32 teams in 32 days

We’re profiling 32 teams — one per day — as we get ready for the start of the Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling season at the Masters.

Day 12: 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 the reigning Canadian men’s champions. They finished runners-up in the previous three Brier tournaments and burst the bubble this past March. The Alberta squad scored three points in the seventh end during a 4-2 victory over Wild Card 2’s Team Koe in the final. Bottcher shot an outstanding 97 per cent in the game.

Team Bottcher represented Canada at the world men’s curling championship and finished round-robin play with a 9-4 record to advance. They lost 5-3 to Scotland’s Team Mouat in the qualification round. Mouat also defeated Bottcher in the Humpty’s Champions Cup men’s final in April.

Team Bottcher won their first three Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling men’s titles consecutively in 2019. They captured their first at the Meridian Canadian Open in North Battleford, Saskatchewan, 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 provincial rivals Team Koe in both finals.

Bottcher, Thiessen and Martin were members of the University of Alberta Golden Bears program and captured the Canadian university men’s championship in 2012. That earned them the right to represent Canada at the 2013 Winter Universiade in Trentino, Italy, where they won bronze medals. Moulding joined Team Bottcher in 2017.

Bottcher also won Canadian junior and world junior gold medals in 2012.

The Masters kicks off the 2021-22 Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling season and runs Oct. 19-24 at Sixteen Mile Sports Complex in Oakville, Ontario. Full event and weekend passes plus single draw tickets are now available, CLICK HERE to purchase yours today.

Can’t make it to Oakville? Tune to Sportsnet and Sportsnet NOW for live broadcast coverage. Broadcast schedule to be announced.

Missed a day in our 32 teams in 32 days profile series? Get all caught up below.

Day 1: Team Hasselborg

Day 2: Team Jacobs

Day 3: Team Einarson

Day 4: Team Epping

Day 5: Team Fleury

Day 6: Team Mouat

Day 7: Team Tirinzoni

Day 8: Team Gushue

Day 9: Team Jones

Day 10: Team McEwen