The 2025 men's curling Brier is up for grabs

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Last weekend, Rachel Homan cruised to her fifth Scotties Tournament of Hearts title, beating Kerri Einarson 6-1 in the final in Thunder Bay, Ont. Homan's Team Canada came in as the overwhelming favourites to repeat as Canadian women's curling champions and were never seriously challenged, going a perfect 11-0 for the second straight year and winning their three playoff games by a combined score of 24-10.

With the Olympics less than a year away, it was exciting to see the reigning world champs reassert their status as the best women's team on the planet and the clear favourites to win gold in Italy. Long live the Homan Empire! But it was also kind of boring.

That shouldn't be a problem at the Brier, which begins Friday night in Kelowna, B.C. At least three teams — and maybe as many as five — have a legitimate shot at winning the Canadian men's championship in what promises to be a wide-open tournament.

Let's start with the defending champs. On the surface, Brad Gushue might look as dominant as Homan. He's going for his record-breaking fourth consecutive Brier title and seventh of his career, which would move him three ahead of any other skip in history. The 44-year-old from St. John's also owns an Olympic gold medal and a world title, and he's taken silver at the world championships the last three years in a row.

WATCH | How curling ice is made for the Brier:

How experts make curling ice for the 2025 Montana's Brier

But Gushue's rink is looking a little shaky right now. In October, he and longtime teammates Mark Nichols and Geoff Walker parted ways with second E.J.