More heartbreak for Dunstone

HALIFAX — It’s turning into a recurring nightmare for Matt Dunstone.

Make the final, lose in heartbreaking fashion, shed tears.

It happened at the 2023 Brier, again at 2025 nationals, and once more on Saturday in Halifax in the Canadian Curling Trials final.

Brad Jacobs outlasted the 30-year-old skip from Winnipeg 6-5 to sweep the best-of-three series to earn the right to wear the maple leaf at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.

Jacobs had the hammer in the 10th and scored a single off a perfectly thrown hit to seal the deal.

“Sorry guys, I just hurt for my team,” said an emotional Dunstone after the game.

“We did everything right coming into this event. Loved our preparation, loved how we played most of the time in this event. I mean, those were the two best teams in Canada going at it. We beat them three times in a row going into this event and they got us three times here. That’s just the way it’s gonna go when you have two awesome teams going at it.”

It was a roller-coaster of a week for Dunstone, third Colton Lott, second E.J. Harnden and lead Ryan Harnden. They started 4-0, lost three straight, then needed both Brad Gushue and Kevin Koe to lose on the final night of round-robin play to squeak into the playoffs as the No. 3-seed. They regrouped and knocked off Mike McEwen 9-5 in the semifinal before dropping back-to-back one-score games to Jacobs.

It was also Jacobs who beat Dunstone in last year’s Brier.

“All I’d really say to someone like Matt and Colton is their big breakthrough and their big win is a lot closer than they think it probably is,” said Jacobs, a 40-year-old from Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.

“I believe it to be true in life that your toughest times, the most hardship, the most adversity you’re gonna face, you’re gonna reach a point where you almost feel like quitting. And if you keep going, that’s when you win.

“They’re probably around that point right now, and I know with certainty, with how talented those young guys are, and with the support of Ryan and E.J., they’re gonna be super tough at the Brier, they’re gonna be hungrier than ever and I know that a big breakthrough is coming for them very soon.”

This is the second time Jacobs will head to the Olympics. He won gold for the red and white at 2014 Sochi alongside the Harnden brothers — who are his cousins — and third Ryan Fry. Jacobs, third Marc Kennedy, and the Harndens lost the 2021 trials final to Gushue.

“I hurt more for Matt and Colton. They haven’t experienced the Brier win yet, or the Olympics, but they’re young and amazing players,” said Ryan Harnden.

“They’re gonna win the Brier one day, hopefully I’m part of it, and they’re gonna represent Canada, too. I’m happy for my cousin Brad. I thought he was unbelievable tonight. I thought we played a great game. I thought we outplayed them quite a bit, but Marc and Brad were phenomenal on their side.”

This time, Jacobs and Kennedy got the job done with second Brett Gallant and lead Ben Hebert. They won eight in a row after losing to Koe on Day 1.

“I think I appreciate it more now,” said Jacobs.

“I was reflecting this week once we made the final. Skipping is very hard. You look at guys and gals that do it for 10, 15, 20 years at a high level and that is a very difficult task. I’ve been doing it now for quite some time. Myself, I’ve played in four trials, played in three finals, won it twice, and I knew going into that game that if we won, I’d have a 26-8 record on the teams that I’ve played on in the Olympic trials, and I just can’t believe that.”

Kennedy and Hebert won gold in 2010 Vancouver with Kevin Martin. Gallant brought home bronze from 2022 Beijing with Gushue. The trio started the quad with Brendan Bottcher as their skip before replacing him with Jacobs prior to the 2024-25 campaign.

“This team has only been together for a year and a half and we’ve achieved some incredible things together,” said Gallant.

“I mean, we’re just four curling maniacs together on the same team. We’re all a little bit different and maybe approach the game in slightly different ways, but when put together, it’s a great combination.”

Gallant will be one of busiest athletes in Italy. He’s competing in the mixed doubles event in Week 1 with his wife Jocelyn Peterman and will then take the ice in four-person curling in Week 2.

The 35-year-old from Prince Edward Island will become the first Canadian to compete in both in the same Olympics.

“I’m just lucky to have really good teammates. Between Jocelyn and these three guys, it’s pretty special to be able to curl with them,” said Gallant.

“It’s been a lot of hard work over the years to get to achieve some of these goals so to see some of it pay off, it’s an amazing feeling. I’m really looking forward to doing double duty over there.”

Both Dunstone and Jacobs curled at 91 per cent. Jacobs led 5-4 heading into the ninth and allowed Dunstone to steal a single to hang onto the hammer going home.

The sold-out crowd inside the Scotiabank Centre gave a teary-eyed Dunstone a standing ovation as he made his way off the ice.

Next on his calendar is a trip to Saskatoon for the Canadian Open (Dec. 16-21).

“It’s just back to the grind, man. We have a slam in two weeks, we have a slam in a month, and now we got a Brier to prepare for, too,” said Dunstone.

Winnipeg Free Press | Newsletter

The Warm-Up

Winnipeg Jets Game Days

On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop.

Sign up for The Warm-Up

Sign Up

I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement.

“I absolutely love the grind. And I love that there’s no guarantee how any event is gonna go. You never know if you’re gonna win, you never know if you’re gonna lose. It wouldn’t be very fun if you knew what the outcome was gonna be every time you went to an event. I love the grind of growing and battling with people that I love on and off the ice and just having a group that pushes each other to be better curlers and better people.”

Earlier in the day, Ottawa’s Rachel Homan stomped Halifax’s Christina Black 12-3 to complete the sweep in the women’s final.

“In the grand scheme of things, Canada’s got two really good reps going to Italy,” said Dunstone.

“It’s about time this country comes home with two medals. We’ve got two really good teams going with an awesome chance of doing exactly that.”

winnipegfreepress.com/taylorallen

Taylor Allen
Reporter

Taylor Allen is a sports reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press. Taylor was the Vince Leah intern in the Free Press newsroom twice while earning his joint communications degree/diploma at the University of Winnipeg and Red River College Polytechnic. He signed on full-time in 2019 and mainly covers the Blue Bombers, curling, and basketball. Read more about Taylor.

Every piece of reporting Taylor produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.