ST. JOHN'S, N.L. — The Canadian men's curling championship will return to St. John's, N.L., next year, Curling Canada announced Monday.
The 2026 Montana's Brier will be held Feb. 27-March 8 at the Mary Brown's Centre. St. John's-based skip Brad Gushue, who won his first of six Brier titles at the venue in 2017, confirmed the news at a morning press conference.
"I feel very comfortable and confident speaking on behalf of (my team) and also all of the top male curlers in the country that we are thrilled and excited to be back here in St. John's," Gushue said. "Hopefully we'll experience the passion and the excitement that we had back in 2017."
The playdowns will begin five days after the closing ceremony at the 2026 Milan Olympics. The men's team that represents Canada will be able to play in the Brier as well, provided the rink has qualified.
The Newfoundland and Labrador capital also served as Brier host in 1972 when Manitoba's Orest Meleschuk was victorious at Memorial Stadium.
"I have no doubt that the entire curling community and its passionate fans are celebrating with us today," said Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Andrew Furey.
The 2017 competition was one for the ages as the hometown favourites won on a Gushue draw to the eight-foot ring that required a furious sweep from vice Mark Nichols and then-second Brett Gallant.
The sold-out crowd erupted after the game-winning shot, kicking off a celebration downtown that lasted well into the wee hours.
“The memory of being in the building and watching Brad win that final, and seeing how the city and province embraced the event, is something that I’ll always cherish and it certainly made our decision this year easier,” Curling Canada CEO Nolan Thiessen said in a statement.
"It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the organizing committee there is ready to put in the work to make the 2026 Montana’s Brier even better than 2017, if that’s possible.”
Gushue, who won Olympic gold in 2006 and took bronze at the 2022 Games, is the reigning Brier champion. His team of Nichols, second Brendan Bottcher and lead Geoff Walker will wear Canada colours at the 2025 Brier beginning Feb. 28 in Kelowna, B.C.
The winner of that event will earn the first entry in the 18-team field at the 2026 playdowns. The top three teams in the Canadian rankings not already qualified at the end of the 2024-25 season will pick up pre-qualification spots.
“There is so much pride in our province and our city and I really do share in the excitement today," said Gushue, who's currently fourth in the national rankings. "It’s going to be an amazing event, and I’m already counting down the days.”
The Mary Brown’s Centre, which has a seating capacity of about 6,300, is home to the Newfoundland Rogues of the Basketball Super League and will be home to the QMJHL's Newfoundland Regiment starting next season.
The venue hosted the Grand Slam of Curling's Kioti National last fall and was also the site for the 2005 Scotties Tournament of Hearts. Manitoba's Jennifer Jones won the national title that year with a dramatic 10th-end in-off takeout to score four for the victory over Ontario's Jenn Hanna.
The 2025 Scotties will begin Feb. 14 at Thunder Bay, Ont. The 2026 Canadian women's curling championship will be played in Mississauga, Ont.
The Brier has been played in 31 cities across Canada since the inaugural event at Toronto's Granite Club in 1927.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 3, 2025.
The Canadian Press
