The Boston Pizza Cup is the Alberta provincial championship for men's curling, run by Curling Alberta. The winner represents Team Alberta at the national men's championship, called the Montana's Brier. Currently sponsored by restaurant chain Boston Pizza, under former sponsors, the championship was known as the Alberta Kia Cup and the Safeway Select. Prior to obtaining a title sponsor, the tournament was called the Alberta Tankard.
Qualification In the current format, twelve teams compete in the provincial tournament. The following teams qualify:
The defending champion(s) automatically qualify(ies) – either or both the previous year's Boston Pizza Cup winner and/or an Albertan-based "Team Canada" that failed to defend a Brier title the previous year can be entered as a "defending champion." If for whatever reason no defending champion enters the tournament (for example, because they qualified automatically for the Brier as the defending national champion) then an additional Alberta Tour team qualifies as described below; The top Albertan team as determined by the Canadian Team Ranking System qualifies – if this team is entered as the defending provincial champion and/or is the defending national champion (or otherwise does not participate) then the next ranked team qualifies, if that team is also qualified (or does not enter) then the next ranked team qualifies, and so on; The team(s) with the most Alberta Tour points not already qualified also qualify(ies) – the number of teams that qualify by this method can be one, two or three depending on how many "defending champions" enter; The remaining eight spots are determined through the "traditional" route, that is, through zone and district playdowns. As of 2020, four teams qualify from the Southern Zone, three from the Northern Zone and one from Peace River Country.
Past champions Listed below are the provincial champion skips for each year. Alberta did not participate in the 1927 Brier.
Starting in 2015, teams that win the previous year's Brier have been automatically entered into the national championship as "Team Canada." Any such Albertan-based teams do not participate in that year's provincial championship. Such teams have the right to enter as a "defending champion" in the year following any failed defence of their Brier title, although as of 2020 both teams eligible to qualify in this way so far have declined to enter - Simmons' team disbanded after failing to win the 2016 Brier, while Koe qualified for the Olympics after failing to win the 2017 Brier. Starting in 2018, the top two CTRS teams not otherwise qualified play a "Wild Card Game" for an additional main draw Brier entry.
In another change to the qualifying format, as of 2024, 2 teams (in addition to Team Canada) automatically pre-qualify for the Brier field based on the previous season's Canadian Team Ranking Standings (CTRS), which meant they bypassed the provincial qualifiers. As well, a fourth qualifying team will join the field as the top non-qualified team on the CTRS standings following provincial and territorial playdowns.
* Won Brier** Won World Curling Championships (1959–present) No Brier that year
Year Skip Winning Club Other AB Brier Skips 2026 Kevin Koe The Glencoe Club Brad Jacobs 2025 Kevin Koe The Glencoe Club Brad Jacobs* 2024 Aaron Sluchinski Airdrie Curling Club Brendan Bottcher Kevin Koe 2023 Kevin Koe The Glencoe Club Brendan Bottcher Karsten Sturmay 2022 Kevin Koe The Glencoe Club Brendan Bottcher 2021 Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Alberta. Team Brendan Bottcher* represented Alberta (and won) at Brier. Kevin Koe 2020 Brendan Bottcher Saville Community Sports Centre Kevin Koe 2019 Kevin Koe* The Glencoe Club Brendan Bottcher2018CurlingZone Brendan Bottcher Saville Sports Centre None2017CurlingZone Brendan Bottcher Saville Sports Centre Kevin Koe 2016CurlingZone Kevin Koe** Glencoe Curling Club Pat Simmons 2015CurlingZone Kevin Koe Glencoe Curling Club Pat Simmons* 2014CurlingZone Kevin Koe* Glencoe Curling Club 2013CurlingZone Kevin Martin Saville Sports Centre 2012CurlingZone Kevin Koe Glencoe Curling Club 2011CurlingZone Kevin Martin Saville Sports Centre 2010CurlingZone Kevin Koe** Saville Sports Centre 2009 Kevin Martin* Saville Sports Centre 2008 Kevin Martin** Saville Sports Centre 2007 Kevin Martin Saville Sports Centre 2006 Kevin Martin Saville Sports Centre 2005 Randy Ferbey** Granite Curling Club 2004 Randy Ferbey Avonair Curling Club 2003 Randy Ferbey** Avonair Curling Club 2002 Randy Ferbey** Ottewell Curling Club 2001 Randy Ferbey* Ottewell Curling Club 2000 Kevin Martin Ottewell Curling Club 1999 Ken Hunka Ottewell Curling Club 1998 Tom Reed Granite Curling Club 1997 Kevin Martin* Ottewell Curling Club 1996 Kevin Martin Ottewell Curling Club 1995 Kevin Martin Ottewell Curling Club 1994 Ed Lukowich Calgary Curling Club 1993 Greg Ferster Leduc Curling Club 1992 Kevin Martin Avonair Curling Club 1991 Kevin Martin* Avonair Curling Club 1990 Harold Breckenridge North Hill Curling Club 1989 Pat Ryan** Ottewell Curling Club 1988 Pat Ryan* Ottewell Curling Club 1987 Pat Ryan Ottewell Curling Club 1986 Ed Lukowich** Calgary Winter Club 1985 Pat Ryan Ottewell Curling Club 1984 Ed Lukowich Calgary Curling Club 1983 Ed Lukowich North Hill Curling Club 1982 Gary Morken Grande Prairie Curling Club 1981 Mel Watchorn Fairview Curling Club 1980 Paul Gowsell Calgary Winter Club 1979 Paul Devlin Crestwood Curling Club 1978 Ed Lukowich* Medicine Hat Curling Club 1977 Tom Reed Crestwood Curling Club 1976 Wayne Sokolosky Calgary Curling Club 1975 Tom Reed St. Albert Curling Club 1974 Hec Gervais* St. Albert Curling Club 1973 Mel Watchorn Fairview Curling Club 1972 Mel Watchorn Fairview Curling Club 1971 Matt Baldwin Derrick Golf & Winter Club 1970 Hec Gervais Granite Curling Club 1969 Ron Northcott** Calgary Curling Club 1968 Ron Northcott** Calgary Curling Club 1967 Ron Northcott Calgary Curling Club 1966 Ron Northcott** Calgary Curling Club 1965 Nick Lashuk Calgary Curling Club 1964 Ron Northcott Calgary Curling Club 1963 Jim Shields Calgary Curling Club 1962 Hec Gervais Alberta Avenue Curling Club 1961 Hec Gervais** Alberta Avenue Curling Club 1960 Stu Beagle Calgary Curling Club 1959 Herb Olsen Edmonton Curling Club 1958 Matt Baldwin* Granite Curling Club 1957 Matt Baldwin* Granite Curling Club 1956 Matt Baldwin Granite Curling Club 1955 Hugh Brown Claresholm Curling Club 1954 Matt Baldwin* Granite Curling Club 1953 Len Haw Glencoe Curling Club 1952 Art Simpson Bassano Curling Club 1951 Bill Gray Granite Curling Club 1950 Cliff Manahan Royal Curling Club 1949 Stu Beagle Blackie Curling Club 1948 Walter McLaws Glencoe Curling Club 1947 Howard Palmer Calgary Curling Club 1946 Billy Rose* Sedgewick Curling Club 1945 Cliff Manahan Edmonton Royal Curling Club 1944 Cliff Manahan Edmonton Royal Curling Club 1943 Cliff Manahan Edmonton Royal Curling Club 1942 John Slavik Viking Curling Club 1941 Howard Palmer* Calgary Curling Club 1940 Cliff Manahan Royal Curling Club 1939 Howard Baker Calgary Curling Club 1938 Cliff Manahan Royal Curling Club 1937 Cliff Manahan* Royal Curling Club 1936 George Wanless Granite Curling Club 1935 Robert Alexander Calgary Curling Club 1934 Orwell Stewart Macleod Curling Club 1933 Cliff Manahan* Royal Curling Club 1932 Art Hallonquist Three Hills Curling Club 1931 Robert Welliver Red Deer Curling Club 1930 Bob Munro Edmonton Curling Club 1929 Arnold Johnson Edmonton Curling Club 1928 Joe Heartwell Rosetown Curling Club (SK) Notes Koe assembled a new team following his 2014 Brier win, and won the 2015 Boston Pizza Cup after re-qualifying with his new team. His former team, skipped by Pat Simmons, competed in the 2015 and 2016 Briers as Team Canada. Qualified for the Brier as Team Canada. Qualified for the Brier as Wild Card. Qualified for the Brier as either a pre-qualified team, or the top non-qualifying team on the CTRS. Due to World War II, the Brier was not held from 1943 through 1945. Since there was neither a Team Canada nor a Wild Card in the 2014 or prior Briers it was not possible for more than one Albertan team to play in those tournaments, therefore this column is left blank for 2014 and all prior years.
References
External links Past winners