In the 2025 Montana’s Canadian Curling Trials, Ottawa’s Rachel Homan secured her spot in the women’s final, while Calgary’s Brad Jacobs advanced in the men’s competition. Unfortunately, St. John’s skip Brad Gushue was eliminated after a crucial miss during a pivotal moment in the tournament.
Homan narrowly defeated Kerri Einarson of Gimli, Manitoba, with a score of 7-6, guaranteeing her first place in the women’s round-robin phase. Both teams ended the preliminary round with 6-1 records, but Homan’s victory over Einarson gave her a direct route to the best-of-three final.
Expressing her satisfaction with the team’s performance, Homan stated, “Our initial aim was to reach the final, considering the tough competition. The girls showed great resilience and I am immensely proud of their efforts.”
On the men’s side, Jacobs secured his spot in the final with a 6-2 triumph over Matt Dunstone from Winnipeg. Jacobs, the 2014 Olympic champion, topped the men’s standings with a 6-1 record after defeating Gushue in the final round-robin match.
Gushue, in his final competitive season, suffered a 6-3 loss to Jacobs after missing a crucial throw in the 10th end. This defeat marked the first time Gushue failed to make it to the Canadian Trials playoffs in his career.
Looking ahead to the playoffs, Dunstone will face off against Mike McEwen of Saskatoon in the men’s semifinal. McEwen, who defeated Gushue earlier, expressed his confidence after securing his first playoff appearance in eight years.
In the women’s competition, Einarson will compete against hometown favorite Christina Black in the semifinal, with the final set to take place on Friday. Black’s victory over Kate Cameron earned her a spot in the semifinal based on superior performance in the last stone draw ranking.
The tournament winners will earn the opportunity to represent Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina, Italy.
