.
Here's a rundown of what you need to know ahead of Friday's opening draw.
On top of the prestige of capturing the Brier tankard, the winner will compete for Canada on home ice at the world championship in Ottawa next month. Who doesn't want to wear the Maple Leaf on their back with the roar of the crowd on their side?
There's also a $300,000 CAD purse with the champions cashing in a cool $108,000. Second place banks $60,000 and third place takes home $40,000.
Yes, it's identical to the Scotties Tournament of Hearts format and it's the same as last year's Brier as well. We'll try our best to explain it like you're five.
The 18-team field is split into two pools for round-robin play with only the top three teams from each group advancing to the playoffs. Tiebreakers may be necessary.
The top teams from each pool receive a bye past the first playoff draw while the second-place teams cross over to face the third-place teams from the opposite pools with elimination on the line.
Winners of the No. 2 vs. No. 3 games take on the No. 1 teams in the second playoff draw. There's no elimination this time as these games just determine the seedings for the page playoffs as the winners are off to the 1-2 game and the losers slide into the 3-4 game.
We're still going. The winner of the 1-2 game goes straight to the final with the loser having a second shot dropping into the semifinal where they'll go up against the winner of the 3-4 game.
If that still sounds convoluted and confusing, just let it play out and see where it goes.
• Manitoba (Team Dunstone): Matt Dunstone's club is No. 1 in the nation and was on a heater in the fall reaching five finals with two title wins. Just like in the women's division, Manitoba is arguably the toughest province to play out of on the men's side, and Dunstone lost only one game during his championship run. Third B.J. Neufeld (2019 Brier winner with Team Koe) and lead Ryan Harnden (2013 Brier winner with Team Jacobs) bring veteran experience, plus if Dunstone gets on another hot streak, watch out.
• Alberta (Team Koe): Kevin Koe has won the Brier four times and looks to win a record fifth title — with a fifth different vice skip to boot. Koe's revamped lineup features third Tyler Tardi (2018 and 2019 world junior champion) plus second Brad Thiessen and lead Karrick Martin, who both claimed the Brier in 2021 with Team Bottcher. They've had an up-and-down tour season reaching three finals but also missing the playoffs in the two most recent Grand Slams. The team will rely on their skip to pull off game-saving shots, and Koe tends to make them more often than not.
• Wild Card Two (Team Carruthers): Reid Carruthers was a game (nay, an end) away from representing Manitoba when Dunstone scored the decisive three points in the 10th to win the provincial final 8-7. It's a testament Carruthers, Derek Samagalski and Connor Njegovan even made it that far as a trio, and now lead Robbie Gordon has come on board to round out their lineup. Carruthers, who coached Team Einarson to another Scotties title this past Sunday, won the Brier the last time it was held in London when he threw second stones for all-time legend Jeff Stoughton in 2011.
• Canada (Team Gushue): Koe isn't the only skip looking for a historic fifth Brier with Brad Gushue also eyeing the top spot in the record books. Gushue played a lighter tour schedule but it's a case of quality over quantity as his St. John's, N.L., crew captured a Grand Slam at the National and also earned gold for Canada at the Pan-Continental Championships. Although Team Gushue lost second Brett Gallant (see our next team) during last year's roster shuffle, E.J. Harnden (2013 Brier winner with Team Jacobs) has fit in quite well as expected.
• Wild Card One (Team Bottcher): Skip Brendan Bottcher cleaned house by not only adding Gallant but also third Marc Kennedy and lead Ben Hebert. The four curlers have a combined 12 Brier titles but can they win their first altogether? They captured the most recent Grand Slam men's title at the Canadian Open in January, posting a perfect 6-0 record, and lost just once during Alberta playdowns (to Koe in the final). Although they had a rough outing at the Tour Challenge in late October going 0-4, since then their win-loss record is a torrid 23-5.
• Ontario (Team McEwen): Yes, Manitoba-based Mike McEwen is skipping the home province team as an import but what an import he is. McEwen has the magic touch (seven Grand Slam titles) plus third Ryan Fry (2013 Brier winner with Team Jacobs) and second Brent Laing (three-time Brier champion) bring a boatload of experience. They had a subpar tour season and barely made it into provincial playdowns, but with new lead Joey Hart (and his father Richard Hart on the bench) they won the Ontario Tankard. Should they falter though, look out for ...
• Quebec (Team Asselin): Wild Card Three (Team Sturmay) is another possible underdog to slip into the mix, but we're giving Quebec the edge as skip Felix Asselin has prior Brier experience and also reached the semis of the Tour Challenge Tier 2 defeating Sturmay in the quarterfinals no less.
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