Canada's Olympic Curling Team Opens with Thrilling Victory in Cortina
In a dramatic start to the men's curling competition at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games, Team Canada secured a hard-fought victory over Germany in an extra-end thriller. Skip Brad Jacobs executed a precise tap-back with the final stone to edge out Marc Muskatewicz's German team 7-6 at the Cortina Olympic Curling Stadium.
Resilience on Display in Opening Match
The Canadian team from Calgary's Glencoe Club demonstrated remarkable resilience throughout the eleven-end contest. "I just have a feeling that's how it's going to go all week," Jacobs told TSN's Bryan Mudryk immediately following the victory. "I think everyone's going to give their best to us—and we expect that."
Jacobs praised his teammates' performance, noting their ability to maintain focus through the extended match. "Just really proud of the guys for being resilient and sticking with it for 11 full ends on Day 1," he said. "To be 1-0 is great."
Deep Field of Competition
The opening victory comes despite what Jacobs described as a strong week of training in nearby Brunico, Italy. However, the Canadian team recognizes that early success doesn't guarantee podium placement in a field featuring ten accomplished teams.
Lead Ben Hebert emphasized the competitive landscape: "We think we're one of the favourites, but there's probably three or four teams that think they're the favourite, right? So it's whoever's better on that given day, because everybody works hard—it's just kind of entry level to get to this place."
Hebert continued, highlighting the necessity of consistent performance: "There's certainly some games there that you circle, that you know they're going to be must-wins, but you can't go in there with your B or C game and expect to win. We know that, though, because we play these teams all the time, so we're gonna need the same game we had at the Canadian Olympic trials."
Unexpected Challenge from Germany
The German team, led by skip Marc Muskatewicz, proved to be formidable opponents despite not being on many fans' radars. The young team from Füssen demonstrated they belong on the Olympic stage, matching Canada's team execution percentage at 88% throughout the match.
Jacobs acknowledged Germany's potential, stating: "That's a great young team. I think they have a shot, for sure, at playoffs and potentially medalling. It's a really good young team. Strong scrubbers, and they made a lot of shots."
The Canadian team features skip Brad Jacobs, third Marc Kennedy, second Brett Gallant, lead Ben Hebert, alternate Tyler Tardi, and coach Paul Webster. Their opening performance sets the tone for what promises to be a highly competitive Olympic curling tournament where every team will bring their best effort to the ice.
