Team Canada skip Brad Gushue, third Mark Nichols, second Brett Gallant and lead Geoff Walker, left to right, pose with the Brier Tankard after defeating Alberta 6-4 to win the Tim Hortons Brier at the Brandt Centre in Regina on Sunday, March 11, 2018.
It took Brad Gushue several years to win his first Canadian men’s curling championship. His second didn’t take nearly as long.
Gushue downed Alberta’s Brendan Bottcher 6-4 in Sunday’s final for a second straight Canadian title.
READ MORE: Alberta curler Brendan Bottcher wins his way into Tim Hortons Brier final to face Brad Gushue
Gushue, third Mark Nichols, second Brett Gallant and lead Geoff Walker will wear the Maple Leaf at the men’s world championship in Las Vegas from March 31 to April 8.
Team Canada skip Brad Gushue, third Mark Nichols, second Brett Gallant, lead Geoff Walker, alternate Tom Sallows and coach Jules Owchar, left to right, head down the sheet after defeating Alberta 6-4 to win the Tim Hortons Brier at the Brandt Centre in Regina on Sunday, March 11, 2018.View image in full screen
Team Canada skip Brad Gushue, third Mark Nichols, second Brett Gallant, lead Geoff Walker, alternate Tom Sallows and coach Jules Owchar, left to right, head down the sheet after defeating Alberta 6-4 to win the Tim Hortons Brier at the Brandt Centre in Regina on Sunday, March 11, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan
Up 5-4 coming home with hammer and an Alberta stone on the four-foot rings, Gushue had thrown just one draw in the game, but coolly drew the button to win the Tim Hortons Brier.
“Felt really good on the throw,” the skip said. “Obviously Brett and Geoff sweeping that, you just can’t throw heavy and they judged it to perfection.”
Team Canada skip Brad Gushue celebrates after defeating Alberta 6-4 to win the Tim Hortons Brier at the Brandt Centre in Regina on Sunday, March 11, 2018.View image in full screen
Team Canada skip Brad Gushue celebrates after defeating Alberta 6-4 to win the Tim Hortons Brier at the Brandt Centre in Regina on Sunday, March 11, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan
They’re the first team to win back-to-back Briers since Kevin Martin in 2008 and 2009.
Gushue won his first Brier in 2017 after 13 tries and a pair of runner-up results.
READ MORE: Gushue’s Team Canada remains undefeated at Brier, gets set to face Alberta
After near-misses for the championship, the pressure on him to win in his hometown of St. John’s N.L., last year was immense. The team felt it in the form of stress and sleepless nights.
Alberta skip Brendan Bottcher, top, and Team Canada skip Brad Gushue watch as Team Canada sweeps a rock in the Tim Hortons Brier championship game at the Brandt Centre in Regina on Sunday, March 11, 2018.View image in full screen
Alberta skip Brendan Bottcher, top, and Team Canada skip Brad Gushue watch as Team Canada sweeps a rock in the Tim Hortons Brier championship game at the Brandt Centre in Regina on Sunday, March 11, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan
There was little tension in their game in Regina. Gushue’s team out of the Bally Hally Curling Club shot 91 per cent in the tournament and lost only one game in the preliminary round to Alberta.
“There were so many emotions last year winning at home,” Gushue said “This year, I felt like we were really in control of ourselves the whole week. Even drawing the button I felt confident.
