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There was little afterglow from his first Brier win still fuelling Matt Dunstone as his team ramped up for the men’s world curling championship.
Dunstone, Colton Lott, E.J. Harnden and Ryan Harnden out of Winnipeg’s Granite Curling Club open the LGT Men’s World Championship on Friday afternoon against South Korea and at night against Italy in Ogden, Utah.
Dunstone beat Alberta’s Kevin Koe on March 8 in St. John’s for his first Canadian men’s championship, and also the first for Lott.
“A lot of relief has kind of settled in. It kind of feels like playing with house money now a little bit,” Dunstone said.
“I like the two weeks in between. It’s short and sweet and gives us enough time to quickly get our feet back on the ground again and keep on going.
“We’re very ready. We’ve played in a lot of big games this season. The entire field, nobody’s new to us.”
Dunstone last represented Canada over a decade ago when he won a world junior men’s title. Lott has worn the Maple Leaf in world mixed doubles with wife Kadriana.
The Harnden brothers have more international experience in men’s curling. They were world silver medallists in 2013 with their cousin Brad Jacobs, and won Olympic gold with him a year later.
“It’s been a while for me. Too long, as I’ve been telling people, 13 years,” Ryan Harnden said. “Things have changed for me. I’m better now than I ever was as a lead.”
E.J. Harnden was also a world silver medallist as Brad Gushue’s second in 2023 and 2024. The 42-year-old intends to retire after the world championship.
“I could not have written this any better,” he said. “To be able to win a Canadian championship in my last year of competitive curling, alongside my brother Ryan, and sharing that with Matt and Colton for their first Canadian championship, going to worlds, I have a ton of excitement.
“This just feels like it’s a bonus.”
Dunstone, who can return to the 2027 Montana’s Brier in Saskatoon as defending champion, will need to replace his second eventually.
“All I’m going to say on that matter is you’re going to hear from us after the worlds,” Dunstone said.
The top six countries among the 13 at the conclusion of pool play advance in Ogden.
The top two gain direct entry into the semifinals while the others play off to join them in the final four. The medal games are April 4.
The field includes seven-time world champion Niklas Edin of Sweden.
Edin’s third, Oskar Eriksson, accused Jacobs’ third Marc Kennedy of “double-touching” a stone during a game between the two countries in February’s Olympic Games.
Kennedy’s profanity-laced response went viral and spawned many social media memes.
Harnden doesn’t expect tension to carry over to Canada’s game Tuesday against Edin.
“I don’t think it has sort of any relation to our team and to what transpired,” he said.
“Have a great relationship with that team over the last number of years on the tour. Things happen in the high-pressure situations. I don’t see it becoming an issue or coming up in any way shape, or form, but who knows?”
Gushue skipped the last Canadian team to win a men’s world title in 2017 in Edmonton, and was a runner-up four times after that.
Gushue’s lead Geoff Walker is Canada’s alternate in Ogden. Dunstone has a savvy helping hand for tasks such as rock scouting.
“The biggest thing is to help these guys out and I owe them,” Walker said. “Both E.J. and Ryan have went into that role for us over the years and did a great job.
“I’d just like to see these guys win and help Canada out and bring a world title back to Canada. I’m going to do everything I can to try to make things easier on these guys and hopefully put some good rocks in their hands and get their coffees bright and early in the morning.”
In addition to Jacobs claiming Olympic men’s gold, Rachel Homan’s team earned women’s bronze in Cortina, Italy.
Manitoba’s Kerri Einarson took silver Sunday in the women’s world championship in Calgary.
“Canadian curling has been on a nice little stretch here,” Dunstone said. “I’m excited to be a part of that and hopefully continue that run that we’ve been on.”
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