Brendan Bottcher

Brendan Michael Bottcher (born December 19, 1991) is a Canadian curler from Spruce Grove, Alberta.

Bottcher is a three-time provincial men's champion, and was the skip of the 2021 Canadian men's championship team, having led Alberta to victory at the 2021 Tim Hortons Brier.

In the 2009–2010 season, with Brad Thiessen at third, Landon Bucholz at second, Bryce Bucholz at lead, and Bernie Panich as their coach, they had much success winning four junior bonspiels and being a runner-up in another.

In the Edmonton Men's Super-League, they posted a .500 record.

He was also the 2010 Alberta junior men's champion and the 2007 Alberta juvenile provincial finalist.

Bottcher skips his own team out of the Saville Sports Centre in Edmonton.

In a few exhibition games throughout the season prior to the 2010 Winter Olympics, they played Olympic calibre teams such as Kevin Martin and Thomas Ulsrud.

The team would then go on to win the Alberta junior provincial curling championships, beating their cross town rival Curtis Bale 6–4 in the final.

This provincial junior title earned him a berth to the 2010 Canadian Junior Curling Championships in Sorel-Tracy, Quebec.

At Canadian Junior Curling Championships, the team had mixed success, finishing with a 6–6 record.

The end of the 2010–2011 season saw Brad Thiessen age out of junior eligibility.

Although contenders to return the following Canadian junior curling championships, the team lost the 2011 Alberta junior provincial semi-final to Scott Smith of Calgary.

The team then added long time Alberta junior competitor Evan Asmussen to the lineup prior to the 2011–2012 season.

After his junior curling season concluded, Bottcher skipped his University of Alberta Golden Bears men's team to a semi-final finish at the CIS curling championships.

The 2011–2012 season saw Bottcher continue his previous success at the 2012 Alberta junior provincials, finishing the round robin with a perfect record and defeating Jordan Steinke of Dawson Creek in the final to win his second provincial junior title.

Born in Sherwood Park, Alberta, Bottcher enjoyed a successful junior career winning the 2012 Canadian Junior Curling Championships and the 2012 World Junior Curling Championships.

At the 2012 Canadian Junior Curling Championships in Napanee, Ontario the team finished the round robin with an 11–1 record, earning a bye to the Canadian final.

Bottcher himself would earn first team all-star skip honours for the highest shooting percentage in the round robin.

Bottcher would then defeated Wark of Northern Ontario 9-6 to win the Canadian junior championships.

The team would then proceed to the 2012 World Junior Curling Championships in Östersund Sweden, where he finished the round robin with an 8–1 record, only losing to Scotland's Kyle Smith 8–4.

A 1-2 page play-off 9–3 victory over Sweden gave Bottcher and his team a direct berth to the final.

Sweden would defeat Norway 8–4 in the semi-final game, setting up a re-match in the final.

Bottcher would score five points in the seventh end of the final for a 10–4 win and become the 2012 World Junior men's curling champion - the first world junior men's curling championship title for Canada since 2007.

Prior to the World Junior Curling Championships and after the Canadian Junior Curling Championships, Bottcher's University of Alberta Golden Bears team went undefeated at the Canada West Curling Championships, qualifying them for the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) Curling Championships.

Days after the world juniors, Bottcher returned to Canada to compete at the CIS nationals and led the Golden Bears to the university's first ever curling national championship.

Bottcher and his university team of third Mick Lizmore, second Brad Thiessen, lead Karrick Martin and alternate Parker Konschuh had a strong weekend, only losing one game to the UPEI Panthers' Brett Gallant 10–4.

The team's strong performance was demonstrated when the front end was awarded 1st team All-Canadian honours while the back end received 2nd team All-Canadian honours.

The championship was Bottcher's third in five weeks.

A chemical engineering student, he was named Athlete of the Year and Academic All-Canadian of the Year from the University of Alberta.

They won their first World Curling Tour event at the 2012 Red Deer Curling Classic, defeating the Kevin Koe rink in the final.

Bottcher's rink represented Canada at the 2013 Winter Universiade, where he was named Canada's flag bearer for the opening ceremony.

Team Canada won the bronze medal at the event.

Now aged out of junior, Bottcher continued to curl with his University of Alberta team consisting of Lizmore, Thiessen and Martin.

The team played in their first men's provincials at the 2013 Boston Pizza Cup, winning just one game before being eliminated.

The following season, the team qualified for two Grand Slam of Curling events, the 2013 Canadian Open and the 2014 National.

At both events, the team posted a 1–4 record, not reaching the playoffs.

They did, however, win their second World Curling Tour event, the 2013 Spruce Grove Cashspiel.

Following the 2013–14 season, Lizmore left the team to form his own rink, and was replaced by Albertan veteran curler Tom Appelman.

At the 2014 Boston Pizza Cup they again won just one game before being eliminated.

The team found immediate success with their new addition, beginning the 2014–15 season by winning the 2014 HDF Insurance Shoot-Out.