Gushue, Dunstone improve to 3-0 at Canadian Olympic curling trials

Brad Gushue improved to 3-0 at the Canadian curling trials with a 5-3 win over John Epping in Monday’s opening draw in Halifax.Einarson also has won her first 3 matches, tops women’s standings in HalifaxThe Canadian Press · Posted: Nov 24, 2025 12:12 PM EST | Last Updated: 1 hour agoListen to this articleEstimated 5 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by text-to-speech, a technology based on artificial intelligence.St. John’s skip Brad Gushue, pictured, defeated Ontario counterpart John Epping in a low-scoring contest Monday morning by stealing a point in the third and sixth ends at the Canadian Olympic curling trials in Halifax. (Darren Calabrese/Canadian Press)Brad Gushue improved to 3-0 at the Canadian curling trials with a 5-3 win over John Epping in Monday’s opening draw in Halifax. Gushue’s team from St. John’s won the low-scoring contest by stealing a point in the third and sixth ends. Gushue’s rink also took care of the rock with the hammer by not giving up a steal to Epping’s Toronto-based team. An angle tap in the eighth end allowed Gushue to score one and extend his lead to 5-2.”That tap was a big one. If you give up a steal there, a little momentum shifts to John’s side,” Gushue told Devin Heroux of CBC Sports. “Put the broom in the right spot, guys swept it great and I threw pretty good.”He mentioned a few more mistakes in Monday’s game compared to Sunday but noted the ice was a bit trickier.Gushue added nerves and motivation are present and he’s happy with the team’s perfomance.”It’s still early in the week but, obviously, being 3-0 is a good place, and I like how we’re throwing,” he said. “Big game tonight against [Winnipeg skip] Matt [Dunstone] and see if we can come out on top there.”WATCH | CBC Sports’ Devin Heroux previews Canadian Olympic curling trials:Olympic spots are on the line at the 2025 Canadian Curling Trials in HalifaxCBC Sports’ Devin Heroux previews the upcoming 2025 Canadian Curling Trials from Halifax.Gushue, the 2006 Olympic champion, is hoping to represent Canada at the Winter Games once again in his final competitive season. He also led Canada to bronze at the 2022 Olympics. Dunstone also improved to 3-0 with a 7-3 win over Saskatoon’s Ryan Kleiter. Dunstone went up 5-1 after five ends and cruised to victory from there. ‘Can’t wait’ to play GushueHe’s excited about the Gushue matchup, calling him the greatest Canadian curler all-time.”I’m pumped, can’t wait,” Dunstone said. ” I hope it’s going to be one helluva battle.”Dunstone pointed out his team picked up “a cheeky deuce” in the first end and wanted to control the scoreboard thereafter.”Put a little pressure on [Kleiter’s rink] and I like where [our] team’s at right now,” he added. “”They’ve been the best team in Canada this year — their runs at the [Grand Slams of Curling] and PointsBet [Invitational],” Gushue said of Dunstone and his teammates. “They’ve been playing incredibly well.”We’re going to have to position our rocks [precisely] with the way Matt and Colton [Lott] can throw those big-weight hits.”The winners of the men’s and women’s competitions at the curling trials will represent Canada at the 2026 Games in Milan and Cortina, Italy. In other early draw results, Calgary’s Kevin Koe scored three in the ninth end in an 8-7 win over Winnipeg’s Jordon McDonald, and 2014 Olympic champion Brad Jacobs and his Calgary squad beat Saskatoon’s Mike McEwen 6-3. Koe and Jacobs were tied for third at 2-1, while Epping and McEwen fell to 1-3, and Kleiter and McDonald dropped to 0-3. Homan rebounds after win streak was haltedOn the women’s side, Rachel Homan rebounded from a rare setback with a 12-5 victory over Selena Sturmay in the afternoon draw.Homan improved to 3-1 in Halifax, returning to her winning ways after an extra-end loss to Kayla Skrlik on Sunday ended her 32-game winning streak against Canadian opponents.The Ottawa-based team took control of the match against Edmonton’s Sturmay with a five-point third end that gave it an 8-2 lead.”It’s a short round robin so you have to come out strong every game, and anything in the past, nothing can be changed about that,” Homan said. “You just have to move forward and come with your best game the next day.” Homan, the two-time defending Canadian and world women’s champion, moved into sole possession of second in the women’s standings, behind unbeaten Kerri Einarson of Gimli, Man.Einarson improved to 4-0 with a 6-4 win over Winnipeg’s Kaitlyn Lawes. Leading 2-1, Einarson’s rink scored three in the fifth end and never looked back.”I know this team and I know they don’t give up,” she said. ” I told the girls after the fifth-end break we gotta keep at them because [Lawes and company] won’t give up. Definitely felt the pressure a little bit and came out with the [win].”In other afternoon results, Christina Black of Halifax won 9-4 over Corryn Brown of Kamloops, B.C.) and Skrlik scored two in the 10th end for a 7-6 victory over Kate Cameron of St. Adolphe, Man.Lawes, Sturmay, Black and Skrlik were part of a logjam at 2-2.Brown fell to 1-3 while Cameron is still chasing her first win at 0-4. With files from CBC Sports