E.J. and Ryan Harnden grew up in the same house, learned to curl together, became elite players on the same team, travelled the world as roommates, and worked in unison to win an Olympic gold medal.
One thing they never did, until recently, was face each other in a game.
“It’s the first time we’ve ever played against one another,” E.J. Harnden said, referring to a meeting between the Brad Gushue and Matt Dunstone foursomes, at the Grand Slam of Curling’s Masters tournament last month.
“I wouldn’t say it was just another game, but I will say it was easier than I thought it would be. It was easier than it would have been if we would have played each other early in the season.”
The Harnden brothers — E.J. is 39 and Ryan is 36 — played together as juniors in their hometown of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., and then spent the first 15 years of their men’s careers on the same team. For the last 10 years of that time, they were the front end for their cousin, Brad Jacobs, and they were part of one of the top teams in the world.
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They won a Brier in 2013, a world championship silver medal the same year, and took home the Olympic gold medal in men’s curling from the Sochi Games in 2014.
Even last season, the Jacobs foursome finished second at the Olympic Curling Trials, narrowly missing out on a second trip to the Winter Games.
Things are very different this year, however, as the Jacobs foursome broke up last spring — like many elite teams in Canada, the players just felt like they needed a change — and now E.J. is playing second for defending Brier champion Brad Gushue, of St. John’s, N.L., while Ryan is playing lead for Winnipeg’s Matt Dunstone.
“I’m not going to lie, at the beginning of the year, it was a little bit awkward,” Ryan said this week. “Maybe not awkward, but definitely different, with travelling alone, rooming with somebody else. It was more the off-ice stuff I found a little bit difficult.”
I’m not going to lie, at the beginning of the year, it was a little bit awkward
Ryan Harnden
On the ice, things are going very well for the brothers in the 2022-23 season.
They are part of the top two teams in Canada — Dunstone is first in the Canadian Team Ranking System standings, while Gushue is second — and they are gunning for each other every week on the World Curling Tour as they prepare for a potential ultimate showdown at the Brier in London, Ont., in early March.
When they finally met in a tiebreaker game at the GSOC Masters on Dec. 10, it was E.J. and Team Gushue that came away with a 7-2 win.
“It was a bit weird seeing Ryan out there and chatting with him but not sitting with him at the same table in the restaurant or not being on the same sheet with the same team,” E.J. said. “It was a little weird seeing him out there and us not being together.”
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The two brothers still train, practice and throw rocks together in Sault Ste. Marie and spend lots of time in each other’s company off the ice. They also cheer for one another, as long as they are not on the same sheet.
“At the end of the day, we want the best for each other,” E.J. said. “We know we’re going to compete against each other and I’m sure we’re going to play in some big games, but we still want to help each other and want the best for each other.”
At the end of the day, we want the best for each other
E.J. Harnden
When it came to the head-to-head matchup, it was all business. Brotherly love only goes so far when the games get underway.
“There was really nothing,” Ryan said. “We’re both very competitive guys but honestly I just treated it like any other game and playing against any other team. It wasn’t awkward, there was no banter or anything, which might be surprising to some people.”
There’s a chance they’ll see each other — and another old ally — next week when the Grand Slam tour moves to Camrose, Alta., for the Canadian Open (Jan. 10-15).
Not only will the Dunstone and Gushue teams be vying for the top prize, but Jacobs will be there as well, playing third for Winnipeg’s Reid Carruthers.
Jacobs took a step back from curling this season, focusing on mixed doubles during the pre-Christmas portion of the schedule, but he will play with Carruthers at the remaining Grand Slams and with Jordan Chandler’s Manitoulin Island team in the Northern Ontario territorial playdowns.
“I’m looking forward to it,” Ryan said. “I was actually pushing him all year to get back on the ice. It’s great to see him back out there. Obviously, I have a ton of respect. He’s my cousin and I have lots of love for the guy so I’m excited to see him back on the ice.”
Team Gushue is already locked into the Brier (March 3-12) as the defending champion — E.J. Harnden replaced Brett Gallant on the championship team — while Team Dunstone looks like a lock to get into the national championship as well.
Even if Dunstone doesn’t win the Manitoba provincial championship, his CTRS standing should guarantee his team one of three wild-card spots in the Brier.
The Dunstone team, which also includes third B.J. Neufeld and second Colton Lott, has benefitted greatly from having someone with Ryan Harnden’s experience throwing lead rocks and sweeping.
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“The commitment to excellence is something I’ve noticed in him and it has totally rubbed off on this team,” said Dunstone, whose team has a 39-14 record and has won two events this season. “It’s pretty cool to listen to stories from guys who have gone and done exactly what you’re trying to do. If you’ve won an Olympic gold medal, it’s a pretty big asset.
“We’ve played a lot of big games this year and when you’re standing next to him in pre-game practice, you’d never know it was a big game. He’s a pretty calming influence on us when we’re getting ready to play those big ones.”
The Canadian Open is a triple knockout event and the Gushue and Dunstone teams are on opposite sides of the draw, so if the Brothers are to meet up again it will almost certainly come in the playoffs, with a lot on the line.
They wouldn’t have it any other way.
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