Tim Hortons Brier 2023 Final: Brad Gushue's Team Canada repeats at Canadian men's curling championship

Bryan Murphy

•
Tim Hortons Brier 2023 Final: Brad Gushue's Team Canada repeats at Canadian men's curling championship image

Brad Gushue finds himself on the top of the Canadian men's curling world yet again. 

The legendary curler from Newfoundland became the first skip to ever win five Briers, as he led Team Canada to a win over Matt Dunstone's Team Manitoba in the 2023 Tim Hortons Brier final.

The back-and-forth affair opened up in the eighth end when Gushue secured his crew three points to break a 3-3 tie. Dunstone and Manitoba fought back, closing the gap to 6-5 heading into the final end, but Gushue would not be denied another championship win, walking away from London with a 7-5 win. 

With the victory, Gushue and his team of lead Geoff Walker, second E.J. Harden and third Mark Nichols are heading to the 2023 World Men's Curling Championship to represent Canada. That tournament is set for the first week in April in Ottawa. 

MORE: When is the World Men’s Curling Championship?

The Sporting News provided updates and highlights on the Brier final between Gushue and Dunstone. 

Brier 2023 score

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Final
Canada 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 3 0 1 7
Manitoba 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 2 0 5

Brier 2023 updates, highlights

All times in Eastern Time (ET)

Final: Canada 7, Manitoba 5

10:08 p.m. — That's it. Dunstone and Manitoba did everything right in the 10th set, but Gushue and Canada were one better. Canada notches a single in the 10th to close out the final, 7-5. It is the fifth Brier win for Gushue, and his team, even with the changes to its personnel, go back-to-back at the Brier. 

Ninth end

9:50 p.m. — Manitoba needed some magic to stay in it and the team gets it. Dunstone grabs two in the ninth set to draw within one, giving his team a chance to tie it in the 10th with a steal. It's crunch time in London, with Canada still ahead 6-5. 

Eighth end

9:29 p.m. — An absolutely massive moment in the final. Dunstone misplaces his final shot, leaving an opening for Gushue to secure three. The Team Canada skip lands the hammer and scores three points for Canada. Gushue and his team lead 6-3 heading into the last two ends.

9:13 p.m. — Ahead of the eighth end, here comes the Brier Tankard. Whose names will end up on the coveted curling trophy, the Gushue rink, or Dunstone's? 

Seventh end

9:12 p.m. — Another single for Manitoba to knot the match up once again. Dunstone comes through with a sensational double takeout that opens the door for the single point. It's 3-3 heading into the eighth. 

Sixth end

8:53 p.m. — The see-saw back and forth continues. Gushue tried to draw for two but missed on the final stone. Canada is forced to settle with a single. Gushue's rink back on top, 3-2. 

Fifth end

8:34 p.m. — It's a back-and-forth affair in London. Dunstone draws to the button just enough to register the single. Back to a tied match at the break, 2-2. Buckle in, folks. 

Fourth end

8:18 p.m. — An extremely well-placed last rock by Dunstone negates the opportunity for Gushue to add two points. The defending champs secure a single with the hammer, 2-1 Canada. 

Third end

8 p.m. — Gushue once again makes it difficult for Dunstone, with his sensational first throw for a double while Dunstone was sitting one. Dunstone settles for a single, placing the hammer nicely on the button to knot the match up. 

Second end

7:40 p.m. — Gushue picks up the first point of the match, securing a single in the second end. Some pressure from the Dunstone rink with three stones in position, but a well-placed hammer on the button from Gushue get the crew on the board. 

First end

7:25 p.m. — A mistake from Dunstone results in a blank in the first end. He was up three stones with hammer, but he rolled out. Gushue was looking at a force all end, but Dunstone's miss helps the end result in a blank.

Pregame

7 p.m. — Another big storyline for the night is the Harnden brothers playing against one another. Ryan is in his first year on Dunstone's rink as its lead, and his older brother E.J. currently throws second on Gushue's rink. No matter what, a Harnden brother will win the 2023 Brier. 

6:30 p.m. — While Gushue is looking to become the first skip in Brier history to secure five titles, on the opposite side, Dunstone is aiming for his first. He has never played in a Brier final; the closest he came previously was a bronze-medal finish, which he earned in 2020 and 2021. 

6 p.m. — The final is a rematch of the Page 1/2 playoff from earlier in the tournament. On Saturday night, Gushue defeated Dunstone's rink 5-4 to advance to the final. The loss for Dunstone put him in the semifinal early on Sunday, where he defeated Bottcher to play in the championship match. 

What time is the 2023 Brier final?

  • Date: Sunday, March 12
  • Time: 7 p.m. ET

The 2023 Brier final is set to wrap up the competition on Sunday, March 12. 

The action is scheduled to kick off at 7 p.m. ET. 

What channel is the 2023 Briers final on?

  • TV channel: TSN1/4
  • Live stream: TSN.ca, TSN app

The Brier final will air on TSN1/4, with live streaming available on TSN.ca and in the TSN app.

Longtime curling announcer Vic Rauter is set to be in the booth, joined by Russ Howard and Cathy Gauthier 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 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 final odds

  • Moneyline: Canada (-107) | Manitoba (-130)
  • O/U: 11.5

Entering the final game of the Brier, Dunstone's Manitoba rink is the favorite, according to Sports Interaction. Manitoba is -130 on the moneyline to win. 

The over/under for total points scored is set at 11.5

Bryan Murphy

Bryan Murphy Photo

Bryan Murphy joined The Sporting News in 2022 as the NHL/Canada content producer. Previously he worked for NBC Sports on their national news desk reporting on breaking news for the NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL, in addition to covering the 2020 and 2022 Olympic Games. A graduate of Quinnipiac University, he spent time in college as a beat reporter covering the men’s ice hockey team.