Purple heart tattoos and more

KELOWNA, BC — It’s the climactic day of the 2025 Montana’s Brier.

Three teams remain—soon to be two—all with dreams of having their names engraved on the MacDonald Brier Tankard.

Earlier this week, which corresponding province would be included on that engraving was called into question.

As is now an annual Brier tradition—more on another great tradition later—during the first broadcast of a Saskatchewan game, TSN shared video of Rick Folk winning the 1980 Brier. Following the sad reminder of how long it has been since the wheat province won, it was mentioned that a win by Mike McEwen would not end the drought. We were reminded that the 2022 Brier was won by “Wild Card” Team Gushue and not Newfoundland and Labrador.

With the recent change to have pre-qualified teams wear their provincial colours—with no mention of Wild Card—it was unclear how a Brier win would be recorded for history. Luckily, a decision has now been made to honour the province with a victory, even if it comes from a team which qualified through CTRS points.

Team Canada wins may also be retroactively given to the provinces as well, which could lift Newfoundland and Labrador above the likes of B.C. and Northern Ontario, tying them with Saskatchewan.

They’re rewriting the record books.

Manitoba won 20 of the first 50 Briers but has won only 7 since 1980, and they’re still chasing Alberta’s 29 Brier titles. The province has been stuck at 27 championships for 14 years, since Jeff Stoughton’s win at the London Brier in 2011.

Their 22nd championship came from Kelowna resident Mike Riley, who dug out his 1984 Brier sweater and wore it proudly while watching Matt Dunstone, who is now just one victory away from adding to that total.

This Brier was peppered with Manitoba players, including Ontario’s third Ryan Wiebe and Ty Dillelo at skip for Newfoundland and Labrador. Both were thrilled to compete in their first Brier and battle with their new teammates, but they acquiesce that joining the buffalo club would mean just a little bit more.

They reached the semifinal in their home province as teammates in 2022 and still hope that one day they can earn the Manitoba purple heart, though they may not have it tattooed on their arm like Mark Lukowich, the 2002 champion.

Northern Ontario’s Brad Jacobs, who won a Manitoba heart last year, is now representing Alberta. He would love to add another title for the wild rose province, but first he needed to win a playoff game. It had been 10 years since the last time Brad won a playoff game at the Brier. Sure, there was a bronze medal win in 2016, but that came after they had been eliminated from a chance to hoist the trophy.

The afternoon loss to Gushue was Alberta’s first of the week, and the weight of a decade of disappointment had to be weighing on Jacobs. On Friday evening Brad was finally able to come through with a win against Owen Purcell. The plucky rink from Nova Scotia was the first playoff participant from the bluenose province since Mark Dacey in 2006.

With the demons now exorcised, Jacobs passed his next test against the Carruthers team from Manitoba, the last remaining provincial tankard winner in the field. Like many of this week’s participants, Reid and Brad were recently an item, winning Manitoba in 2024.

A brief pause is in order to discuss a petition suggestion that was making the rounds at the Patch last night.

There is consensus: we need a petition to move the clock change (Daylight Saving Time) by a week, so it stops impacting the Brier.

Someone please start one. 

How Carruthers made it to Saturday is still a mystery. 

On Thursday, Brad Gushue was in control against Matt Dunstone, leading 4-1 after 4 ends. In the past 10 seasons, Gushue was 54-3 in the same situation. 

A win by Gushue and Carruthers would have headed home and John Epping would have reached the playoffs based on Last Shot Draw results, breaking the tie between three teams at 6-2 (Epping, Dunstone and Carruthers).

The win by Dunstone granted Carruthers a playoff date and it came against another of Reid’s ex-teammates, Mike McEwen, whom Matt had dispatched earlier in the first playoff round.

On Friday night, in the sixth end of a 2-2 game, McEwen had the option to draw for two or play a double takeout for a possible three against Carruthers. Catching the target stone too thin led to the worst possible result for McEwen, handing Reid an unexpected steal of two and a 4-2 lead heading into the final four ends.

McEwen was unable to rebound from the five-point swing, sending Carruthers to the weekend and the 2024 Brier finalists packing for their trip home.

Before the action began on Saturday, a Brier tradition older than the fans in the arena came to a close. The Fort William Curling Club, through a series of dignified gentlemen, has hosted Morning Classes since 1960. 

During their annual summer barbeque, it was decided 75 years was the right number to retire from serving the legendary gin and lemon juice, and—if you make it to Detention—a ceasar, made with Sam’s Hot Sauce (for Wings and Things).

Along with the table games, there were books of old photographs available for classmates to peruse. 

The 1985 album included many pictures from the historic Moncton Brier. 

It has been 40 years since Al Hackner made The Shot and it was a joy to look back at rarely-seen images of their legendary championship, and think of what a thrill it must have been for the Morning Class crew of that era to witness it, live in Moncton.

The mood on Friday was celebratory but also a little melancholy. 

Thus far, no other club nor organization has offered to take the baton and it appears that classes will be dismissed in St. John’s next year.

Click below to see exclusive TCN video of what may prove to be the last-ever Morning Class “sociable."