These wild curling times continue
Team Gushue has announced they’ve snatched Brendan Bottcher from the No. 1 team in women’s curling to play second stone.
Bottcher, a longtime fours skip, confirmed he will continue his newfound partnership with Rachel Homan in the mixed doubles discipline. However, he will no longer serve as coach for Homan’s fours team.
“Joining Team Gushue as the new second is an incredible opportunity, and I’m excited to get started,” said the Edmonton-based athlete.
“It’s an honour to join such an accomplished team, and I look forward to bringing my passion and excitement to the mix.”
On Oct. 10, Team Gushue—which includes third Mark Nichols and lead Geoff Walker— announced that second E.J. Harnden had “agreed to part ways effective immediately.”
Team Gushue starts another tour event in two days in Harnden’s hometown of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. but due to a previous commitment, Bottcher won’t be with his new mates.
PEI’s Adam Casey, who was recently announced as Team Gushue’s alternate for the upcoming Pan Continental Championships in Lacombe, Alta., will play with Team Gushue in the Soo.
The squad has a first round bye and starts play at 7:30 p.m. local time against the winner of an earlier match.
Other teams enjoying first round byes are Italy’s Joel Retornaz, Saskatchewan’s Brier finalist Mike McEwen, and Soo native Brad Jacobs, the 2014 Olympic champion.
Bottcher’s first event as a new Gushue team member will be in Lacombe, which gets underway on Oct. 27. That’s where the squad will represent Canada in the search for a berth in the world men’s curling championship in March.
Bottcher, 32, was dumped by his team last April. That squad featured former Gushue teammate Brett Gallant, as well as former Kevin Martin front-enders Marc Kennedy and Ben Hebert.
The squad was formed with the intention of surpassing Gushue as Canada’s strongest men’s foursome.
The following month, Bottcher stunned the curling world by announcing a new focus away from men’s fours, in favour of mixed doubles and women’s fours coaching.
Casey played with Gushue along with fellow PEI native Brett Gallant, until Casey was replaced by Alberta’s Walker.
Gushue defeated Bottcher in both the 2018 and 2020 Brier finals.
The news continues a merry-go-round of Canadian team lineup announcements that have all taken place within the first three months of the new season.