Hungry like the wolf!

Alberta-Jacobs clinches playoff berth at 2025 Montana’s Brier

Brad Jacobs is hungry for a win at the 2025 Montana’s Brier, presented by AGI. 

The 39-year-old skip has amassed 122 career victories at the Canadian men’s championship, ranking him ninth all-time in total wins. But right now, he’s focused on a different kind of victory—playoff wins.

“How hungry am I for a playoff win? Well, I haven’t eaten all day. I’m fasting my brains out right now and trying to feel as hungry as possible. I really am hungry to get into the playoffs with these guys for the first time ever and just continue to perform like we are,” said Jacobs. “It’s a lot of fun when you’re making a lot of shots. For me at skip, I was saying to the guys last night, my confidence comes from everything that they’re doing in front of me. We’re feeling good.”

Playoff wins have eluded Jacobs since 2016 when he won the now-defunct bronze-medal game. Since then, he’s qualified for the playoffs in six of his seven appearances and played in nine playoff games. 

Team Alberta-Jacobs of Calgary improved to 6-0 at Prospera Place in Kelowna, B.C., and has officially claimed one of three playoff spots available in Pool B after an 11-5 win against Ontario’s Team Sam Mooibroek (3-3; Whitby) on Wednesday afternoon.

As Jacobs, vice-skip Marc Kennedy, second Brett Gallant, lead Ben Hebert, alternate Mike Caione and coach Paul Webster approach the playoffs, the skip of the fifth-ranked team in the world feels confident in his team’s chances to win the Montana’s Brier.

“There’s been years in the past where we did have a lot of confidence going into the playoffs, and we just were kind of on the wrong side of the inch, and things didn’t really go our way, and it wasn’t meant to be,” said Jacobs. “We’re performing so well right now and making so many shots that a break or two would be great. But if we don’t get it, I still think that with how we’re playing, we can do some good things in the playoffs.”

Alberta maintained control of the scoreboard against Ontario from the start, scoring two with hammer in the first end. The unit continued converting, scoring deuces in the third and fifth ends. By the seventh, Alberta outplayed Ontario to the tune of a draw for five and a seven-point lead that would all but secure the win. Ontario scored a single in the eighth and offered handshakes.

Saskatchewan’s Team Mike McEwen (7-0; Saskatoon) also claimed a playoff spot and will have its chance to reach the final for the second year in a row. Team McEwen defeated provincial rivals Saskatchewan’s Team Rylan Kleiter (3-3; Saskatoon) 7-2 in eight ends. With the game tied two apiece, Team McEwen blanked three consecutive ends before setting up a score of five in the eighth.

The two undefeated teams, Alberta-Jacobs and Saskatchewan-McEwen, have a chance to clash in the final round-robin draw on Thursday night. 

“I think that we’ve had a lot of momentum right from the first game and it’s important for us to continue to have that momentum in all of these round-robin games as we enter into the playoffs here,” said Jacobs, whose team will take on Quebec’s Team Félix Asselin in the morning draw Thursday. “We have a big day tomorrow—morning game, night game. We expect two tough opponents and we play Mike tomorrow night. That’s going to be awesome, I can’t wait for that. Hopefully, we can finish the round robin strong heading into the weekend.”

In other Pool B action, Prince Edward Island’s Team Tyler Smith (1-6; Crapaud) bested Team Aaron Bartling of the Northwest Territories (0-6; Hay River) with a 10-5 win; and Nova Scotia’s Team Owen Purcell (3-3; Halifax) scraped out a 7-6 win over Québec’s (3-3; Glenmore/Valleyfield/Etchemin/Des Collines/Belvedere).

Yukon’s Team Thomas Scoffin (2-4; Whitehorse) had the afternoon bye in Pool B.

The Montana’s Brier continues Tuesday with a draw at 6:30 p.m. (all times Pacific).

Live scoring, standings and statistics for the 2025 Montana’s Brier are available at www.curling.ca/scoreboard/.

TSN and RDS2 will provide complete coverage of the 2025 Montana’s Brier. CLICK HERE for the complete schedule.

For ticket information for the 2025 Montana’s Brier, go to www.curling.ca/2025brier/tickets/

This story will be available in French as soon as possible at www.curling.ca/2025brier/nouvelles/?lang=fr