Canada's men's curling team, skipped by Brad Jacobs, defeated Sweden 8-6 at Milano Cortina 2026, but the victory was overshadowed by drama. During the match, Swedish third Oskar Eriksson accused Canadian third Marc Kennedy of illegally touching the stone after release, while Kennedy countered with accusations of his own about the Swedes' behavior. The pair had some testy words for each other during the game but did shake hands when it was over.
Canada, skipped by Brad Jacobs, defeated the United States and reigning Olympic champion Sweden to join Switzerland atop the rankings with a 3-0 record. The win was dominant on the scoreboard—Brad Jacobs scored four points in the eighth end when Niklas Edin attempted a big-weight double takeout. Canada is now undefeated through the round-robin portion of the tournament.
The tension centered on a specific curling rule: athletes cannot touch a released stone after it passes the hog line. Sweden's issue with Kennedy's release stems from a rule where you're not allowed to touch a released stone after it passes the hog line. Early in the match, the Swedish side complained to an official about the possible infraction. However, officials found no wrongdoing on Canada's part, stating there were no hog line violations or retouches of the stone. World Curling issued Kennedy a verbal warning for misconduct.
In a sport known for gentlemanly play and esteemed conduct, the unusual scene of on-ice tension at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium was downright jarring for some and lapped up by others. The exchange gained international attention, with major outlets from the BBC to the New York Times covering the spicy moment. Curling Canada's chief executive officer stated: "We're fully supportive of Team Jacobs". The drama shows that even in one of sport's most traditionally reserved competitions, emotions run high when gold is on the line.