Photo from Team-King Curling's Facebook page.
A curler from Courtland is heading to the national stage after a championship performance at the Ontario Tankard.
Jayden King, who curls out of the Tillsonburg Curling Club, secured his team’s place at the 2026 Montana’s Brier by defeating defending champion Sam Mooibroek of the Whitby Curling Club 9–6 in the men’s final.
The win makes King the Ontario men’s champion and earns his team its first-ever berth at Canada’s national men’s curling championship.
The championship game was tightly contested, with King holding an 8–6 lead heading into the 10th end. Mooibroek, who had hammer, appeared poised to score and potentially force an extra end, but King delivered a pivotal final shot — a double takeout with a roll behind cover — that left Mooibroek facing a difficult tap.
Mooibroek’s final attempt caught a guard, sealing the victory for Team King.
King advanced to the playoffs by winning the A Event and navigated a challenging field to reach the final.
He is joined by vice Dylan Niepage, second Owen Henry, and lead Victor Pietrangelo — a young lineup with an average age of just 22.
The victory carries added significance for King, who narrowly missed a Tankard title two years ago when he lost the final in Dorchester.
That experience helped prepare him for this year’s run, where his composure and familiarity with high-pressure situations proved decisive.
Now, King and his team will represent Ontario at the Montana’s Brier, scheduled for February 27 to March 8, 2026, in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador.
As Ontario champions, Team King will enter the national championship not just as participants, but as legitimate contenders, bringing local pride from Courtland and Tillsonburg onto the national curling stage.