All-Alberta matchup set to kick off Brier today on TSN
Published
The Season of Champions in curling rolls on Friday night with the opening draw of the 2024 Montana’s Brier in Regina.
The 10-day tournament runs through March 10 and opens with a Pool B showdown between the two Alberta rinks, with Kevin Koe’s squad taking on Aaron Sluchinski’s side.
Watch the opening draw LIVE Friday evening on TSN1, TSN3, TSN.ca and the TSN App at 7p.m. ET/4p.m. PT.
Koe’s team has had an up-and-down season but heads into the Brier as the No. 3-ranked team in the event. A native of Edmonton, Koe has won four Briers, the most recent coming at the 2019 edition in Brandon, Man.
Sluchinski and his rink from Airdrie, Alta., are making their tournament debut after beating Koe in two straight games to capture the provincial title and qualify for a chance at the Brier Tankard.
Brad Gushue and his rink from St. Johns, Nfld. won the 2023 tournament, defeating Manitoba’s Matt Dunstone in the final. Gushue slots into Pool B in Regina, while top-ranked Team Canada skipped by Brendan Bottcher headline a Pool A also featuring Dunstone and 2013 champion Brad Jacobs.
Eighteen teams make up the 2024 field and all will play eight round-robin matchups with the top three teams in each pool advancing to a six-team playoff.
The winner will represent Canada at the 2024 World Men’s Curling Championship – set to begin March 30 in Switzerland – and will also take home the first qualification spot for the 2025 Canadian Olympic Curling trials in Halifax.
The Brier schedule heats up on Saturday with draws at 2 p.m. ET and 7 p.m. ET before getting into full swing Sunday with three sessions a day running through the end of round-robin play next Thursday.