By Canadian Press

Brad Gushue, Brendan Bottcher win playoff openers at Brier

Mar 8, 2024 | 2:16 PM

REGINA — Defending champion Brad Gushue and Alberta’s Brendan Bottcher won their opening playoff games at the Canadian men’s curling championship Friday to shorten theirs roads to the final.

Gushue defeated Manitoba’s Reid Carruthers 9-7 and Bottcher was an 8-7 winner of Saskatchewan’s Mike McEwen.

Gushue and Bottcher square off in Saturday’s Page playoff that sends the winner directly to Sunday’s final and the loser to the semifinal earlier that day.

McEwen faced Northwest Territories’ Jamie Koe and Carruthers met Manitoba’s Matt Dunstone in elimination games Friday evening.

The winners meet in Saturday’s Page playoff to decide Sunday’s other semifinalist.

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Sunday’s winner represents Canada at the men’s world championship March 30 to April 7 in Schaffhausen, Switzerland and returns to the 2025 Montana’s Brier in Kelowna, B.C. as defending champion.

The victor also gains a berth in the 2025 Olympic trials pending a top-six result at the world championship.

Curling Canada also announced Friday that Moose Jaw, Sask., will host the 2025 men’s world championship.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 8, 2024.

The Canadian Press