Defending champion Bottcher's Team Canada rink among 18-team Brier field

OTTAWA — Defending champion Brendan Bottcher's Team Canada rink and Brad Gushue's Wild Card Olympic squad highlight the 18-team field at the 2022 Brier in Lethbridge, Alta.

Bottcher, 30, of Edmonton, captured his first-ever Canadian men's curling title last year in Calgary.

Gushue, currently representing Canada at the Beijing Winter Olympics, is going for his fourth Brier title in six years and is listed as Wild Card 1. Gushue is a St. John's, N.L., native.

The other two Wild Card teams are Regina's Matt Dunstone and Jason Gunnlaugson of Morris, Man.

Alberta skip Kevin Koe is going for his record fifth Brier championship. Beijing Olympian John Morris, who competed with Rachel Homan in the mixed doubles event, will be Koe's second.

Nathan Young of Team Newfoundland and Labrador and his rink are the youngest competitors in the field. They're still eligible to compete in under-21 junior competitions.

The event will open March 4 at ENMAX Centre.

Alberta currently allows a 50 per cent capacity limit at live events. But the province recently announced March 1 is the projected date for a return to full capacity.

As a result, Curling Canada opened all capacity limits and ticket packages for the Brier.

Should the capacity limit not be lifted in time for the first draw and sales exceed the 50 per cent limit, customer ticket purchases would be honoured in order of purchase date, Curling Canada added.

The field will be split into two pools of nine. Both pools will first play an eight-game round robin.

The top three teams from each pool will advance to an expanded playoff pool. The second- and third-place teams will cross over to participate in the Page playoff qualifier games March 11.

The actual Page playoffs will begin March 12.