Going for gold

Canada seeks to reclaim curling crown

The action on the ice is heating up in the nation’s capital. The 2023 World Men’s Curling Championship is underway and will run all week, leading up to the final on Sunday, April 9. TSN has daily coverage of the global tournament.

Once again, Brad Gushue of St. John’s, N.L., leads the way as Team Canada skip, after he and his teammates retained their position representing the country after winning the Tim Hortons Brier last month (they beat Manitoba 7-5 in the final). In fact, Gushue made Canadian curling history at the event when he became the first skip to win five Briers over his career.

The rest of the re-upped national team includes Mark Nichols (third), E.J. Harnden (second) and Geoff Walker (lead). Harnden, in his first year with Gushue, replaces Brett Gallant.

Twelve other nations will be participating in the event, with formidable rival Sweden being one to look out for. Niklas Edin, the Swedish skip, has dominated at the international level, having won four consecutive gold medals (2018-2022, with 2020 cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic). Seeking to make curling history and claim a fifth consecutive gold, Edin has bested Gushue in the final match of the tournament twice before.

Other participants in the 2023 tournament are the United States, Scotland, Germany, Czechia, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Norway, New Zealand, Switzerland and Turkey.

This year, Ottawa hosts the world championship at TD Place Arena in the heart of the city. The 2023 tournament marks the first time Ottawa will host, though it was held in Canada as recently as 2021 in Calgary.

Opening round-robin games will be played throughout the week, concluding April 7. The following two days, April 8 and 9, are when the playoffs are scheduled, ultimately determining the 2023 men’s world champion.

Catch all the action this week as Canada welcomes the world in the 2023 World Men’s Curling Championship, with live coverage airing daily on TSN.