Sweden's Edin beats Canada's Dunstone 9-6 to win men's world curling championship

Sweden's Niklas Edin delivers the rock during a gold medal match against Canada at the curling world championships, Saturday, April 4, 2026, in Ogden, Utah. (AP Photo/Tyler Tate)

OGDEN, UTAH — Sweden’s Niklas Edin claimed yet another men’s world curling championship with a 9-6 win over Canada’s Matt Dunstone on Saturday.

The 40-year-old Edin extended the record for world titles to eight in his career. He’s also skipped Sweden to an Olympic medal of every colour.

But his team arrived in Ogden, Utah, coming off an uncharacteristic 2-7 record at the Olympic Games in February.

Edin, vice Oskar Eriksson, second Rasmus Wranaa and lead Christoffer Sundgren recovered their form for the world championship.

They were ruthlessly efficient Saturday in converting hammer into two points four times in the game, while holding Dunstone to a pair of deuces.

Dunstone and vice Colton Lott, who made their world championship debut in Utah, and second E.J. Harnden and lead Ryan Harnden settled for the silver medal.

The foursome out of Winnipeg’s Granite Curling Club replicated Canada’s result at the women’s world championship in Calgary, where Kerri Einarson skipped the host country to a silver medal.

Sweden, Canada and Scotland capped pool play with identical 10-2 records, but Sweden and Scotland ranked higher than Canada in a tiebreaker of last-stone-draw rankings.

Dunstone came from behind to beat Italy 9-7 in a playoff game before beating Scotland 9-7 in a semifinal Friday.

Sweden had a bye to the semifinals and beat the United States 8-6 in an extra end to advance.

Edin’s draw to the four-foot rings in the eighth end Saturday rubbed on a Swedish stone, but spun inward just enough to score two for an 8-5 lead.

Dunstone needed to draw for a piece of the button to score one in the ninth. Canada trailed by two coming home without hammer.

The Canadian skip missed an attempted angle raise to lie two in the 10th end. Edin didn’t have to throw his final stone of the game.

The Swedes curled 90 per cent to Canada’s 87, while Edin posted 95 per cent accuracy to Dunstone’s 78.

“They showed today why they’re eight-time world champions,” Dunstone told World Curling.

“It’s unfortunate for sure. Wish (we) could have put a little bit more pressure on them throughout the game, but I mean again they were just making everything under the sun and we were chasing the whole game.”

Scotland’s Ross Whyte was an 11-6 winner over John Shuster of the U.S. for the bronze medal earlier Saturday.

Brad Gushue skipped the last Canadian team to win a men’s world title in 2017 in Edmonton.

“We totally just want to get back (to the worlds) and finish one step better,” said Dunstone.

“ … It was gruelling schedule and our backs were against the wall early. To rally off 10 (wins) in a row to make it into the final, I think we have all the reasons in the world to be proud of what we accomplished. Looking back at it in a couple days, I’m obviously going to be very proud — it’s the happiest silver medal I’ve ever won.”

E.J. Harnden, who played his final competitive curling game, tearfully embraced his younger brother Ryan after the game.

The 42-year-old won Olympic gold with Brad Jacobs in 2013 and a combined four Canadian championships as a teammate of Dunstone, Jacobs and Gushue.

“I thought today we played well,” said E.J. Harnden. “They (Sweden) were just phenomenal. Nik showed today why he’s one of the best to ever play and unfortunately he did it against us in the world final; I guess I didn’t really expect anything different.

“We expected a really tough game and I’m really proud of the way that we battled. We never gave up. So, overall, nothing to be ashamed of, lots to be proud of and still really, really proud of this team and bringing home a silver medal for Canada.”

Saturday’s silver medal at the world championship was Harnden’s fifth, including one when he was an alternate for Gushue in 2022.

“It’s probably going to sink in a little bit more as the night goes on and in the coming days,” he said. “But I couldn’t have asked for anything more. To end my career as a Brier champion and a world silver-medallist, and to do it with this group, I don’t think it can get any better than this.”

The future for Team Dunstone — specifically who will replace E.J. Harnden — will be sorted out soon, said the skip.

“We have somebody who’s locked and loaded,” said Dunstone. “We’ll probably just get home and sleep for what I hope is a very long time you’ll hear from us in a in a couple days on who’s going to be our new second.”

TSN’s Vic Rauter called his final curling game after 40 years as the voice of the sport for the broadcaster. The 71-year-old joined TSN in 1985.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 4, 2026.

The Canadian Press