Matt Dunstone won his first Canadian men’s curling championship after knocking hard on the Brier’s door in recent years.

Dunstone’s team from Manitoba defeated four-time champion Kevin Koe of Alberta 6-3 in Sunday’s final in St. John’s.

Dunstone reached his third final in four years after losses in 2025 and 2023. His teams also finished third in 2021 and 2020.

“This moment feels way more incredible than I ever would have imagined,” said the 30-year-old skip.

“The heartbreak that this group has had over the last three years, the amount that I’ve learned from that, I played free and loose all week.

“When you feel the hurt enough times, you don’t really get too scared of it, when you know what’s at the end of the road.”

Dunstone, Colton Lott, E.J. Harnden and Ryan Harnden will represent Canada at the men’s world championship March 27 to April 4 in Ogden, Utah.

The Granite Curling Club foursome out of Winnipeg also earned the right to return to next year’s Brier in Saskatoon as defending champions.

The winning team also claims $100,000 out of a prize purse of $300,000.

Dunstone lost both the Olympic trials final and Canadian championship final to Brad Jacobs last year.

But Dunstone’s rink eliminated reigning Olympic champion Jacobs this time with a 7-3 win in Sunday’s semifinal.

‘Good reset’ after Olympic trials

That gave Dunstone a rematch at night with Alberta’s Koe, who had gone unbeaten until Sunday.

“The two months we had after the trials, very difficult months for us,” Dunstone said. “We had a really good reset. This was a major event that we wanted to perform at.

“We would have loved to have been the Olympic team, but this was next on our list. Given that this group isn’t going to be together next year with E.J. retiring, this group owed it to ourselves to put our best foot forward and get a Brier championship.”

Dunstone had fallen 9-7 in an extra end to Koe in a playoff game the previous evening.

It was a tight final with three blank ends in the first six, and Koe up 2-1 going into the seventh, when the game turned.

Dunstone stated “it’s time to dance” after Koe missed a runback hit and the skip saw a chance for a multi-point end.

Dunstone’s first throw was a tap and roll to lie three. Koe’s attempted freeze was light.

Dunstone’s delicate tap pushed Koe’s counter far enough for the first three points Koe gave up all tournament, and a 4-2 lead heading into the eighth end.

“Huge shift in the game,” Dunstone said.

The Dunstone team put all kinds of pressure on Koe by filling the rings with rocks behind guards. Koe hit and rolled for enough of the button to score one and trail 4-3.

After Lott hit skimmed two guards to remove an Alberta stone and for Manitoba to lie three, Koe was heavy on a draw. Dunstone scored another two in the ninth to lead 6-3.

Dunstone curled 94 per cent

Dunstone fell on his knees as his winning takeout sailed down the ice in the 10th.

Dunstone’s shooting percentage in the final was 94 per cent to Koe’s 86, and his team’s 90 per cent to Alberta’s 85.

It was also the first Brier title for 30-year-old Lott, who won a Canadian junior championship with Dunstone a decade earlier.

E.J. Harnden claimed his fourth after victories with Jacobs in 2013 and Brad Gushue in 2023 and 2024.

The 42-year-old Harnden has said this is his final season of competitive curling. His brother Ryan, 39, also won a Brier with Jacobs in 2013.

“I’m not done yet. That’s amazing,” said E.J., who was named tournament MVP. “I never imagined this being my last Brier, and to win it, that was the goal, but to actually do it and how hard it is to win a Brier, this is incredible.”

“I couldn’t be happier for Matt and Colton and Ryan. It’s been 13 years for Ryan. First Brier for Colton and Matt, I said I really wanted to be a part of that and now I am. This is phenomenal.”

The brothers shared a lengthy hug during post-game celebrations.

“A lot of I love you and we have a few more games to play now,” E.J. said.

Total attendance at the 2026 Brier was 143,100, which was the highest since St. John’s last hosted in 2017 with attendance of 122,592.