Northwest Territories’ Team Jamie Koe snaps two-game skid with win at 2026 Montana’s Brier

After starting off the 2026 Montana’s Brier, presented by AGI, on an 0-2 slide, the Northwest Territories’ Team Jamie Koe thrilled fans with a 7-6 extra-end victory over Northern Ontario’s Team Sandy MacEwan (1-2; Sudbury) at the Mary Brown’s Centre in St. John’s, N.L., on Sunday evening.

Koe, composed as ever, drew the backside of the button for the win on a measure in the extra after being harried by Northern Ontario stones for the vast duration of the end.

“Got the job done, but it wasn’t looking too great there in the extra,” said Koe. “Luckily we had a shot and we pulled it off.”

The win puts the Yellowknife Curling Club cohort of third/vice-skip Glen Kennedy, second Roland Robinson, lead Shadrach McLeod, and alternate Cole Parsons, in the win column, improving to 1-2 overall.

It was almost not meant to be, however. The game-winning shot in question was nearly overswept by the Territories sweepers, but the rock just barely hung on to remain shot behind the tee line and secure the win.

“Luckily it just stopped in time,” said Koe. “It was a measurement for the win — doesn’t get any closer than that. We got the W and that’s all that matters.”

Koe had full confidence in the draw path that was available for the win and relied on information collected in previous ends to make good on his opportunity.

“It was a good spot in the ice,” said Koe. “Really, I was just hoping to have a shot to win. We were in big trouble at one point. It felt pretty good just to have a chance and the boys just took it from my hand and dropped it on the button.”

Koe and Co. trailed 4-1 at the fifth-end break and found its offensive efforts anemic at best, before a hard reset at the break proved to be the change the team needed to start scoring some points. The Northwest Territories quickly rallied with a deuce in the sixth, followed by three straight single steals to open a two-point lead after nine.

“We started scoring, got our first deuce that we had in a while,” said Koe. “Got the momentum going.”

The momentum carried into the 10th and Team Koe had all kinds of pressure on the Sudburians, before Northern Ontario fourth MacEwan made an elite-level runback-triple to score two points and force an extra end. The shot had nearly no margin for error, relied heavily on precise angles, and was only makeble after a Koe draw offering to the back of the four-foot set up the highlight-reel shot.

“He made an incredible shot in the 10th end to push it to the extra,” said Koe. “That was wild. I didn’t even know if that one was there, but you know, he made a beauty.”

This year’s Montana’s Brier is Koe’s 18^th, tying him for third-most Brier appearances all time with New Brunswick’s James Grattan, Team Canada’s Ben Hebert, and Ontario’s Glenn Howard.

“Just clean living, man,” laughed Koe about his recipe for longevity at Canada’s national stage. “No, no, just got be here and be focused. We don’t curl a lot so there’s not a big strain on the body, so we’re fresh and we’re ready to go for this event. We focus on it all year and when we’re here, we’re ready to go.”

Team Jamie Koe will next face Team Manitoba-Dunstone Monday at 2:30 p.m. (all times NT).

In other action from Sunday evening at the 2026 Montana’s Brier, Alberta’s Team Kevin Koe (3-0; Calgary) stayed perfect in a 9-4 win over New Brunswick’s Team James Grattan (1-2; Oromocto), while Saskatchewan’s Team Mike McEwen (2-1; Saskatoon) doubled up the Yukon’s Team Thomas Scoffin (1-2; Whitehorse) 10-5 and Manitoba’s Team Matt Dunstone (2-0; Winnipeg) vanquished British Columbia’s Team Cody Tanaka (0-2; Kamloops/Delta) 9-4.

Manitoba’s Team Braden Calvert (1-1; Winnipeg) had the bye on Sunday evening.

The 2026 Montana’s Brier continues Monday with draws at 9:30 a.m., 2:30 p.m., and 7:30 p.m.

Live scoring, standings and statistics for the 2026 Montana’s Brier are available at www.curling.ca/scoreboard/.

TSN and RDS2 will provide complete coverage of the 2026 Montana’s Brier. CLICK HERE for the complete schedule.

For ticket information for the 2026 Montana’s Brier, go to www.curling.ca/2026brier/tickets/

This story will be available in French as soon as possible at www.curling.ca/fr/2026brier/nouvelles/