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Brad Gushue broke down as his wife walked on the ice and threw her arms around him. Tears rolled down his cheeks as he hugged each of his family members one by one — a thank you for the role they played in his career.
A career that came to an end on Saturday afternoon in St. John’s.
Gushue’s Team Newfoundland and Labrador lost to Team Canada in a hard-fought 7-5 playoff battle at the Brier, dashing all hope of a storybook ending.
The crowd of more than 6,000 adoring fans sent him off in proper fashion — with a standing ovation and more than a few tears themselves.
“That was special to me,” Gushue told reporters afterwards. “That was a memory I’ll have for the rest of my life.”
Gushue came into the 2026 Brier knowing it would be his last. He said he was at peace with his decision, but questions crept into his mind at times over the playoff weekend — could this be it? Will this be the last shot?
The final rock came against a longtime rival. Gushue and Team Canada’s Brad Jacobs have faced each other 69 times over the span of 18 years, their records nearly even.
It was also fitting that it came in front of a hometown crowd, in the place where Gushue was born and raised. He could have left the province, like many other athletes, chasing bigger opportunities and stiffer competition. But he stayed.
Newfoundland and Labrador has rewarded him, rooting for him every step of the way — from becoming the first person from the province to win Olympic gold, to winning his first Brier on home ice in 2017, and winning his second Olympic medal in 2022.
The culmination of those accomplishments and his dedication to home was evident in the support he received in Saturday’s roaring ovation.
“I’m going to miss this,” Gushue said. “Yeah, I’m going to miss it. But I’m also excited about what’s to come.”
Gushue went a perfect 8-0 through the round robin at the Brier, finishing first in Pool A. He ran into trouble in the 1 vs. 2 qualifier game on Friday morning, losing to Manitoba’s Matt Dunstone.
That left the Gushue rink with zero wiggle room. Their next loss would be their last.
He defeated Ontario’s Jayden King on Friday evening to advance to the 3 vs. 4 Page playoff game, where he was up against the mighty Jacobs.
Gushue was met with an ovation as soon as he set foot on the ice for practice, more than a half-hour before the game even began. Jacobs silenced the crowd in the sixth end, scoring three to take a commanding 5-2 lead. Gushue clawed back, but Jacobs never relinquished the lead.
“Let’s be honest. We are not the best team in the country anymore. We were for a long time, but certainly we haven’t played like that over the last year and a half or two years. And Brad [Jacobs] has,” Gushue said.
Family comes first
Krista Gushue beamed as she watched the crowd roar for her husband one last time.
“I know he was hoping to go out and win, but I think they played amazing,” she said. “We are definitely going to miss seeing him out on the ice, cheering him on. But we’re beyond proud of everything he’s done.”
Krista said she hopes her husband is remembered as being a promoter of the sport — someone who pushed everyone around him to get better, and competed as hard as humanly possible.
“I just hope they see his legacy as the amount of hard work and effort he’s put in through all these years to play at the level he has for as long as he has.”
Gushue won’t have much time to relax. His attention will immediately turn to his daughters’ curling careers — with tournaments in Corner Brook, Prince Edward Island and Sudbury in the coming weeks.
It might be hectic, but Krista said it’s right where he wants to be.
“He was always disappointed because he’s missed tournaments, and he wants to be able to go out on the ice and help them with their technique and strategy, but he’s been away. So, I think we’re ready for the next stage in life.”
Gushue, for his part, did not rule out a comeback in mixed doubles — that’s if his teenage daughters want to play with their dear old dad.
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