Brendan Bottcher is making a return to the skip position, joining forces with a new Alberta-based team poised to make an impact on the curling scene.
Bottcher will be joined by Jacob Horgan at third, Tanner Horgan at second, and lead Geoff Walker, creating a lineup that blends experience and emerging talent. The team’s formation marks a significant shift in the competitive landscape as teams prepare for the upcoming season.
“I’m excited about what I think we can put on the ice,” Bottcher said Monday from Spruce Grove, Alta. “Even the (early) conversations we’ve had, it feels like a really fresh desire to be better, to learn, and I’m excited for that.”
The move comes after Bottcher spent the last year and a half playing second for Brad Gushue, who recently retired following the Montana’s Brier.
The Horgan brothers announced their departure from John Epping’s team last month. Jacob served as an alternate for Manitoba’s Matt Dunstone at the recent Brier, where Dunstone defeated Alberta’s Kevin Koe in the final.
Walker brings a wealth of championship experience to the rink, having won six Canadian titles, one world title, and an Olympic bronze medal alongside Gushue.
Bottcher, who secured a national title as a skip in 2021, explained that his time with the St. John’s-based foursome “ignited a passion in me that I feel like I have more to do.”
“I’m certainly not done yet, and I’m excited to get back to skipping,” Bottcher said. “Though I learned a lot in the last couple of years, I think I also learned that my role, at least where I can add the most value, likely is at skip.”
At 34, Bottcher is six years older than Edmonton native Walker. Tanner is 28, and Jacob will turn 26 in the coming weeks.
The Horgan brothers, originally from Sudbury, Ont., but now based in Mississauga, Ont., have made two career appearances at the Brier, most recently representing Northern Ontario with Epping in 2025.
“They’re fine for their age, and they’re good for where they’re at,” Bottcher said. “They certainly gave us a number of good games over the last couple of years, and I was excited to be able to pick them up.”
“I think they’re excited to do something a little bit new as well.”
Jacob Horgan will be relocating to Alberta in the coming months.
“On top of the residency (requirements) for the playdown process part of the conversation, I think it’s important to have the core of the team together (to) practise on a daily basis,” he said.
The announcement is part of a busy period of roster changes in Canadian curling, as teams gear up for the new season and the next quadrennial cycle.
Recently, Tyler Tardi left Team Kevin Koe to skip a new team previously led by Mike McEwen, who is now a free agent. The teams skipped by Sam Mooibroek and Kayla Skrlik have both disbanded, and Jenn Baxter has left Christina Black’s Halifax-based team, reducing it to a trio.
