Bottcher set to defend Brier title

TSN Senior Reporter

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Brendan Bottcher plays in the Tim Hortons Brier the way some club curlers sign up for their local three-day bonspiel. It’s an annual stop on his calendar.

For the fifth consecutive year, he and his team are headed to the national championship, this time playing as Team Canada.

“It's always an honour and a privilege to wear the Maple Leaf, so I'm excited to do that,” said Bottcher, who will defend his title starting Friday evening in Lethbridge, Alta.

The biggest change for Bottcher’s team this time around won’t be what they’re wearing but who is wearing it. After the Canadian Curling Trials in November, third Darren Moulding was cut in a somewhat clumsy parting of the ways. He’s been replaced by the team’s long-time alternate, Pat Janssen.

“Pat's been a great member of that team for three years now,” said Bottcher, whose rink is rounded out by Brad Thiessen and Karrick Martin. “So, not a new face, not a new guy. We've played quite a bit with him even in the last couple years. So, that part was all seamless.”

Moulding became a highly sought-after free agent and signed on with James Grattan’s New Brunswick team. The two squads will face each other on Saturday evening and Bottcher says the game won’t have any extra meaning.

“To me, it's just another game,” he said. “In this sport, you play against all your old teammates. I can’t think of an ex-teammate of mine that I haven't been played against. It's just kind of the way it goes. The pool of athletes is so small and everyone reforms and there you are playing against your old brothers.

“So, I think it'll be an interesting dynamic, but I'm looking forward to it and I'm really happy that Darren’s back on a team and gets to go down to a