Brendan Bottcher is returning to the curling world, but not the way many fans and followers of the sport might have expected.
Bottcher, who split with his four-person team a month ago, will coach Rachel Homan’s next season and for the foreseeable future.
“I took the last month in a bit to really reflect on where I’m at and figure out what I want to be passionate about,” Bottcher told CBC Sports.
“I can’t say enough good things about all the team and certainly can’t say enough good things about Rachel. They’ve had an incredible season this past year together and I’m just so excited to get on board with all of them.”
Bottcher also will join forces with world champion Homan to form a mixed doubles team that will attempt to first qualify for the mixed doubles Olympic trials set for late December in hopes of representing Canada at the 2026 Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Games in Italy.
“We put the team together for a specific reason and that’s to win. We’re both invested I’d say 110 per cent, so we’re certainly going to put the work in,” Bottcher said.
“There’s lots of parity but we’re looking forward to putting in a run. We think we can qualify for the trials and hopefully represent Team Canada along the way.”
In mid-April there was a shockwave sent across the curling world when Marc Kennedy, Brett Gallant, Ben Hebert and Bottcher announced they’d be parting ways.
“I started reflecting on the last couple of years, we had a pile of success and we did a lot of really good things, and I feel like I grew as a curler quite a bit through the last couple of years,” he said.
“So although it maybe wasn’t the ending and the timing I can envision, there are a lot of positives there. So how do I keep that momentum going? How do I keep building on a lot of skills that I have? What kind of curler do I want to be through this part, but into the next quad and into the quad after that, hopefully?”
“It just makes a pile of sense”<a href=”https://twitter.com/BottcherCurling?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@BottcherCurling</a> is stepping away from men’s competitive curling to coach <a href=”https://twitter.com/TeamHoman?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@TeamHoman</a> <br><br>MORE: <a href=”https://t.co/gnP2QJPvjj”>https://t.co/gnP2QJPvjj</a> <a href=”https://t.co/LE64DAsBvM”>pic.twitter.com/LE64DAsBvM</a>
—@CBCOlympics
Passionate about coaching
Bottcher said when his team split last month it left him in a spot he could not have planned for this late in the Olympic cycle, but it also allowed him to take some time to decide what he was truly passionate about.
“Although maybe it wasn’t the position I was hoping to be in, it gave me an opportunity to really take some time,” he said.
“And as opposed to looking at it from a scarcity standpoint, trying to figure out what I had to do tomorrow, I took a little bit of time and reflected on what am I actually going to be passionate about and what am I going to be excited for?”
Bottcher, who has reached the podium in seven of the last eight Briers, including a 2021 title, said he is not done with the four-person game and has big plans for when he returns.
“In all honesty, I think I’m going to come back a more well-rounded curler than I left. I think I’m going to learn a few things along the way here from both of these two experiences,” Bottcher said.
“That’ll make me a better curler when I come back to it. And I think that’s what I’m thrilled about. I’m not thinking that it’s a step back by any means. I think I’m going ahead with a few things I’m super excited about.”
Homan is coming off one of the best curling seasons ever in the sport, having won the Scotties Tournament of Hearts and then capping it off with a memorable world championship win over Switzerland in Sydney, N.S.
WATCH l Homan rink defeats Switzerland for 2024 world title:
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Canada’s Rachel Homan wins gold at the women’s curling world championship with a 7-5 win over Switzerland’s Silvana Tirinzoni. The win ended Canada’s six-year title drought at this event.
“Having Brendan join our coaching staff is incredibly exciting. His experience, leadership, and strategy will undoubtedly elevate our game,” Homan said.
“With Brendan living in Edmonton near me, his continuous support will be invaluable both on and off the ice.”
Bottcher is taking over coaching duties for Don Bartlett, who helped guide the team to success over the past couple of seasons.
“As I step back from coaching to pursue personal travel, I will continue to support them wholeheartedly. Working with some of the best curlers of this generation in Team Homan and Brendan Bottcher is something that I will be forever grateful for,” Bartlett said.
Rachelle Brown, who was an alternate with Homan’s rink during its Scotties victory and world championship win, is staying on as a permanent member through the rest of this Olympic cycle.