Kevin Koe delivering ‘classic’ efficiency to remain undefeated at Brier

ST. JOHN’S, N.L. — The fist pump was low and delicate, as a result of that’s Kevin Koe’s understated model, however when the veteran skipper knocked off the No. 2 group in Canada on the Brier to maintain his Staff Alberta undefeated, there was no mistaking the second’s significance. 

“I imply, it was huge,” a straight-faced Koe stated, after he beat Matt Dunstone’s Winnipeg foursome at Mary Brown’s Centre, the place Koe’s competing in his unimaginable 14th nationwide championship.  

As Dunstone’s lead, Ryan Harnden identified, the efficiency was: “Classic Kevin.” 

That throwback, dominant Koe model has been on show all week lengthy from the 51-year-old skipper, the four-time Brier champion who on Wednesday clinched a spot within the Brier playoffs for the primary time since 2023. 

Koe is curling a glowing 90 per cent via six video games on the Brier, and with two video games to go in round-robin play in opposition to B.C and the Yukon, a pair of wins would imply Koe, third Tyler Tardi and the entrance finish of Aaron Sluchinski and Karrick Martin are No. 1 in Pool B heading into Friday’s playoffs. They’ve already knocked off the highest two groups of their pool, in Dunstone and Staff Saskatchewan’s Mike McEwen. 

“Our skipper is making all the pieces,” Martin stated, after Koe curled 94 per cent of their 8-2 win over Northern Ontario on Wednesday afternoon, which was over after simply eight ends. “He’s excellent. He’s the highest skip proper now, and he’s taking part in nice. He can play pretty much as good as anyone and he’s proper now.” 

That hasn’t gone unnoticed to gamers within the different pool on the Brier, who’ve but to be on the ice the identical as Koe right here in St. John’s. That features the Speak of the Rock, Brad Gushue, the six-time Brier champion who’s competing in his nationwide championship finale in his hometown this week. 

“Yeah, Kevin’s being Kevin,” Gushue stated, with a smile. 

However Koe, who’s a two-time world champion, hasn’t had a “Kevin being Kevin” efficiency on the Brier in a pair years. He missed the playoffs with a 4-4 file final yr and a dismal 2-6 file in 2024, and hasn’t been on a roll right here since 2023.

“It’s been some time,” Koe stated, considering again to his final Brier remaining, which was in 2022. “So, this feels good.” 

Ask Gushue, and he might see this kind of efficiency was coming from his long-time rival. 

“On the (Olympic) Trials, we performed a recreation and I stated it was in all probability one of many higher video games we performed in opposition to one another,” Gushue stated. “He was making all the pieces, I used to be making all the pieces and it was like we went again ten years.” 

At Trials again in November, Koe’s group had a tricky remaining day that noticed them miss the playoffs, however earlier within the occasion, they beat each Dunstone and Alberta’s Brad Jacobs, the eventual winners. “That may give us confidence when we’ve to play them once more,” Koe stated. 

Jacobs’ Olympic championship group is ideal within the different pool, set to play Gushue on Thursday. 

“We all know what Kevin’s able to when he actually desires to play properly, and I’m form of glad they’re within the different pool and we would not have to fret about them till later within the week,” stated Staff Jacobs third, Marc Kennedy, who received the 2016 world championships and Brier whereas taking part in third for Koe. 

“However I’m not shocked, nice participant,” Kennedy added, of his former teammate. “He’s 51 years outdated, so fairly wonderful what he’s doing proper now.” 

All of the extra wonderful since Koe’s Staff Alberta hadn’t practiced as a unit for greater than a month till they arrived right here in St. John’s. Tardi was Staff Canada’s alternate on the Olympics, busy successful a gold medal, whereas Sluchinski was additionally in Cortina working as a spotter. 

The final two years, Tardi stated, had been an “under-performance” on the Brier for his or her Staff Alberta, and whereas the third got here in right here this yr with lower than a full tank of power after that Olympic expertise, he’s been buoyed by Koe’s play. 

“When your skip is standing on his head on a regular basis, it’s simpler to wish to play higher for him, simply to present him what he’s deserving of, with how good he’s taking part in,” Tardi stated.

9 years in the past, Koe made the Brier remaining on this very constructing. That 2017 remaining featured Newfoundland’s personal Gushue successful his first, beating Koe’s Staff Canada within the remaining.  

“Hear, on the finish of the week, I’d like to be taking part in Kevin in a rematch of 2017,” Gushue stated. “That’d be so cool.”

Koe doesn’t disagree there. “Positive, he desires to play a 50-year-old, I get it,” the skip stated, grinning. “So, I imply, I would take it. Brad and I’ve performed one another in all probability one thing like 90 occasions, so hopefully there’s yet another, someday this week.”

Whereas Gushue’s sure he’s finished, Koe isn’t certain what the longer term holds. He doesn’t suppose he’ll be curling for one more 4 years, lengthy sufficient to pursue one other shot at an Olympic berth, and he stated he’ll suppose extra about his future after the Brier. However what’s sure is there received’t be a giant retirement farewell or a giant announcement when he does name it a profession. 

“Every time I’m finished, I’ll simply form of crawl off alone and possibly not inform anybody,” Koe stated. “Hopefully we will exit on high this week, and it’d in all probability make my resolution tougher.” 

Earlier this week, after Koe beat his youthful brother, Jamie, who skips Staff NWT, the pair shook arms and the youthful brother advised the older one: “Go win this factor.” 

“Alright,” Koe advised Jamie. “We’ll strive.”