There are four teams remaining at the 2022 Tim Hortons Brier in Lethbridge, Alberta. On Friday afternoon in the championship round semifinals, Brendan Bottcher’s Team Canada defeated the third wild card team skipped by Jason Gunnlaugson of Winnipeg, Manitoba 7-3, and Team Saskatchewan’s Colton Flasch delivered an impressive upset by beating Northern Ontario’s Brad Jacobs 10-3 in a blowout. Jacobs had been the 2014 Canadian Olympic gold medalist and 2013 Tim Hortons Brier champion.
It was the second victory for Flasch on Friday. In the Pool A tiebreaker, Flasch defeated Matt Dunstone’s Team Saskatchewan 9-5. The game was a battle of Saskatchewan-based teams, as both clubs had a record of six wins and two losses in Pool play. In the Pool B tiebreaker, it was an all-Manitoba battle, as Gunnlaugson defeated Mike McEwen of West St. Paul, Manitoba 9-3.
On Friday night, the seeding games took place for Saturday and Sunday’s page playoff games. Bottcher of Edmonton, Alberta defeated the first Wildcard team skipped by 2006 Canadian Olympic gold medalist Brad Gushue 4-3, and Team Alberta’s Kevin Koe of Calgary, defeated Flasch 7-2. That will set up a 3-4 game on Saturday afternoon between Flasch and Gushue, and a 1-2 game on Saturday evening between Koe and Bottcher.
It should be noted that Gushue’s Wildcard team is down to three players. That is because Team Gushue third Mark Nichols has tested positive for coronavirus.
