Defending champ Brad Gushue picked up where he left off at the Canadian menB次元官网网址檚 curling championship with an opening victory Friday night.

British ColumbiaB次元官网网址檚 Jacques Gauthier made him earn it.

Gushue held off the 2020 world junior champion 6-5 in a back-and-forth round-robin opener at Budweiser Gardens.

B次元官网网址淚 thought we called a good game and managed it reasonably well,B次元官网网址� Gushue said. B次元官网网址淲e just didnB次元官网网址檛 execute as well as we should have.B次元官网网址�

Gushue, from St. JohnB次元官网网址檚, N.L., still delivered when it mattered most. He earned a steal after drawing to the button in the ninth end and capped the win by holding Gauthier to a single in the 10th.

B次元官网网址淲e held them until the last end,B次元官网网址� said Gauthier, a 24-year-old Brier rookie. B次元官网网址淚 couldnB次元官网网址檛 be more proud of how the guys played. There were a couple shots here and there that IB次元官网网址檇 personally like back.

B次元官网网址淏ut we held it in there until the end and thatB次元官网网址檚 all you can ask for.B次元官网网址�

Gushue has won the Tim Hortons Brier on four occasions over the last six years. His Brier victory last season in Lethbridge, Alta., was sandwiched by an Olympic bronze and world silver.

Gauthier played like a veteran and gave the Newfoundland and Labrador-based side a stiff challenge.

He showed his form in the opening end with a freeze by the button that helped generate a single. Gauthier followed with a force but was wide with a tap attempt in the third that gave Gushue a steal of two.

The teams then exchanged singles through the eighth end.

It was GushueB次元官网网址檚 first competitive game in about seven weeks. His team didnB次元官网网址檛 have to play provincial playdowns since it had an automatic Brier entry as defending champions.

Winnipeg resident Mike McEwen enjoyed some home team love from the crowd in a 13-2 rout of QuebecB次元官网网址檚 Felix Asselin. It was the first time McEwen has worn Ontario colours at the Brier.

B次元官网网址淚t feels strangely weird wearing the black and red,B次元官网网址� McEwen said. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 exciting to have the crowd get behind us. I think the more games we can win will encourage that.B次元官网网址�

In other games, the Wild Card 1 team skipped by Brendan Bottcher dumped Prince Edward IslandB次元官网网址檚 Tyler Smith 8-2. Karsten SturmayB次元官网网址檚 Wild Card 3 rink topped New BrunswickB次元官网网址檚 Scott Jones 7-3.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e been looking forward to the Brier all year, especially the last couple weeks leading up here,B次元官网网址� Bottcher said. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 nice to come out and get a win, but more importantly play well.B次元官网网址�

Two draws are scheduled for Saturday before the competition shifts to three-draw days through Thursday. The playoffs begin March 10 and the final is scheduled for March 12.

AlbertaB次元官网网址檚 Kevin Koe, ManitobaB次元官网网址檚 Matt Dunstone and Wild Card 2B次元官网网址檚 Reid Carruthers are some of the other event headliners.

The Brier winner will represent Canada at the April 1-9 world menB次元官网网址檚 curling championship in Ottawa.

London last hosted the Brier in 2011 when ManitobaB次元官网网址檚 Jeff Stoughton beat OntarioB次元官网网址檚 Glenn Howard in the final. The southwest Ontario city, located about 200 kilometres west of Toronto, also hosted the 1974 playdowns.

Kerri Einarson won the Canadian womenB次元官网网址檚 championship last week in Kamloops, B.C. Her Manitoba-based team will wear the Maple Leaf at the March 18-26 world womenB次元官网网址檚 playdowns in Sandviken, Sweden.

Gregory Strong, The Canadian Press

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