Fab Four junior champs from 2016 reunited at Brier in London

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This article was published 06/03/2023 (967 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

No matter what level, when a team wins a national championship, it creates a bond that can last a lifetime.

Look no further than the 2016 Canadian Junior Men’s Curling champions: Matt Dunstone, Colton Lott, Kyle Doering, and Rob Gordon.

In the final, they combined to curl 96 per cent en route to an 11-4 win over Northern Ontario’s Tanner Horgan to leave Stratford, Ont., with gold medals.

“We were best friends and still are today,” Dunstone told the Free Press on Sunday. “I think when we all decide to get married, you’re gonna see a bunch of us in each other’s wedding parties.”

They no longer wear the same jackets, but the group of Manitobans — who are now all 27 — are in London, Ont., this week for the Brier. After six years apart, Dunstone and Lott rejoined forces this past off-season and are representing the Buffalo. Doering, who played second for Lott last season, is now an import player for Wild Card No. 3’s Karsten Sturmay out of Alberta. And Gordon, who now plays for Braden Calvert, got the call from Wild Card No. 2’s Reid Carruthers to fill in at lead.

After being alternates at last year’s Canadian men’s curling championships, Doering and Gordon are now full-time players at the event for the first time in their young careers.

Lott lost the Manitoba men’s final last year to Mike McEwen but went on to play lead for McEwen at nationals as Colin Hodgson opted out due to an injury and positive COVID-19 test. Dunstone reached the past four Briers curling out of Saskatchewan.

“It’s just crazy. When you think about past junior teams that have made it through and won nationals, you don’t see too many of them, like the full team, making it to the Brier and other than Matt and I, we’re all on different teams. So, it’s definitely really cool,” said Lott, who won Manitoba’s mixed doubles crown last month with his wife Kadriana.

“It’s nice to be able to share this experience with those guys even though they’re not on our team. This is my first time earning my way to be here and seeing those guys around just brings back great memories.”

Despite settling for third place at the 2016 world juniors in Denmark, the foursome looked destined to find success together on the men’s circuit. Before travelling overseas, they registered for men’s provincials that year and went on an incredible run to the final before losing a 4-2 nail-biter to McEwen.

“After we won Canadian juniors, we had to sit in a room with some people from Curling Canada and they told us ‘We looked into it, the Brier is at the same time as the world juniors. We know you’re playing the Manitoba men’s provincials, but if you win, you must forgo the Brier to go to the world juniors. Are you OK with that?’ We had to essentially sign a document saying we’d forgo the Brier which seemed crazy at the time,” said Gordon.

“Fast forward two weeks later, we were curling really well and kind of freewheeling it because we knew that it didn’t really matter because we knew we were going to the world juniors. We went on a bit of a run in Selkirk and had a really good final with Mike. I think fortunately he made the shot to win. I think it would’ve been weird if we had won and then we would’ve had that whole situation. So, it was nice to see Mike make the shot to win, and that team win their first Manitoba men’s provincial championship because they’d been knocking on the door for so long. Just to be kind of part of that story was pretty special.”

The next year, Lott, Doering, and Gordon were still eligible to compete in juniors, but Dunstone missed the cutoff age by just a few days and had to advance to the men’s side. Dunstone formed a team with Alex Forrest, Ian McMillan and Connor Njegovan. Lott, Doering, and Gordon only played one junior event, which was provincials with Calvert, and spent the rest of the year under Jason Gunnlaugson playing men’s.

Without Dunstone, the trio failed to get out of the province at the junior level. And without his three close friends, Dunstone failed to reach the championship round at provincial playdowns.

The year before, the four of them had only lost one game when playing against Canadian junior teams.

“I think in that moment, maybe (I was) being a little young and dumb and not really understanding how much team chemistry actually meant in the men’s game.”

“That was something I learned pretty quickly in my men’s career. There’s just a little bit of regret about how that all went about because I didn’t understand the men’s game and how much that part of the game actually meant,” said Dunstone.

“It’s hard to say until you get out there and perform, but based on everyone’s talent and how we operated as a team, there’s not a doubt in my mind that we would’ve been a top team in the world. Kind of where we all stand today.”

Doering shared a similar sentiment, but none of them spend much time thinking ‘What if?’ as they’ve all found their way to the Brier despite taking different paths.

“It’s amazing and I’m so proud of them all. I’m just so proud to see Matt where he’s at today, being No. 1 in Canada, and with Colton on his team. I’m so proud and I cheer for them all the time, as long as they’re not playing us, of course,” Doering said.

“And then to see Rob as well, who puts a lot in the game and is such a good sweeper and rock thrower. For him to get an opportunity like this and play with Reid, I’m so, so proud. They’re such good guys and I want nothing but the best for them in this game.”

Everyone’s now focused on reaching the top of the mountain in the men’s, but no matter what they do from here or who they play with, 2016 will be a year all four of them will always cherish. That’s why on Friday they made sure to get together to take a picture.

“I’m sure we’ll milk it for all it’s worth. In 20 years, we’ll have a 20th anniversary and in 30 years, we’ll have a 30th anniversary from when we won,” said Gordon.

“It’s just a good excuse to get together, have some drinks, celebrate, and reminisce.”

taylor.allen@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @TaylorAllen31