Three teams with provincial connections have already locked in their spot for the 100th anniversary edition of the Montana’s Brier in Saskatoon. Matt Dunstone’s Winnipeg rink will be defending the men’s national crown as Team Canada fresh off a silver medal at the World Men’s Curling Championships in April. Dunstone won three Sask. provincial tankards and skipped Team Saskatchewan at three Briers from 2018-2021. He also spent time with Steve Laycock’s rink in 2017. Dunstone’s 2026 Brier win was his first in eight tries. Two other teams earned their positions through Canadian Team Ranking System (CTRS) points. Also returning to this year’s Brier is Team Jacobs, led by skip Brad Jacobs. The Alberta-based rink includes Regina product Ben Hebert. Team Jacobs, the defending Olympic champions, lost to Dunstone in the Brier semi-final last year in St. John’s, NL. The team, which also includes Marc Kennedy and Brett Gallant, became the first men’s foursome to win two Olympic gold medals. Representing Saskatchewan as one of two home teams is Saskatoon Nutana rink’s Team Tardi. The team is skipped by Tyler Tardi who replaced Mike McEwen. It also includes third Colton Flasch and twins Kevin Marsh and Dan Marsh, who play second and lead respectively. Tardi served as an alternate for Team Jacobs at both the 2025 World Championships and 2026 Milano-Cotina Olympics. McEwen went on to join Rylan Kleiter’s Saskatoon rink. According to Curling Canada, the Brier features four pre-qualified teams: the reigning champions and the top three finishers on the previous season’s CTRS. However, as is the case this year, when the CTRS teams don’t meet the three-of-four player requirement — they surrender their berths. Despite the departure of McEwen, Team Tardi retained its CTRS points from last season because three members of the team remained the same. This also means the fourth pre-qualified teams for the 2027 Montana’s Brier and the 2027 Scotties Tournament of Hearts will be the top-ranked teams on the 2026-27 CTRS which didn’t qualify through their respective provincial/territorial playdowns. Those teams will be confirmed upon the conclusion of provincial/territorial championships. Saskatchewan’s other representatives will be determined at the annual SaskTel Tankard, played Jan. 10-17, 2027 in Lloydminster, Alta. The 2027 Montana’s Brier is set for Feb. 26-March 7, 2027 at SaskTel Centre in Saskatoon.
