Team Reid Carruthers has landed the best free agent in men’s curling when Briar and Olympic champion Brad Jacobs joins the team full-time next season.
Jacobs, 37, announced a step back from competitive curling at the end of last season, but returned sooner than expected when he joined the Carruthers team along with semifinalists Derek Samakalski and Connor Njekoven for the Grand Slam event. In January, he posted a 2-3 record at the Canadian Open.
The Winnipeg rink started the season in third place with veteran Manitoba curler Jason Kunlagsson and had some strong early results with a win at the PointsBet Invitational in September. However, they would start to struggle after PointsBet, missing the playoffs in four of their next six events, including a 4-9 record in three Grand Slams.
A week before Christmas, they announced Kunlagsson’s departure, and later announced that Jacobs would join the squad for the Grand Slams for the remainder of the 2022-23 season.
In the provincial playdowns, Jacobs skipped the playoffs in northern Ontario at his home track, while Carruthers, playing three curlers, lost to team Matt Dunstone in the Manitoba final.
The Carruthers team represented Wild Card 2 at the Tim Hortons Friar in London, directed by Rob Gordon. They posted a 4-4 record and missed the playoffs.
Carruthers, 38, is currently in Sweden coaching Kerry Einarsson’s team at the Women’s World Curling Championships.
Jacobs left the Sault Ste. Over the course of his career, Mary has made 14 appearances for Briar, winning his only Tancard in 2013 and a silver medal at the World Men’s Curling Championship that same year. Her team of Ryan Fry, EJ Hornton and Ryan Hornton won gold at the 2014 Summer Olympics in Sochi, Russia. Jacobs has won seven Grand Slams in her career.
The Carruthers team, partnered by Jacobs, will conclude their season at The Players Championship in April.
