‘We’re going to the Brier’: Clutch final shot sends southwestern Ontario rink to Canadian Curling Championship

Team Jayden King were the 2026 Ontario Tankard champions and have earned a spot in their first ever Montana’s Brier. CTV's Brent Lale reports.

Facing three blue stones in the 10th end of the Ontario Tankard, Jayden King had one thing on his mind.

“Don’t hit the guard,” said the Courtland skip, who had an 8-6 lead at the time.

With a trip to the Montana’s Brier on the line, Owen Henry recalled the chaos as the rock went down the sheet.

“People are yelling, so surely I’m supposed to sweep?” said Henry of London who plays second for Team King. “It was just incredible. As soon as we got by the second guard was when I was like, ‘Okay! This is made.’”

Not only did King take out the two Sam Mooibroek stones with a perfect double, but his shooter rolled in behind for shot stone.

“It was one of those hit and hope moments,” said King.

He was lucky to see that shot a few times earlier in the week.

“I think I give myself about 80 times out of 100 I could make that one,” King said. “But for it to roll behind the guard was just the icing on the cake.”

With the hammer, Mooibroek still had a shot to make a shot to force an extra end. But when his shot bounced off the guard, the celebration for Team King was on.

They were 2026 Ontario Tankard champions and earned a spot in their first ever Montana’s Brier.

“There’s no really feeling to describe it,” said King. “It’s what you dream of your whole life as a curler.”

Henry, who joined this team last year helped get them over the hump to the Canadian Curling Championship.

“That just brings me chills right there,” said the Brock University student. “It’s so cool seeing the field kind of starting to form and seeing our names on there. We’re going to the Brier.”

CTV News first met King two years ago when the Tankard was held in Dorchester.

The then 21-year-old Guelph University student nearly won, losing 8-7 to Scott Howard in the final. He claimed then “You’ll see us again!”

That experience helped two years later.

“Jayden joked before the game that he was way more calm than last time,” said Henry.

“When your skipper’s feeling like that, it brings a calmness to everybody else. Victor [Pietrangelo] and I played in provincial finals before, but not the Tankard final and it’s a different beast. In that arena, the huge crowd, the emotions and the Tankard sitting on the other sheet right beside you. I think that experience that Dylan [Niepage] and Jayden had allowed Victor and I to feel a little more normal and a little a little better about the situation.”

With an average age of just 22, they will be one of the youngest teams in the field in St. John’s, NL. next month.

“We’ve had so much support from Tillsonburg and all the small-town clubs that we represent,” said King. “It’s been really awesome to see everyone kind of rally together behind us. To represent them and to now represent the province we absolutely can’t wait.”

They aren’t just happy to be heading east on Feb. 27 to March 8, 2026 to play. When you represent Ontario, you automatically become a top contender to win.

“it’s going to be buckle down time because you’re right, we do have a good shot at being in the playoffs and making a deep run in this thing,” said Henry.