John Epping is chasing a feeling in Halifax—the sensation of a hot hand that has carried him to the brink of curling glory throughout his career. The veteran skip is building towards his shot at an Olympic berth at the 2025 Montana’s Canadian Curling Trials presented by Connect Hearing, determined to finally finish as a winner on the sport's biggest stage.
A Career of Near-Misses
Epping's career is marked by impressive performances that fell just short of the ultimate prize. He came tantalizingly close at the 2018 Brier in Regina, where he contended for a bronze medal. More recently, he delivered a world-class effort at last spring's national curling championship in British Columbia, outperforming most competitors in the elite field. Earlier this year, he added another third-place finish at the 2025 Canadian Mixed Doubles Olympic Trials.
"Yeah… you feel it in there," Epping said about those moments when he rises to the occasion. "It's like the golf hole looks bigger—and that's sometimes what the target looks like on the ice. For me, I've been just really steady—I can count on my one hand in the last year five games where I've walked off and I'm like, 'John, you got to play way better—that's awful.' So that's just building consistency."
The Road to Halifax
Building momentum for the Olympic trials has been Epping's primary focus this year. The preparation intensifies as the competition approaches, with two Olympic berths—one for women and one for men—up for grabs beginning Saturday at Halifax's Scotiabank Centre.
Epping leads a formidable team featuring third/vice-skip Jacob Horgan, second Tanner Horgan, and lead Ian McMillan. "I hope this is our year," said skip Epping. "Anything can come with the trials with the added pressure and all that's there. I just want to play great. I just want to play well, and let the chips fall where they do. If we can walk away playing great, then that's nice."
Elite Competition Awaits
The men's field in Halifax represents a who's-who of Canadian curling excellence. The competition includes defending trials champion Brad Gushue, who is competing in his swan-song season, and reigning Canadian champion Brad Jacobs.
The Brad Gushue rink from St. John's Curling Club qualified as the 2024 Brier champion. Despite playing a relatively quiet schedule of just four spiels this year and maintaining a .500 record, Gushue's team—featuring Mark Nichols, Brendan Bottcher, Geoff Walker, alternate Adam Casey, and coach Jeff Hoffard—remains a formidable threat. As a 2006 Olympic gold medallist and 2022 Olympic bronze medallist, Gushue has proven he performs when it matters most.
For John Epping, the Halifax trials represent more than just another competition—they're the culmination of years of building toward this moment, with the ultimate prize of representing Canada at the Olympics finally within reach.
