Broom Brothers

Joining us for her first-ever English podcast interview, Xenia Schwaller comes onto the program after qualifying in the last three Slams and with two straight semifinal appearances, catapulting her team into the top 5 in the world rankings and announcing their arrival as the game's next ones and newest stars. John talks to Xenia about her team's rapid ascent from the junior ranks into the women's game, their insanely demanding schedule, and what the deal is with being a member of the Swiss military. Plus, we dive into some technical aspects of the Schwaller game, John learns some Swiss German, and we get the lowdown on a few of Xenia's nicknames.

John and Robbie are back to discuss all the goings-on in the curling world over the past few weeks, with a focus on the changing format of the World Championships announced 10 days ago. We also dig into Jordon McDonald and Selena Sturmay winning the Pre-Trials and get the fans potentially riled up by debating their continued existence. Plus, we put a bow on the PanCon, chat about Homan and Mouat's wins in Nisku, and preview the first-ever Slam on US soil, next week's KIOTI GSOC Tahoe.

It's finally here! Our chat with the sixth and final Rock League captain and third for Team Loco Solare, Chinami Yoshida! John sits down with Chinami for a chat about how she started playing for Loco Solare, how famous she is in Japan, the difference between Japanese and Canadian curling fans, the disappointment at the Japanese Olympic Trials, and of course, Rock League. We want to thank Daia Koyano for her wonderful work as the interpreter during the interview, as this allowed the space for Chinami to speak directly to her Japanese fans in her native language, but also to her English-speaking fans across the globe.

John and Robbie are back to recap a busy couple of weeks in curling (at least for the Canadian teams) as we go back-to-back in London and Calgary for the AMJ Masters and PointsBet Invitational. And wouldn't you know it, the same teams won both, as Matt Dunstone and Rachel Homan plant an early flag in an important season. We discuss all the happenings at each event, where things stand with the new softer broom foams, and we tee up next week's Co-Op Tour Challenge in Nisku by giving fans the inside scoop on some new rules that will be in effect for that event, including one blank per team, per game.

It's a double dose of victory on the pod this week as John is joined by the two big winners at the AMJ Masters last week: Tier 1's winning skip Matt Dunstone and Tier 2's conqueror, Danny Casper.  With Matt, we hear about how things are starting to gel with EJ Harnden at the second stone and how his preternatural connection with Colton Lott has unlocked a new level for this team, how they're approaching the Olympic Trials, and what was going through his mind over the last six years as he tried to find Slam Win #2. He also tells us a great story about failing a trombone test. Then, Danny joins the show to discuss his second Tier 2 victory and how this sets them up for the US Olympic Trials, plus whether or not they feel pressure to succeed despite being the dark horse to take it all and head to Milano with the US flag on their backs. He also tells us about his plans for the next quad, he details his battle with Guillain-Barré Syndrome, and we learn that he is a very, very slow eater.

Season 2 of the Broom Brothers is HERE and we have a brand-new weekly format we are rolling out starting NOW! One week, your faithful Broom Bros John and Robbie will sit down and discuss all the important curling news of the day and give our opinions on all the happenings of the curling world, and the next, John will sit down with an interview with someone from the game, be that a player, rulemaker, or mover and shaker. It's a new year and a new look for the fellas and it all starts here with our first episode that already needed an emergency attachment as Brad Gushue announced his retirement from the competitive game after we had already recorded this entire episode. Whoops. But we cover that as well as all the happenings of the summer from broom controversies being put to bed to the Goldline acquisition of Hardline to the Olympic reps being named for many countries. We also take a look at the season ahead starting with the AMJ Masters coming up next week in London and give our usual bold predictions.

As promised on the John Morris draft episode, Brent Laing from the TCG Competition Committee joins the pod to tell us all about what the Competition Committee has been up to over the last few months. We discuss some potential rule and format changes on the horizon from finding ways to shorten the game to a tournament within a tournament to eliminating extra ends and blanks. In short, everything is being considered and everything is on the table. We also discuss where things might be going with Rock League formats, how curling can try to create stars, and why The Curling Group is trying to start a youth movement.

John is pleased to be joined by two curlers who will be playing in the upcoming GSOC Wheelchair Invitational and two Paralympic hopefuls, Jon Thurston and Chrissy Molnar. Coming from opposite ends of the spectrum with Jon being a 12-year veteran of the sport and Chrissy just getting into it within the last few years, the two discuss the upcoming Paralympics, the advancements that have been made in the wheelchair game in the last decade, and whether or not wheelchair curling should have sweepers (probably not) or specialized chairs (maybe). And of course, we dive into the GSOC Wheelchair Invitational itself, as Jon and Chrissy share their excitement for this historic inaugural event, how it will help their Paralympic prep, and what they're most looking forward to in London. Tickets for the GSOC Wheelchair Invitational and the AMJ Masters are available now at thegrandslamofcurling.com.

John Morris teams up with John Cullen for the first-ever World Cup–style "pot draft" ahead of the AMJ Masters this September in London. Just like in soccer, the top 16 seeds are split into four pots, and names are drawn to decide who battles who at the season's opening Slam. Which group will become the dreaded Group of Death? How will the long-awaited return of China's men's and women's teams play out after nearly a decade away from GSOC? The two Johns break it all down in this special episode.

John sits down with Rachel Homan, the two-time defending world champ and captain of one of Canada's Rock League teams. There's lots to discuss after a busy summer as Rachel talks about preparing for an Olympic year, how Tracy Fleury has been such a great fit for her as a skip, and whether or not she wants to keep going after this quad, Olympic result or not. And of course there's room for a little summer silliness as Rachel recounts the story of an unfortunate text from John at the Players Championship, whether or not she's used the Key to the City of Ottawa, and Rachel's son Ryatt makes a guest appearance. 

John sits down with Korey Dropkin amidst his preparation for the US Pancontinental Playoff to discuss the US talent pool, the potential changing of the guard after this quad, how winning a spot at the Olympics in Mixed Doubles has allowed him to play more free, and the secret to the success he had this past season and how that might lead to success in the future. Oh, and we definitely discuss his blond hair.

John sits down with the "Europe 1" captain Bruce Mouat for a chat about a home Rock League tie for his team in Scotland, preparing for the Olympics, how much longer he's intending to play, and how you improve on one of the best seasons of all-time. We also discuss whether or not the Scottish Nationals should be a play-in for the Worlds. 

John sits down for the second of his series of interviews with Rock League captains, this time with six-time World Champion Alina Pätz. Alina discusses what's in the water in Swiss Curling, how famous she is in Switzerland, what the Olympic year means to her, women in sports, and how she is hoping to tackle the Rachel Homan of it all. 

It's the first in our summer series here on the Broom Brothers, as John plans to sit down with every Rock League captain over the course of the next six weeks, with an episode slated to release every Thursday. First up, it's one of the Canadian captains, Brad Jacobs! Brad shows up with the Brier Tankard in tow to give John an update on his mechanical bull injury and where his summer training is at, why he thinks he'd make a good Rock League captain, his plans for the future after this season, and why this version of himself is the best version of Brad Jacobs we've ever seen.

The Broom Brothers are BACK and both Bros are in the house for this one, as we are talking All-Star Game! We look back at our own fond memories of a great couple days in Nashville before welcoming the two ASG captains, John Morris and Matt Hamilton for a little chat. We break down all the happenings in Nashville, what fans can expect when they watch the final product next week, and yes, they give a few hints as to what went down on the ice that you won't hear anywhere else! The TCG All-Star Game airs in Canada on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+ next Tuesday, July 1st, at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT. It will be available internationally on the Grand Slam of Curling YouTube page immediately following the Canadian broadcast. And exciting news for our American fans: it will be airing on the FanDuel Sports Network and FanDuel Sports Network App on Thursday, July 3rd, at 1 pm ET/10 am PT. Tune in!

Surprise! The BBs are back with a very special episode celebrating Pride Month, as John is joined by Bruce Mouat, John Epping, Emma Miskew, and The Curling Group's new Head of Content Devin Heroux for a very candid and honest chat reflecting on Pride within our sport and community. We discuss what Pride means in curling, how the sport has gotten itself ahead of the pack when it comes to LGBTQ+ inclusion, and where the sport still needs to get to as it strives to be a leader within the community. John also announces on this episode that we will be back with recurring episodes all summer, featuring exclusive interviews with all six Rock League captains as we prepare for the busiest curling season in history coming up this fall. Make sure you subscribe so you don't miss your curling fix all summer long!

It's a very special in-person episode of The Broom Brothers, as the boys sit down with The Curling Group CEO Nic Sulsky at The Tee Line in Nashville to discuss TCG's newest venture, Rock League. After Nic's appraisal of the year that was, his first at the helm, he answers all of the burning questions about what we know about Rock League so far: what it is, why the time is right for a curling league, who is going to be involved, and how it will affect the regular GSOC calendar moving forward. It's an exciting time to be a curling fan and Nic gives us the full scoop.

It's a special interview-only episode of the show with Briane Harris, giving her first podcast interview EVER after one of the most challenging curling seasons in recent memory. We said we wouldn't be back until after the All-Star Game, but this chat was too important to pass up. John sits down with Briane for an extremely open talk about the last year of her life, from finding out on the eve of the Scotties that she had tested positive for a banned substance all the way through her dismissal from Team Einarson and the new lease on curling she's been given as Kate Cameron's new third. She leaves no stone unturned and answers every question curling fans have been dying to ask, a true must-listen.

Rachel Homan once again stands alone atop the women's curling world as she takes home her second consecutive world title, defeating Silvana Tirinzoni in the final to take home the top prize and become Canada's first repeat champion in over 30 years. We break down the entire Women's Worlds for you, from the emergence of China to the disappointment for the USA and Japan, and debate Rachel Homan's place among the all-time greats. Plus, we break down the newly-announced Grand Slam of Curling calendar for the 2025-26 season (hint: there's some surprises!), and we give a very quick eye to the upcoming Men's Worlds. Following that, Sarah Wilkes from Team Homan joins us to talk through their World championship win, the switch to lead, how Rachel Homan continues to leave her in awe even though she's a teammate, why Tracy Fleury was the perfect fit for their team, and how her background in psychotherapy has helped her become a better athlete and person.

It's a jam-packed episode of Broom Brothers as we return to our regularly-scheduled programming with a big Brier recap looking at the week that was in Kelowna. Brad Jacobs hoists his second Brier trophy, Matt Dunstone comes up short in the final again, and we break down who impressed us and all the other storylines from what was an excellent Brier. Then, we are very pleased to be joined by two members of the victorious Team Jacobs, lead Ben Hebert and coach Paul Webster. Ben gives us the rundown on why this fifth win meant so much to him, how adding Brad Jacobs really unlocked something in this team, and the backstory behind his son Griff going tarps off at the final. Paul then follows up with a very insightful interview about what it was like to move from being a national coach with Curling Canada to coaching an individual squad and why this was the squad to do it with, how much this first Brier win was worth all the effort, and why Brad Jacobs started honking during the semifinal.