A move from the second position back to skip has agreed with Brendan Bottcher so far this season. His new-look team has settled in quite nicely as well. “It felt great doing something else, but it certainly feels like I’m back home as well this year,” Bottcher said. A national champion in 2021, Bottcher started the previous quadrennial on a new rink before being replaced by Brad Jacobs after two seasons. Bottcher briefly turned to coaching, working with Rachel Homan’s top-ranked women’s team for a few months before returning to men’s play as a second on Brad Gushue’s side. That foursome disbanded after Gushue’s retirement last spring, but lead Geoff Walker remained with Bottcher, who added the Horgan brothers -- Jacob and Tanner -- to a squad that boasts a mix of youth and experience. “The new-look Team Bottcher has been going great, and I think you can see it in our results,” Bottcher said. “We’re having some good success. We’ve played five events now, qualified (for playoffs) in all five, made it deeper into the playoffs in a handful of them. “We’re just playing well, having fun, winning some curling games, and I think we’re off to a good start.” Bottcher, who won a world junior title in 2012, made his Montana’s Brier debut in 2017. After reaching the national final on three straight occasions, he broke through in 2021 on a team with Darren Moulding, Brad Thiessen and Karrick Martin. Walker, meanwhile, who’s also based in Alberta, won the Brier six times with Gushue’s rink. He also won a world title with the St. John’s-based side and earned an Olympic bronze in 2022. “I just learned a lot, not only from them, but even personally playing a different position than I’ve played the majority of my career,” Bottcher said in a recent interview. “It’s different and I gained a little perspective and insight to being a front-ender and contributing in that capacity.” The Horgans, who are two-time world junior silver medallists, spent the last two seasons on a team skipped by John Epping. “We spent the better part of August all together here in Edmonton,” Bottcher said. “On the ice every day, off the ice a lot of the time, just putting in all those minutes together. “And then really the commitment from the guys (with) Jake moving out to Edmonton and even Tanner spending a pile of time out here. I think that’s really accelerated our season.” Bottcher guided the team to semifinal appearances in four straight bonspiels before falling to Brad Jacobs in the quarterfinals last month at the Grand Slam of Curling’s Co-op Invitational. At this week’s Slam stop in Medicine Hat, Alta., Bottcher was scheduled to open round-robin play Tuesday night against Epping. The 40-year-old Walker is the veteran on the team. Tanner Horgan, 28, throws second rocks ahead of brother Jacob, who’s 26. “It’s been a nice transition for me being in a little bit more of a leadership experience-type position with these guys,” said Bottcher, who’s 34. “Although they’ve done a fair amount of winning, they’re excited to go win the big stuff now. “They’re excited to go win Slams, go and win the Brier, and to go and do the pinnacle things in our sport. And I’m excited to be a part of that kind of renewed energy with a team that’s young and driven and trying to put all the work in to go and be great.” At No. 10, Bottcher is one of three Canadian teams in the top 10 of World Curling’s world rankings. He’s joined by third-ranked Matt Dunstone and Jacobs at No. 6. Switzerland’s Yannick Schwaller tops the list, with Scotland’s Grant Hardie at No. 2. Play continues through Sunday’s finals at the P&H Masters. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 3, 2026. Gregory Strong, The Canadian Press
