Tim Hortons Brier 2020: Thursday Curling Results, Updated Draw and Schedule

Things are getting serious at the 2020 Tim Hortons Brier.

The Canadian men's national curling championship at Leon Centre in Kingston, Ontario, opened Championship Pool play Thursday. Hometown fans still have both Ontario and Northern Ontario in contention. Ontario started by defeating Manitoba 9-5 in eight ends, while Northern Ontario outlasted Wild Card 6-4 in 10 ends. Both teams also won in the night's Draw 17 to improve to 6-3.

The latter marked Team Brad Jacobs' fourth straight victory after beginning the tournament 1-3, which was surprising because it entered the 16-team field as the top-ranked squad in the world.

It has been Team Brendan Bottcher from Alberta that has consistently played like the best team. It was the only undefeated team through Draw 16, but it finally met its match in Draw 17. Team Brendan Bottcher faced Team Kevin Koe in a rematch from last year's Brier final. 

Below is a closer look back at Thursday's curling action and a look ahead at Friday's schedule, the last of Championship Pool play before the four-team playoff.

Thursday's Results

Draw 16

Ontario (6-3) def. Manitoba (5-4) 9-5

Alberta (8-1) def. Saskatchewan (6-3) 9-5

Northern Ontario (6-3) def. Wild Card (7-2) 6-4

Newfoundland and Labrador (7-2) def. Canada (6-3) 7-4

Draw 17

Canada (6-3) def. Alberta (8-1) 5-4

Wild Card (7-2) def. Manitoba (5-4) 5-4

Ontario (6-3) def. Newfoundland and Labrador (7-2) 8-4

Northern Ontario (6-3) def. Saskatchewan (6-3) 7-4

Friday's Schedule

Draw 18

Wild Card vs. Newfoundland and Labrador

Northern Ontario vs. Canada

Manitoba vs. Saskatchewan

Ontario vs. Alberta

Draw 19

Ontario vs. Northern Ontario

Saskatchewan vs. Newfoundland and Labrador

Alberta vs. Wild Card

Manitoba vs. Canada

Thursday Recap

It looked like it was going to be an uphill battle for Kevin Koe to become the first skip to win five Briers, as his Team Canada lost to Team Brad Gushue of Newfoundland and Labrador during the afternoon's Draw 16. Gushue, a 17-time Brier competitor, has achieved success in his own right with titles in 2017 and '18. 

Each of Newfoundland and Labrador's four members shot over 90 percent for a collective 93 percent total opposite Canada's 87 percent. 

"We were brutal," Koe said after the loss, per Curling Canada. "Got off to a good start but couldn't put enough ends together, so a little disappointing for sure. We've got to find another gear. If we play like that we won't be around long, but hopefully it's a one-off and we can play better tonight."

Canada ran into powerhouse Alberta, whom Koe led to last year's Brier championship, in Draw 17. Koe and Co. turned things around from their earlier outing in a big way:

Team Kevin Koe and Team Brendan Bottcher needed an extra end to determine a winner after the latter tied things at four with one point in the 10th end. Canada earned the upset with one point in the 11th end to hand Alberta its first loss. 

Bottcher also came up short against a Koe-skipped team in last year's Brier final when Alberta defeated Wild Card 4-3. The two skips have changed teams since then, but the result stayed the same. 

Newfoundland and Labrador, meanwhile, followed a Draw 16 victory with a Draw 17 loss to Ontario. Team John Epping scored a triple in the ninth end to secure an 8-4 victory for hometown Ontario.

At the same time, Northern Ontario cruised to a 7-4 win over Saskatchewan to notch a two-win Thursday. 

Hometown fans will finally have to make a choice Friday as Ontario and Northern Ontario will clash in Draw 19. Elsewhere on the slate, Bottcher will look to get Alberta back on track against his former Team Wild Card.