Tim Hortons Brier 2023: Why Canada's men's curling championship is called the Brier

The term, "the Brier" has become synonymous with curling in Canada for years. 

The annual men's curling championship begins London, Ont., as the 18 best teams in Canada compete for the right to be crowned Scotties champion. 

The tournament has been around for nearly 100 years, and has gone through a number of name changes. However, it has always been referred to as the Brier, despite the turnover in sponsors.

MORE: Tim Hortons Brier 2023 scores, schedule

But what is a Brier? Here are more details on why the tournament is called the Brier.

Why the Canadian men's curling championship is called the Brier

Unlike the Scotties, which is referred to by the sponsor of the Scotties Tournament of Hearts, the Tim Hortons Brier does not go by the company name attached to the tournament. 

Everyone in Canada knows Tim Hortons. It has been the main sponsor of Curling Canada's annual bonspiel since 2005. But what, exactly, is a Brier? 

For the first fifty years, the tournament was sponsored by Macdonald Tobacco. The name "Brier", comes from a brand of tobacco being manufactured by Macdonald at the time. A brier is a small shrub whose roots were used commonly in the creation of tobacco pipes. The name of the tournament was called the Macdonald Brier. 

In 1977, Macdonald Tobacco announced it would no longer sponsor the Brier, due to pushback from the Canadian government's pushback on tobacco. While Labatt Brewing Company was named as the new sponsor, the event kept the "Brier" name. 

When is the 2023 Briers?

This tournament starts on Friday, March 3, and runs until Sunday, March 12. 

Pool play is from the 3rd to the 9th. The playoff and page playoffs take place on the 10th and 11th before the semifinals and final wrap up the action on the 12th.

What channel is the 2023 Briers on?

The Briers will air on TSN, with live streaming available on TSN.ca and in the TSN app.

Longtime curling announcer Vic Rauter is set to be in the booth, splitting play-by-play duties with Bryan Mudryk. Cathy Gauthier and Russ Howard join the team as analysts. 

Where is the 2023 Brier taking place?

The 42nd edition of the tournament is being played at the Budweiser Gardens in London, Ont. The arena is the home of the OHL's London Knights. 

This was the third time that London has hosted the Brier, previously holding the event in 1874 and 2011. 

What is the purse for the 2023 Brier?

The 18 teams compete for a share of a $300,000 purse. 

Here is the breakdown of prize money for the event: 

1st: $100,000
2nd: $60,000
3rd: $40,000
Championship Pool (4th-8th): $15,000
Non-Championship Pool (9th-18th): $2,500

In addition to $100,000, the winner of the 2023 Brier will represent Canada at the 2023 LGT World Men’s Curling Championship. That tournament will be played at the beginning of April in Ottawa. 

2023 Brier odds

Entering the tournament, Gushue's Team Canada is the favorite to win the Brier yet again, according to Sports Interaction. The team is +149 to win it all ahead of the competition.  

Here were the pre-tournament odds for all of the teams.