24 teams in 24 days — Day 17: Team Bottcher
We’re profiling all 24 teams, one per day, to get ready for the return of the Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling leading up to the start of the Humpty’s Champions Cup.
Day 17: Team Bottcher
Lineup: Brendan Bottcher (skip), Darren Moulding (third), Brad Thiessen (second), Karrick Martin (lead)
Home club: Saville Community Sports Centre; Edmonton
Team Bottcher are representing Canada this week at the world men’s curling championship after capturing their first career Brier title last month in the Calgary bubble. The Alberta club went 9-3 through Brier pool play with a 6-5 win over Saskatchewan’s Team Dunstone in the semifinal and a 4-2 victory over Wild Card Two’s Team Koe in the championship game.
Bottcher won his first three Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling men’s titles consecutively in 2019. He captured his first at the Meridian Canadian Open in North Battleford, Sask., posting a perfect 6-0 record including a 6-3 win over Team Epping in the final. Bottcher then claimed the Players’ Championship in Toronto and the Humpty’s Champions Cup in Saskatoon defeating Koe in both finals.
Since both events were cancelled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Bottcher enters this year’s Princess Auto Players’ Championship and Humpty’s Champions Cup as the reigning champion.
Team Bottcher’s Slam-winning streak came to an end at the 2019 Masters in North Bay, Ont., as they lost in the quarterfinals to Team Gushue. They competed in all four Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling events last season with their best result being a semifinal finish in the KIOTI Tractor Tour Challenge in Pictou County, N.S.
The Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling returns with the Humpty’s Champions Cup, April 14-18, followed by the Princess Auto Players’ Championship, April 20-25. Both events will be played at Calgary’s WinSport Arena and closed to the general public. Watch live coverage on Sportsnet, stay tuned for the broadcast schedule.