McEwen, Knapp rinks fall short of playoffs at Montana’s Brier

Saskatchewan’s decades-long drought at the Montana’s Brier will continue at least one more year after a Thursday curling fans in the province would prefer to forget.

It was a nightmare evening for Saskatoon’s Mike McEwen rink, losing 6-3 to Manitoba’s Matt Dunstone rink to end their week with back-to-back losses.

Read more:

• McEwen loses to Manitoba at Brier, Knapp to meet Gushue
• Team McEwen, Team Knapp on winning end of Tuesday games at Montana’s Brier
• Kelly Knapp loses Monday morning, McEwen improves to 3-1 at Montana’s Brier

That loss wasn’t enough on its own to fall short of the playoff round, however a win from the Braden Calvert rink against Northern Ontario saw the Manitoba team leap over McEwen and steal the final playoff spot in Pool B.

Coming in with a 5-2 record on Thursday, McEwen had his playoff fate in his own hands taking on a Dunstone rink which already had their playoff spot locked up.

Leading 3-2 entering the eighth end, Team McEwen gave up a score of two to Team Dunstone who took their first lead of the game since the first end 4-3.

McEwen blanked the ninth end to hold hammer in the 10th, however he missed a couple of huge shots with a house full of yellow stones including his final throw coming up well short.

While the team from the Nutana Curling Club finished tied with the Calvert rink at a 5-3 record, Calvert won the head-to-head matchup on Wednesday and finished with a better last stone draw.

It’s a second straight disappointing exit for McEwen, third Colton Flasch, second Kevin Marsh and lead Daniel Marsh at the Brier after falling in 3/4 page playoff qualifier in 2025.

Regina’s Kelly Knapp rink meanwhile will also not be advancing to playoffs at the Brier in St. John’s, Newfoundland.

Entering their final game of the Brier on Thursday already knowing their playoff hopes would come up short, a 9-4 loss to the Jayden King rink out of Ontario sealed their fate.

Jumping out to a 2-0 lead following the first end, that momentum was short-lived for the Saskatchewan rink with King scoring four points in the second end to seize control 4-2.

Knapp put up singles in the third and fourth ends to tie the game at 4-4, however Ontario continued to pour on the pressure in the sixth end with another two points of their own to jump ahead 6-4.

The turning point came in the seventh end with a key miss by Knapp with his final throw to give up a steal of two, before King stole another point in the eighth end to bring the game to an early close with handshakes.

Thursday’s loss dropped Team Knapp’s record to 3-5 on the week, finishing tied for fifth in Pool A standings.

The team of Knapp, third Brennen Jones, second Dustin Kidby and lead Mat Ring now have a career record of 7-9 at the Brier after representing the province in 2023.

Advancing to playoffs in Pool A are the Brad Gushue rink from Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada’s Brad Gushue rink and King’s Ontario rink.

In Pool B meanwhile, it will be Alberta’s Kevin Koe rink, Team Dunstone and Team Calvert battling for spots in Sunday’s final.

Read more:

• McEwen loses to Manitoba at Brier, Knapp to meet Gushue
• Team McEwen, Team Knapp on winning end of Tuesday games at Montana’s Brier
• Kelly Knapp loses Monday morning, McEwen improves to 3-1 at Montana’s Brier

Saskatchewan has not won a Brier title since the Rick Folk rink captured the province’s last Canadian championship in 1980.