An in-season lineup change by Team Gushue surprised the curling world. The new addition to the roster was also a stunner.
The St. John’s, N.L.-based team said Tuesday that Brendan Bottcher will move into the second role previously held by E.J. Harnden, who left the squad last week.
Bottcher will make his debut with skip Brad Gushue, vice Mark Nichols and lead Geoff Walker at the Oct. 27-Nov. 2 Pan Continental championship in Lacombe, Alta.
“Together they’re building a legacy and they just have all the pieces,” Bottcher said. “They’ve done so much and they still have the drive to continue to win.
“Every week they step out on the ice, they want to put a team out there that they feel can win and I’m just excited to be a part of that.”
Bottcher, a longtime skip, was let go by his team last April and replaced by Brad Jacobs. The 32-year-old decided to shift focus this season to mixed doubles with Rachel Homan and coaching her top-ranked women’s team.
“As has been the case more often than not in the last few years in curling, things change,” Bottcher said. “So I think I was always open to the right opportunity. When Brad reached out, I had a good chat with him, had a chat with each of the guys, and I think it really solidified for me that this could make sense.”
Gushue has won three straight titles at the Montana’s Brier and six overall. An Olympic champion in 2006 and bronze medallist at the 2022 Games, he anchors a team that’s ranked third in the world.
Bottcher, meanwhile, has reached the podium at seven of his eight appearances at the men’s national championship with his lone title coming in 2021.
While the transition to regular sweeping is a work in progress, his ability to throw runbacks and make quality draws is elite.
Leave a Reply