| 2021 Tim Hortons Brier | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Host city | Calgary, Alberta |
| Arena | Markin MacPhail Centre, Canada Olympic Park[1] |
| Dates | March 5–14[1] |
| Attendance | 0 (behind closed doors) |
| Winner |  Alberta |
| Curling club | Saville Community SC, Edmonton |
| Skip | Brendan Bottcher |
| Third | Darren Moulding |
| Second | Brad Thiessen |
| Lead | Karrick Martin |
| Alternate | Pat Janssen |
| Coach | Don Bartlett |
| Finalist | Wild Card 2 (Kevin Koe) |
« 2020 2022 » | |
The 2021 Tim Hortons Brier, Canada's national men's curling championship, was held from March 5 to 14 at the Markin MacPhail Centre at Canada Olympic Park in Calgary, Alberta.[2]
In the final, Team Alberta, skipped by Brendan Bottcher defeated Team Wild Card 2, skipped by Kevin Koe in an all-Alberta final, and a re-match of the 2019 Brier final. It was Bottcher's first Brier championship after losing the previous three finals. The first six ends of the final were evenly matched with Koe leading 1–0 heading into the seventh end. In the seventh, Koe's first rock picked, and he missed a double on his second shot, allowing Bottcher a draw for three, to go up 3–1. The two teams exchanged singles in the 8th and 9th ends, and in the 10th end, with just 30 seconds left on their time clock, Koe conceded with one rock left, as his team had no possibilities to score two points to tie the game.[3] As champions, Bottcher and his team went on to represent Canada at the 2021 World Men's Curling Championship, where they finished in sixth place.[4]
The event was originally scheduled to be held in Kelowna, British Columbia.[5] Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada, it was announced that most Curling Canada championships still being held in the 2020–21 curling season (including the World Men's Curling Championship, which will be held at the same site) would be moved to a centralized "bubble" (similar to that of the NHL as in Edmonton) at Canada Olympic Park. All events will be held behind closed doors with no spectators admitted.[6] In addition, due to COVID-19 restrictions and logistics, many provincial playdowns have been cancelled, with teams being selected by their respective member association instead.
When Ontario played Newfoundland and Labrador in Draw 11, it marked the first time that two openly LGBTQ skips (John Epping and Greg Smith respectively) played against each other at the Brier.[7]
- ^ a b Devin Heroux (December 8, 2020). "Curlers will face harsh penalties for leaving Calgary bubble". CBC Sports. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
- ^ Jesse Campigotto (December 2, 2020). "What we know and don't know about the curling bubble". CBC Sports. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
- ^ Canadian Press (March 14, 2021). "Brendan Bottcher wins 1st career Brier". CBC Sports. Retrieved March 15, 2021.
- ^ "2021 World men's curling championship: Scores, schedule and standings". Sportsnet. Retrieved April 24, 2021.
- ^ "Lethbridge to host the Brier in 2022". January 8, 2021. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
- ^ Jesse Campigotto (December 2, 2020). "What we know and don't know about the curling bubble". CBC Sports. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
- ^ Ted Wyman (March 10, 2021). "Matchup of two openly gay skips at Brier a win for inclusivity in sports". Toronto Sun. Retrieved March 11, 2021.