Who will Gushue pick to replace Harnden?
Published
Brad Gushue and the Canadian men's curling champions from St. John's, Nfld., stunned the curling world on Thursday when they announced they were parting ways with Olympic- and Brier-winning second E.J. Harnden.
"We are grateful for E.J.'s unwavering commitment and the tremendous impact he has made on our team," Team Gushue said in a press release. "We wish him all the best in the future."
Gushue told The Canadian Press that the decision to part ways was "amicable and the best decision for both sides."
Despite the high rate of player movement over recent years, Thursday's announcement caught many of guard with Team Gushue considered by many as the top men's curling team in Canada after winning three straight Montana's Briers and six since 2017.
Ranked second in the world behind Scotland's Team Bruce Mouat, Team Gushue will represent Canada at the Brier in March for the third consecutive season and has already booked a spot to the 2025 Canadian Curling Trials.
The 41-year-old Harnden helped Gushue's rink win the Brier Tankard in each of his two seasons with the team before settling for silver at the World Men's Curling Championship each time. Gushue also won two Grand Slam titles during Harnden's time with the team.
"It has been an incredible journey with Team Gushue," Harnden said in a statement. "I am proud of what we've accomplished together, and I wish Brad, Mark and Geoff the very best."
Team Gushue is 12-5 over three events so far in 2024-25, dropping the PointsBet Invitational final to Saskatoon's Team Mike McEwen, 8-3, and the Tour Challenge final to Team Mouat, 10-3.
They are scheduled to compete at the Soo Curlers Fall Classic from Oct. 17-20 before representing Canada at the Pan Continental Curling Championship in Lacombe, Alta., from Oct. 27-Nov. 2.
So where does Gushue, Mark Nichols and Geoff Walker go from here? Do they pick from a small pool of "free agents" or try to steal an elite player from another top team in the circuit?
Let's take a closer look at some of the available names not currently with a team that might make sense as Harnden's replacement.
Adam Casey
Adam Casey
The 35-year-old curling journeyman from Prince Edward Island has plenty of familiarity with Gushue, having played with the legend from 2012 to 2014, reaching the Brier each year.
Casey has represented four different provinces - PEI, Newfoundland and Labrador, Saskatchewan and Manitoba - at the Brier, a record he shares with Ryan Fry.
Casey is available and was even serving as Team Gushue's fifth at the recent Grand Slam event in Charlottetown. Could a reunion be in store for Gushue and Casey?
Brendan Bottcher
Brendan Bottcher
The most talented curler available right now is Brendan Bottcher.
The 32-year-old Alberta native is a free agent after he was surprisingly cut from his team and replaced by Brad Jacobs at the end of last season.
Bottcher has skipped his entire career and has never been a full-time sweeper in the four-person game, meaning adjustments from both sides will likely need to be made in order for this move to work.
Is there a chance longtime third Mark Nichols moves to second in order for Bottcher to play vice?
Bottcher is also currently committed to coaching Ontario's Team Rachel Homan this season. That responsibility alongside playing for an elite team on the East coast would be a difficult task.
Is Bottcher willing to give up skip duties in an effort to chase domestic and international curling glory with Team Gushue?
Jacques Gauthier
Jacques Gauthier
Jacques Gauthier is another strong curler without a home after he was unexpectedly cut by Team Kevin Koe earlier this season on the eve of the PointsBet Invitational.
Gauthier, 25, skipped British Columbia at the 2023 Brier and played second for Team Koe at last year's national championship.
This move seems like a solid fit on paper with Gauthier having plenty of motivation to show his worth after being released.
Nathan Young
At age 44, Gushue is entering the late stages of his career.
When the St. John's native decides to hang up the curling shoes, who is going to take over as The Rock's top male skip?
One strong candidate is Nathan Young.
The 21-year-old has represented the province at two Canadian men's curling championships and was even the fifth for Team Gushue at the 2022 Pan Continental Curling Championship.
Young is currently skipping a team of his own, but playing for someone like Gushue would be invaluable at this point in his career.
This move seems unlikely given Gushue's desire to win now and Young's lack of experience at elite-level curling. However, if Gushue wants to keep it local, Young probably makes the most sense.
Remaining players of Team Aaron Sluchinski
Kyle Doering
Aaron Sluchinski has replaced Jacques Gauthier on Team Kevin Koe, meaning the remaining members of the Airdrie, Alta., rink are currently in limbo.
In a statement following Sluchinski's departure, third Jeremy Harty, second Kyle Doering and lead Dylan Webster said they "will continue to explore their options going forward."
Could one of those options mean joining the reigning Canadian champions if they get the call?
Doering, 28, was Team Gushue's alternate at last year's World Men's Curling Championship in Switzerland and makes the most sense out of the three curlers remaining from Team Sluchinski.
Brad Thiessen
Brendan Bottcher, Brad Thiessen
Brad Thiessen left competitive curling at the end of 2022-23 after playing one season with Team Kevin Koe.
The 34-year-old native of Edmonton made a name for himself as Brendan Bottcher's second, appearing in six Briers, reaching four finals with a lone win inside the Calgary bubble in 2021.
Whether or not Thiessen is interested in returning to full-time curling is a question that has yet to be answered.