Behind the play of skip Brad Jacobs, Canada is rolling at the 2025 BKT Tires World Men’s Curling Championships.
Statistically Team Canada is the best of 13 teams at this year’s tournament, shooting 91 per cent through nine games.
But at the anchor spot, Jacobs paces the field.
His 92 per cent shooting is five points better than the next best at his position.
Something TSN Curling Analyst, Cathy Gauthier called “rare.”
“We’re so spoiled seeing those numbers,” she said. “People don’t realize how hard that is in the game.”
“And the degree of difficulty they’re shooting has elevated these players so much. They’re brilliant right now,” she added.
The last time a skip shot over 92 per cent during round robin play at a worlds was Brad Gushue, who shot 93 per cent in 2017 - the last time Canada won a world championship.
“[Gushue and Jacobs] just find that clarity of thinking they know what the right shot is and what the ice is,” she said. “It’s just wonderful to watch as an observer when you see a team that’s that good.”
Jacobs high level of play has also been prolonged. Since the start of the Brier in February, the skip has kept up the 92 per cent rate.
Only shooting under 88 per cent three times in 22 games.
“When a player is dialed in, they have this confidence,” Gauthier said. “And in my life playing with skips like Jennifer [Jones], Callie Laliberte, whoever. It’s when they’re in that moment, you just relax as a teammate.”
Jacobs fellow teammates say they are feeding off the confidence of their skipper.
“A confident skip is a pretty dangerous skip,” he said. “He’s got all his shots; his weights and lines are great. And he’s calling a good game, too.”
Second Brett Gallant was on that 2017 World Championship team with Gushue.
“It’s a lot of fun to be on a team when a skip’s feeling that good,” Gallant added.
“It just filters down the lineup,” Canada third Marc Kennedy said. “Everybody feels super confident. We have all the belief in the world in him and that allows us to just focus on making our shots.”
Even more remarkable to Gauthier is Team Jacobs has been together less than a year after joining the former Team Bottcher in April of last year.
“They are four great individuals, but they only had one year to click,” she said. “People said, ‘Jacobs is a special unicorn when it comes to throwing, but can they create that chemistry without forcing it?’ And in the beginning, when they didn’t win all their games, people said, maybe not.”
“But we’re seeing here why this team was put together,” Gauthier added.
Jacobs says the respect of how well his teammates are goes the other way as well. Adding he’s open to what they see on the ice.
“We’ve worked really, really hard on trying to perfect our communication out there,” the skip said. “There are certain points in games now where I’m really comfortable with the guys and saying, ‘come down here and help me out.”
“There’s no ego when it comes to making the right call. It’s just making sure that we don’t make a mistake. We talk things through,” Jacobs added.
