For Brad Jacobs, the clarion call of the skip position was impossible to ignore and a return to the familiar role has re-energized the former Brier, World and Olympic champion.
The 39-year-old Jacobs is back competing in his familiar role as leader of Team Jacobs this season, but the spark was re-lit last year.
“When I took over the reins of skip for Team Carruthers, the position did feel like home to me,” Jacobs told Postmedia. “I do see myself finishing my career at the skip position. I enjoy being the skip, enjoy the role and appreciate how difficult the position is.”
The Sault Ste. Marie-based skip won the Brier in 2013, won a gold medal at the Olympic games in Sochi and is a seven-time GSOC champion.
After a brief break from top-level curling early in 2022, Jacobs joined Reid Carruthers at the third position a year later, transitioning to skip by December. With Jacobs calling the shots, Carruthers won the Manitoba provincial championship in February.
Jacobs originally joined the team as a replacement for Jason Gunnlaugson.
At the completion of the curling season six months ago, Jacobs parted ways with Carruthers and became a much in-demand free agent. He wasn’t standing alone on the dance floor for long as he was wooed by three-quarters of the former Alberta-based Team Bottcher.
After Brendan Bottcher and his merry band disbanded back in the mid-April, Jacobs joined as the skip to second Brent Gallant, third Marc Kennedy and lead Ben Hebert.
“It is a great challenge for me and a great new challenge with these three guys,” Jacobs said.
Kennedy and Jacobs have a history, as the pair were united in a previous curling lifetime. Along with E.J. Harnden and Ryan Harnden, the squad lost to Brad Gushue in the final of the Canadian Olympic Trials in Nov. 2021. Gallant was the third for Gushue at the Saskatoon trials.
Fast forward to the current season, the foursome has made it to the quarterfinals of three events, but are yet to advance beyond the final eight.
“We are enjoying our time on the ice and off the ice, and we are learning a lot right now, going through some new team challenges and adversity, and that is totally normal,” Jacobs said.
The team lost to Matt Dunstone at the GSOC HearingLife Tour Challenge in Charlottetown earlier this month; to Mike McEwen at the Pointbet Invitational in Calgary on Sept. 28 and lost to Michael Brunner in the quarterfinals of the ATB Classic in Okotoks, Alta., on Sept 22.
One of the team’s short-term goals is to upend old rival and Brier champion Brad Gushue, as the foursome hopes to represent Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.
“We feel we have a strong team of hard-working guys and, so far, the dynamic has been incredible,” Jacobs said.
Jacobs and crew bowed out of the Henderson Metal Fall Classic event in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., this past weekend after losing their final qualifying match 7-6 to John Epping’s Sudbury, Ont., rink.
Team Dunstone won the event for the second consecutive season, beating Swiss-based Team Hoesli 7-5 in nine ends. The Winnipeg-based Dunstone took home a $25,000 payday.
Addition and subtraction
Team Gushue dropped a curling bomb exactly one week prior to the start of the Henderson Metal Fall Classic event.
On Oct. 10, Gushue sent out a press release stating they were parting ways with second E.J. Harnden.
“We are grateful for E.J.’s unwavering commitment and the tremendous impact he has made on our team,” Gushue said. “We wish him all the best in the future.”
Five days later, the team announced Brendan Bottcher was joining the lineup. Bottcher’s first event will be the Pan Continental Curling Championship in Lacombe, Alta., at the end of October.
Team Gushue participated in the Sault event and lost to Mike McEwen’s Saskatoon rink in the quarterfinals. Adam Casey took Harnden’s spot as second.
In the days following Harnden’s removal, Postmedia contacted the Sault resident via text. Harnden didn’t want to elaborate beyond his comment already published in the Gushue release.
“It has been an incredible journey with Team Gushue,” Harnden said. “I am proud of what we’ve accomplished together and I wish Brad, Mark and Geoff the very best.”
When Harnden signed on with Gushue back in 2022, the plan was to compete with the St. John’s squad all the way through to Milano Cortina 2026.
Harden had previously hinted that retirement from competitive curling was a consideration beyond the ’26 winter games.
“Things change, but I really see this as my last four years in the sport of curling at this level, being part of a team where I think we can win now and win throughout the next four years, or pack it in and put my time and effort elsewhere,” Harnden said in a previous interview with Postmedia. “But I still love the game, and this is a tremendous opportunity and I want to take full advantage of these next four years and, hopefully, end my career with some more Canadian championships, another Olympic gold medal and some fun and excitement along the way.”
Postmedia asked Harnden what his plans were now that competing with Gushue was no longer an option.
“Not sure yet what is in store for me,” Harnden responded via text.