New Gushue book, which names names and shares new stories, ruffles some feathers

Citing an email Epping third, Ryan Fry sent to his lawyer but mistakenly copied to all involved, Gushue wrote that the message indicated their team was really looking for a financial settlement and wanted to be paid off by Curling Canada in return for dropping the lawsuit.

Gushue added the email “made their real intentions clear.”

“That’s just total B.S.,” said Brent Laing, who played lead for Epping that season. “Our motivation was that we wanted transparency from Curling Canada. We wanted an honest answer. We wanted to be treated fairly.”

An arbitrator threw out the suit the day before Gushue’s team left for Lethbridge, Alta., to play in the Brier, Gushue wrote. His St. John’s, N.L.-based team went on to win the national title.

“I don’t need to comment further on their intentions,” Gushue said Thursday in a text message. “Just going off the email.”

The Brier purse for the 18-team field that year was $300,000.

In a text message, Fry confirmed a financial settlement was discussed.

“Once it became clearer we weren’t likely to get the outcome we’d hoped for, we explored a financial resolution, as happens in plenty of legal disputes,” he said. “That doesn’t change why we challenged the decision in the first place.

“And accidentally copying the opposing side on an email intended for our lawyer? Of course I’d be that guy. Not my finest moment, and apparently a blunder worthy of public scrutiny.”

Wild-card berths that season were awarded to the top three teams in the Canadian rankings that didn’t qualify via provincial or territorial championships.

Despite playing at the Games, Curling Canada deemed Gushue’s team Brier-eligible because it planned to enter the Newfoundland and Labrador championship. That playdown had been rescheduled to February — when Gushue was at the Olympics — due to COVID-19 regulations.

Epping’s team of Laing, Fry and Mathew Cam, meanwhile, lost the Ontario final that month but still expected to qualify as the third wild-card entry.

Matt Dunstone and Jason Gunnlaugson had the first two spots, but when the top-ranked Gushue was included, it left Epping outside the cutline.

Curling Canada declined comment, an organization spokesperson said via email.

“It had nothing to do with the fact that it was Gushue; it just had to do that it was the Olympic team,” Laing said, noting he and Fry couldn’t play at the Brier in years they represented Canada at the Games.

“Then we went to Sport Canada and wondered, ‘What are our options?’ Because there are appeal processes for all athletes in all sports, and we went through that process.”

The Winter Games sometimes conflict with national championship dates or training camps for Canada’s Olympic teams. Curling Canada has said conversations have started with its athlete council regarding whether both Olympic representatives should be allowed to also compete at national playdowns.

Epping, who’s skipping his new team this week at the P&H Masters, didn’t immediately return a message.

“There’s quite a bit of money available at the Brier, and we weren’t going to get that opportunity,” Laing said. “We would have solved our own problem if we’d just won provincials, but we didn’t. So that’s why the idea of a settlement came up.

“And any time you’re in a legal dispute, I think a settlement is a normal process for the lawyer to bring up.”

Laing and Gushue now serve as Grand Slam of Curling analysts on Sportsnet and CBC but aren’t in the broadcast booth at the same time.

“We’re on opposite draws basically,” said Laing, who’s known Gushue for 30 years. “But I mean, it’s not an issue. It’s not a big deal. I mean, Brad and I have had lots of run-ins over the years.

“We’ve played a lot of big games against each other. We’ve had disagreements on things, and it’s just not going to change anything.”

Gushue also wrote about challenges with team dynamics over his career and called out some former teammates by name.

When asked before last Tuesday’s book release if he expected any blowback, Gushue replied:

“I’m sure there will be some reaction. But not much I can do; it’s what happened.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 5, 2026.

Gregory Strong, The Canadian Press

by The Canadian Press

New Gushue book, which names names and shares new stories, ruffles some feathers

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