Team Jacobs celebrates their Olympic berth on Saturday after a win against Team Dunstone.Darren Calabrese/The Canadian Press
Team Brad Jacobs has punched its ticket to represent Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Jacobs’ Calgary rink earned a nail-biting 6-5 win over Matt Dunstone’s Winnipeg team on Saturday night to sweep the best-of-three men’s final at the Canadian Olympic Curling Trials in Halifax.
It was the skip who delivered the pivotal shot in the 10th end, his yellow rock hitting Dunstone’s red and rolling to the pin for a game-winning single.
Jacobs, third Marc Kennedy, second Brett Gallant and lead Ben Hebert hollered and bear-hugged one another before receiving their gold medals and putting on their red and white Team Canada jackets.
All four members have made the Olympic podium before.
The skip returns to the Games for the first time since winning gold at the 2014 Sochi Olympics.
“I think I appreciate it more now,” said Jacobs. “I can’t believe that I’ve been blessed with the teammates that I’ve been blessed with to win such a huge event now twice and go back to the Olympics. It’s just it’s mind blowing to me.”
Gallant earned bronze with Team Brad Gushue at 2022 Beijing Games. Kennedy and Hebert won gold with Team Kevin Martin in 2010 at the Vancouver Olympics and also played for Team Kevin Koe in 2018, finishing fourth.
“This team has only been together for a year and a half, and we’ve achieved some incredible things together,” said Gallant. “We’re just four curling maniacs together on the same team … we maybe approach the game slightly different ways, but when put together, it’s a great combination.”
Gallant will compete in two events at the Milano Cortina Olympics. He will also play mixed doubles with his wife Jocelyn Peterman.
Team Dunstone skip Matt Dunstone watches sweepers on Saturday. Dunstone was swept by Team Jacobs in the final of the Canadian Olympic Curling Trials.Darren Calabrese/The Canadian Press
Team Jacobs is ranked No.3 in the world, behind No. 2 Dunstone. Jacobs earned bronze at the 2025 world championships and the won the Brier in 2025, beating Dunstone in the final in Kelowna, British Columbia.
The men’s final provided back-to-back nights of fascinating curling between Canada’s top two men’s teams.
In Friday’s opener of their best-of-three final, Dunstone sailed his final shot of the night through the house and Jacobs sealed a narrow 9-8 win without having to throw his final stone.
On Saturday, Jacobs struck first with singles in the first two ends. Dunstone scored a deuce to tie it in the third before Jacobs made a tricky runback to avoid a steal and score a single, pulling ahead again in the fourth.
The Winnipeg skip tied it in the sixth when he surgically picked out a Jacobs rock for a single. A Jacobs double in the seventh put him back on top by two.
Jacobs took out two Dunstone rocks in the eighth end to limit him to a single. The Manitoba team managed a steal of one to tie it headed into the 10th end.
With the hammer in the final end, Jacobs delivered a perfect shot, which Hebert and Gallant brushed in on with Kennedy calling the line.
After lengthy drought, Canada maps road back to gold in Olympic curling
“We built this team for this moment, and to do it our way, from all the experiences that we took along the way,” said Hebert “Super grateful, man … I’m really happy.”
Dunstone, devastated, embraced his teammates Colton Lott, and E.J. and Ryan Harnden and left the ice in tears. The packed crowd at Scotiabank Centre stood to applaud the runners up.
“Those were the two best teams in Canada going at it. We beat them three times in a row going into this event, and they got us three times here,” said Dunstone. “[Jacobs] made some big shots tonight. He rose to the occasion any time we had an opportunity to score multiples … that’s why he’s one of the best.”
Jacobs called Kennedy the biggest difference-maker in the game, saying it’s the best game he’s ever seen from his vice-skip – making shots and knowing just what to say to Jacobs all the time.
“I remember being a younger curler, you go out there and you’re nervous and you’re afraid of making mistakes,” said Kennedy. “Experience teaches you, as you get older, to just enjoy it … I just embraced and loved every single minute out there.”
Canada’s Olympic curling team, slated to play in Cortina, Italy in February, is now set.
Earlier on Saturday, Rachel Homan’s Ottawa rink won the right to be Canada’s women’s team at the Games. Homan swept the best-of-three women’s final with a 12-3 win over Christina Black’s Halifax rink.