Geoff Walker (born November 28, 1985) is a

Canadian Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...

curler, currently living in

Edmonton Edmonton is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Alberta. It is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Central Alberta ...

Alberta Alberta is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Canada. It is a part of Western Canada and is one of the three Canadian Prairies, prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to its west, Saskatchewan to its east, t ...

.2018 Home Hardware Canada Cup Media Guide: Geoff Walker He currently plays

lead Lead () is a chemical element; it has Chemical symbol, symbol Pb (from Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a Heavy metal (elements), heavy metal that is density, denser than most common materials. Lead is Mohs scale, soft and Ductility, malleabl ...

for the Brad Gushue rink. He was the Men's World Champion in 2017 and won silver the following year in 2018. A six-time national champion, he won the Brier in 2017, 2018, 2020, 2022, 2023 and 2024. Walker was a two-time World Junior Champion when he won gold in 2006 and 2007.

Career

Walker was born in Beaverlodge, Alberta, to Alan and Lorraine. He began curling at the age of 12. As a junior, Walker played for the Charley Thomas rink in

Grande Prairie, Alberta Grande Prairie is a city in northwestern Alberta, Canada, within the southern portion of an area known as Peace River Country. It is located at the intersection of Highway 43 (part of the CANAMEX Corridor) and Highway 40 (the Bighorn Highwa ...

. In 2006, the team won the

and World Junior Curling Championships. Walker was too old to stay with the rink for the 2007 Canadian Junior Championships. He was invited to join the team after they won the event as their alternate for the 2007 World Junior Curling Championships. The World Juniors allows curlers to be one year older than the Canadian Juniors. As the alternate, Walker won his second straight World Junior Championship. After Juniors, Walker joined the Kurt Balderston rink as his second. The team missed the playoffs at the 2008 Boston Pizza Cup (the Alberta provincial championship) but qualified for the playoffs at the 2009 Boston Pizza Cup, where they lost to James Pahl. After missing the playoffs again at the 2010 Boston Pizza Cup, Walker left the team to form his own rink. Walker would do well on his own and went all the way to the semifinal of the 2011 Boston Pizza Cup, where he lost to

Kevin Koe Kevin Koe ( ; born January 11, 1975) is a Canadian curling, curler. Koe is a two-time World champion and four-time Canadian champion. He was the skip (curling), skip of the Canadian men's team at the Curling at the 2018 Winter Olympics - Men's to ...

. After the 2010–11 season, Walker left Alberta to join the Brad Gushue rink in Newfoundland as his lead. The team won the 2012 Newfoundland and Labrador Tankard, earning the team a spot at the 2012 Tim Hortons Brier, Walker's first. The team finished in seventh with a 5–6 record. The team would win the provincial title the following year as well at the 2013 Newfoundland and Labrador Tankard. The team would make the playoffs at the

2013 Tim Hortons Brier The 2013 Tim Hortons Brier, the Canadian men's national curling championship, was held from March 2 to 10 at Rexall Place in Edmonton, Alberta. This edition of the Brier marked the thirteenth time that Alberta has hosted the Brier, and the sixth t ...

with an 8–3 record. They would lose the 3 vs. 4 game to

Northern Ontario Northern Ontario is a primary geographic and quasi-administrative region of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario, the other primary region being Southern Ontario. Most of the core geographic region is located on p ...

's Brad Jacobs and the bronze medal game to

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

's Glenn Howard. The Gushue rink failed to make the playoffs at the

2014 Tim Hortons Brier The 2014 Tim Hortons Brier was held from March 1 to 9 at the Interior Savings Centre in Kamloops, British Columbia. Unlike previous years, the winner of the 2014 Brier automatically qualified for the 2015 Brier as Team Canada, similarly to the Sc ...

after going 6–5 in the round robin. They would improve on their best finish at the

2015 Tim Hortons Brier The 2015 Tim Hortons Brier was held from February 28 to March 8 at Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. In the final, the team of Pat Simmons (curler), Pat Simmons, John Morris (curler), John Morris, Carter Rycroft and Nolan Thiessen ...

, where they lost in the semifinal to Team

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

, skipped by Pat Simmons. During the 2014–15 season, Walker would also win his first

Grand Slam of Curling The Grand Slam of Curling (formerly branded as the Pinty's Grand Slam of Curling for sponsorship reasons) is a series of curling bonspiels that were formerly part of the annual World Curling Tour. Grand Slam events offer a purse of at least Ca ...

event, the 2014 Masters and the 2014 Canadian Open. The Gushue rink would win three more slams during the 2015–16 season, the 2015 National, the 2016 Elite 10 and the

2016 Players' Championship The 2016 Players' Championship was held from April 12 to 17 at the Mattamy Athletic Centre in Toronto, Ontario. It was the sixth men's and fifth women's Grand Slam (curling), Grand Slam of the 2015–16 World Curling Tour. Newfoundland and Labra ...

. With their successful tour season, the team went into the

2016 Tim Hortons Brier The 2016 Tim Hortons Brier, Canada's national men's curling championship, was held from March 5–13, 2016 at TD Place Arena in Ottawa, Ontario. It is the fourth time the Brier has been held in Ottawa, and the fifth time the Brier has been held i ...

as the number one seed. They led

Newfoundland and Labrador Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region of Labrador, having a total size of . As of 2025 the populatio ...

to a 9–2 round robin record, earning them a spot in the 1 vs. 2 game. They would defeat Northern Ontario's Jacobs before losing to

9–5 in the final. The team finished second on the CTRS standings for the season, just behind the Koe rink. Team Gushue added one more slam title during the 2016–17 season at the 2017 Canadian Open. The team would also have their most successful Brier to date at the 2017 Tim Hortons Brier, which was hosted in St. John's. They once again finished 9–2 in the round robin and would win the 1 vs. 2 game over

Manitoba Manitoba is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population ...

's Mike McEwen rink. Tied 6–6 in the final end of the final against Koe, Gushue needed to draw full eight foot to win the title. The team swept it all the way down the sheet, and the stone was just close enough for the win. It was Newfoundland's first Brier title since 1976. The team represented Canada at the 2017 World Men's Curling Championship, where they went undefeated en route to capturing the gold medal. The whole Canadian team was named the All-Star Team for the tournament. This would earn them first place on the CTRS standings for the season. The team followed this successful season up with another great season for the 2017–18 season. It did come with a bit of heartbreak, though, as the team lost the semifinal of the 2017 Canadian Olympic Curling Trials. They shook this off, though, able to win three more slams, the 2017 Tour Challenge, the 2017 Masters, and the 2018 Humpty's Champions Cup. His rink would defend their title at the 2018 Tim Hortons Brier. Representing Team Canada, they went 10–1 through the round robin and championship pool and defeated

's Brendan Bottcher 6–4 in the final. They would lose the final of the 2018 World Men's Curling Championship to

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...

Niklas Edin Johan Niklas Edin (born 6 July 1985) is a Swedish curler. He holds several sport distinctions. He is the first and the only skip in World Curling Federation (WCF) history to win three Olympic medals – gold (2022), silver (2018), and bronze ( ...

team. The team added a tenth slam title to their name at the 2018 Elite 10 (September) the following season. They would lose the 3 vs. 4 game of the

2019 Tim Hortons Brier The 2019 Tim Hortons Brier, Canada's national men's curling championship, was held from March 2 to 10 at Westoba Place in Brandon, Manitoba. In the final, Kevin Koe of Alberta defeated Team Wildcard skipped by Brendan Bottcher 4–3 by scoring ...

to Bottcher's rink. On the tour, they lost in the finals of the China Open to

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

Sergei Glukhov Sergey Andreevich Glukhov (; born 7 January 1993) is a Russian curler from Chelyabinsk, currently residing in Sochi.2019 World Men's Curling Championship Media Guide: Team Russia Career Glukhov has been to two World Junior Curling Championships ...

and the Stu Sells 1824 Halifax Classic to Scott Howard who was skipping the Glenn Howard team. They began their 2019–20 season at the 2019 AMJ Campbell Shorty Jenkins Classic, where they lost to eventual champions

John Epping John Allan Epping (born March 20, 1983) is a Canadian curler from Toronto, Ontario. He currently skips his own team out of the Leaside Curling Club in East York, Toronto. Career Junior Men's Born in Peterborough, Ontario, Epping was a top ...

in the quarterfinals. They then lost in the semifinal of the

Stu Sells Toronto Tankard The Stu Sells Toronto Tankard, also known as the Stu Sells Tankard, is an annual bonspiel, or curling tournament, that takes place at the High Park Club in Toronto, Ontario. The event is held in a triple-knock out format, but was held in a rou ...

to Brad Jacobs, who also went on to win the event. In Grand Slam play, the team didn't win any events but finished runner-up at both the 2019 Masters and the

2019 Tour Challenge The 2019 KIOTI TRACTOR Tour Challenge was held from November 5 to 10, at the Pictou County Wellness Centre in Westville Road, Nova Scotia. It was the second Grand Slam event of the 2019–20 season. In the men's tier 1 final, Brad Jacobs of ...

and lost in the semifinals of the

2019 National The 2019 BOOST National was held from December 10 to 15, at the Conception Bay South Arena in Conception Bay South, Newfoundland and Labrador. It was the third Grand Slam and second major of the 2019–20 season. In the men's final, Team Brad ...

and the 2020 Canadian Open. The team would win the 2020 Newfoundland and Labrador Tankard after not having to play in it for the previous two seasons. At the

2020 Tim Hortons Brier The 2020 Tim Hortons Brier, Canada's national men's curling championship, was held from February 29 to March 8 at the Leon's Centre in Kingston, Ontario, Kingston, Ontario. The winning Brad Gushue rink was scheduled to represent Canada at the 2020 ...

, the team finished 8–3, which qualified them for the 3 vs. 4 game. They would beat Brad Jacobs in the 3 vs. 4,

Saskatchewan Saskatchewan is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada. It is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and to the south by the ...

Matt Dunstone Matthew Dunstone, nicknamed "the Sheriff" (born June 25, 1995) is a Canadian curler originally from Winnipeg, Manitoba. Career Dunstone won the Canadian Junior Curling Championships in 2013. He represented Canada at the 2013 World Junior Curli ...

in the semifinal, and Alberta's Bottcher rink in the final to win their third Brier title. The team was set to represent Canada once again at the

2020 World Men's Curling Championship The 2020 World Men's Curling Championship (branded as the 2020 LGT World Men's Curling Championship for sponsorship reasons) was scheduled to be held from March 28 to April 5 at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow, Scotland. On March 14, 2020, the World ...

before the event got cancelled due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

. The Brier would be their last event of the season as both the

Players' Championship The Players' Championship, currently known as the AMJ Players' Championship for sponsorship reasons, is the final event of the Grand Slam of Curling tour, and is formerly the championship of the World Curling Tour season. From 2016 to 2019, i ...

and the Champions Cup Grand Slam events were also cancelled due to the pandemic. Team Gushue played in two events during the 2020–21 season, the

Dave Jones Mayflower Cashspiel The Dave Jones Stanhope Simpson Insurance Mayflower Cashspiel is an annual bonspiel, or curling tournament, held at the Mayflower Curling Club in Halifax, Nova Scotia Nova Scotia is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canad ...

and the Stu Sells 1824 Halifax Classic, winning both. However, due to living in Alberta, Walker did not play in either event, as he was replaced by junior curlers

Ryan McNeil Lamswood Ryan McNeil Lamswood (born March 19, 2000) is a Canadian curler from Stephenville, Newfoundland and Labrador. He currently plays third on Team Ty Dilello. Career McNeil Lamswood competed in five Canadian Junior Curling Championships in his jun ...

and Joel Krats. Representing Team Canada at the

2021 Tim Hortons Brier The 2021 Tim Hortons Brier, Canada's national men's curling championship, was held from March 5 to 14 at the Markin MacPhail Centre at Canada Olympic Park in Calgary, Alberta. In the final, Team Alberta, skip (curling), skipped by Brendan Bottch ...

, they finished with an 8–4 record, not advancing to the playoffs for the first time since 2014.

2022 Winter Olympics

Walker's team, skipped by Brad Gushue, qualified as the Canadian representatives by winning the

2021 Canadian Olympic Curling Trials The 2021 Canadian Olympic Curling Trials (branded as the 2021 Tim Hortons Curling Trials for sponsorship reasons) were held from November 20 to 28 at the SaskTel Centre in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. The winners of the men's and women's events repres ...

, defeating Brad Jacobs 4–3 in the final. The team would go onto win the bronze medal.

Personal life

Geoff and Laura Walker and son on That Curling Show

In his youth, Walker also played

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...

and

golf Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various Golf club, clubs to hit a Golf ball, ball into a series of holes on a golf course, course in as few strokes as possible. Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standa ...

. Walker formerly worked for the turf team at The Derrick Golf & Winter Club in Edmonton. He is married to fellow curler Laura Walker, and they have two children. He attended

Grande Prairie Regional College Northwestern Polytechnic (NWP), previously known as Grande Prairie Regional College (GPRC) is a publicly funded educational institution located in northwestern Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1966 as Grande Prairie Junior College with Henry Anders ...

where he studied business administration for two years, before getting a job in insurance. Upon E. J. Harnden joining the team in 2022; it was announced that Walker would return to reside in Newfoundland and Labrador so that the team could continue to represent the province at the Brier. However, this did not ultimately happen and

Curling Canada Curling Canada (formerly the Canadian Curling Association (CCA)) is a sanctioning body for the sport of curling in Canada. It is associated with more than a dozen provincial and territorial curling associations across the country, and organizes ...

clarified its rules that as Team Canada, as long as the team had three returning players, they could still play in the

2023 Tim Hortons Brier The 2023 Tim Hortons Brier, Canada's national men's curling championship, was held from March 3 to 12 at the Budweiser Gardens in London, Ontario, London, Ontario. The defending champion Team Canada rink, skipped by Brad Gushue won the event, and ...

regardless of residency. His sister Stephanie Enright is also a curler. His cousins

Matt Matt may refer to: *Matt (name), people with the given name ''Matt'' or Matthew, meaning "gift from God", or the surname Matt *In British English, of a surface: having a non-glossy finish, see gloss (material appearance) *Matt, Switzerland, a mu ...

, Darby and Greg Gatto are all professional ice hockey players.

Awards

*Brier: Second Team All-Star, Lead - 2017, 2018, 2023, 2024 *World Men's Curling Championship: All-Star Lead - 2017, 2018, 2023

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Walker, Geoff 1985 births Living people Canadian male curlers Brier champions World curling champions Pan Continental curling champions Continental Cup of Curling participants Canada Cup (curling) participants Olympic curlers for Canada Olympic bronze medalists for Canada Olympic medalists in curling Curlers at the 2022 Winter Olympics Medalists at the 2022 Winter Olympics Curlers from St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador Curlers from Edmonton People from the County of Grande Prairie No. 1 21st-century Canadian sportsmen