As a longtime second for Team Brad Jacobs, E.J. Harnden was a big part of one of the best rivalries in Canadian curling.
The so-called "Battle of the Brads" between Jacobs and Team Brad Gushue resulted in many memorable games over the last decade. Now Harnden is set to join forces with the Gushue rink as a fifth at the world men's curling championship in Las Vegas.
"I anticipate that they all want to play each and every game at the world championship," Harnden said Friday. "I'm going in with the mindset that if something were to happen and I was needed, I'd be ready to step in.
"(I'll also be) making sure I'm going to be doing all the little things that's required in order for them to be at their very best."
Gushue's St. John's-based team did not have an alternate at the national championship and was forced to play as a threesome when vice Mark Nichols pulled out after testing positive for COVID-19.
The withdrawal meant more stones for lead Geoff Walker and second Brett Gallant, who used their mixed doubles skills to their advantage by adjusting sweeping techniques and communication as needed.
Gushue's side, fresh from a bronze-medal performance at the Beijing Games, was dubbed Team Wild Card One at the Brier. They reeled off three straight must-wins in the playoffs last weekend to raise the tankard for the fourth time in six years.
"People going to Las Vegas are known for taking chances," Team Gushue said in a statement announcing Harnden's addition. "However, if the Brier has taught us anything, it is that playing with three players is not something we want to roll the dice on again!"
At the April 2-10 world championship, Harnden will provide insurance in the event a player goes down due to illness or injury. It's the first time in his career that the 38-year-old native of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., will serve as a fifth.
"I'm obviously looking forward to it because it is something different," Harnden said from his hometown. "I think there will be lots that I can learn from this experience that will only continue to help me as a player moving forward."
Gushue's team has used alternates on occasion over the years, but the turnaround from Beijing was too tight to firm up plans for a top-quality fifth at the Brier.
Jeff Thomas was fifth at the Olympic trials but he wasn't available at the nationals since he was coaching the Newfoundland and Labrador team. Marc Kennedy was the Gushue alternate at the Winter Games but he returned to the Brier as vice for Team Jacobs.
Harnden, meanwhile, has worn the Maple Leaf before. The 38-year-old finished second at the 2013 world championship and won Olympic gold at the 2014 Sochi Games.
It has been a busy and memorable winter for Gushue's team, which held an extended training camp in British Columbia before heading to China in early February for the Olympics.
Gushue has said fatigue was an issue at the Brier but the team persevered - particularly when short-handed — and pulled out an extra-end victory over Alberta's Kevin Koe in the final.
"I found myself on the edge of my seat watching that final," Harnden said. "Just as a pure curling fan, for the excitement and what was happening with playing with three players in a Brier final and then winning. But I also wasn't all that surprised."
Gushue beat Jacobs in a tight final at Canada's Olympic trials last fall. In head-to-head meetings, Gushue has a slight 31-28 edge.
Gushue and Nichols won Olympic gold at the 2006 Turin Games with a different lineup. They won a world title with Gallant and Walker in 2017.
"I think they're in a really good spot," Harnden said. "Obviously coming off of the Olympics and now this Brier win, (they've) set themselves up to be in very good position to be standing on top of that podium as world champions."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 18, 2022.
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Gregory Strong, The Canadian Press
