Hometown Glory: Gushue Preps for Return to St. John’s

Brad Gushue is feeling a mix of excitement and nervous anticipation as the Grand Slam of Curling returns to his hometown of St. John’s, Newfoundland, for the KIOTI National. The event, running from November 26 to December 1 at the Mary Brown’s Centre, will feature top teams from around the world, with Gushue’s team among the contenders. On Tuesday, the Grand Slam revealed the list of participating teams and the draw schedule for its third event of the season.

While Gushue has competed in several events close to home in recent years, this will be the first time he’s played in a tournament at the Mary Brown’s Centre since winning his first Canadian championship there at the 2017 Brier. It’s a special moment, as the excitement builds for both Gushue and the fans. "Obviously, we’ve played a couple of Slams in (Conception Bay South), but to be back in the building where we won the Brier almost eight years ago, it’s going to be exciting,” Gushue shared at last week’s Co-op Canadian Open. “It’s sold out, so I know there’s a lot of people really excited to watch us. We’re pumped. I’m nervous, but I’m pumped.”

In 2017, Gushue’s Brier victory was a historic and emotional win. Tied in the 10th end of the final against defending champion Kevin Koe, Gushue made a critical draw to win the game. With lead Geoff Walker nursing an injured shoulder, third Mark Nichols stepped in to help second Brett Gallant sweep the stone, and the home crowd erupted in celebration. “It’s always special to play in our backyard,” Nichols said. “It’ll be our first time back in that building since we won the Brier, and it’s an event we’ve been looking forward to for a long time.”

However, Team Gushue will look slightly different this time around. Gallant left the team in 2022 to join Brendan Bottcher’s squad, while E.J. Harnden, formerly of Brad Jacobs' team, joined Gushue at second before the two parted ways last month. Gushue then recruited Bottcher, who had become a free agent after his teammates moved in a different direction. Bottcher made his debut with Team Gushue at the Pan Continental Curling Championships and competed in his first Grand Slam event at the Co-op Canadian Open. Gushue expressed satisfaction with how the integration of Bottcher into the team has gone, especially in terms of strategy and communication. “He’s really easy to get along with, and I love his perspective on the game,” Gushue said. “He’s far ahead of where I thought he would be, and we’re really happy with how things are going.”

Both Bottcher and Walker are based in the Edmonton area, forming the Western Canada core of Team Gushue alongside coach Jeff Hoffart. Walker praised Bottcher’s sweeping abilities, despite some doubts from outsiders. “He’s been doing a great job sweeping, and we’re getting along really well,” Walker said. “It’s nice having him on our team instead of playing against him.”

Bottcher, who has also been playing mixed doubles with Rachel Homan this season, feels energized by the new team dynamic. “I think we have a really good vibe on the ice, and when you have that, everything feels a little easier,” he said.

Gushue is currently ranked No. 2 in the world and has reached the final in both of the first two Grand Slam events of the season, finishing as runner-up to Team Bruce Mouat of Scotland. "We want to ramp up our play and make sure we’re at top form going into that event because there’s going to be a lot of people hoping we’ll be around on the weekend,” Walker said. “We want to make them proud, and we’re really excited for what’s to come.”

The KIOTI National will feature 16 of the world’s top men’s and women’s teams, split into four groups for round-robin play. Each team will play three matches within their group, plus one crossover game based on seeding. Gushue’s team will begin their campaign on Tuesday, November 26, at 3:00 p.m. NT / 1:30 p.m. ET, facing Germany’s Team Marc Muskatewitz.