Tim Hortons Brier 2016: Dates, Draw Schedule, Format for Curling Event

The quality on show at the 2016 Tim Hortons Brier is set to be phenomenal as Team Canada aim to successfully defend their title from last year.

As ever, the victor in the Brier will go on to represent Canada at this year's World Men's Championship in Basel, Switzerland, at the beginning of next month.

However, predicting which of the 12 competing teams from across Canada will triumph this year in Ottawa, Ontario, at TD Place Arena is no easy feat.

Per TSN's Ryan Horne, "the field for the 2016 Tim Hortons Brier is arguably the most decorated and talented in the history of the Canadian men's curling championship."

As was the case last year, four teams—Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Yukon and Nunavut—will compete in the pre-qualifying stage to earn the right to take up the last spot in the tournament proper, which begins on Saturday, March 5, and ends on Sunday, March 13. The full schedule is available via curling.ca.

Victorious Brier skip from 2016 Pat Simmons is looking for a third victory on the bounce having won it with the Alberta rink in 2014.

Team Canada made a terrible start last year in Calgary, losing three of their first five games before Simmons replaced John Morris as skip.

They will be looking to avoid such a start this year in the Canadian capital, and lead Nolan Thiessen is under no illusions as to the challenge that faces the defending champions, per curling.ca:

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To say that the competition at the 2016 Tim Hortons Brier is "tough" is likely an understatement. All I know is that of the 11 teams currently in the main draw (44 total players), a whopping 70 per cent of them (31) have played in a Brier playoff game, and 36 per cent (16) already have their name on the trophy.

These numbers include Manitoba sending a Tim Hortons Brier "rookie" team that has been ranked No. 1 in the world for much of the past four seasons—hardly the resume of a team that will be [a] deer in the headlights.

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The round-robin stage—where all 12 teams take on each other once—makes up the majority of the tournament and is a gruelling period.

A couple of early losses can be terminal for a rink's chances of succeeding to the Page playoff stage, and conversely, an early streak of wins can help a rink be well placed come the final stages.

Given the quality on show this year, no team is likely to come away from the round-robin stage unscathed, and it will be the rink that responds best to defeats that goes the furthest and potentially triumphs in March 13's final.

Having got to the final last year, Brad Jacobs' Northern Ontario outfit will undoubtedly be in with a chance of victory again, as will Brad Gushue's Newfoundland and Labrador—see below what the 2006 Olympic gold medallist is capable of:

Meanwhile, two-time Brier champion Kevin Koe will surely challenge with Alberta.

Ottawa is set for a scintillating week of curling with some of the best rinks in the world going head-to-head.

Another triumph for Team Canada would be remarkable, but there is no guarantee they will even get into the final stages if they make a poor start again in 2016.