Cotter back on the ice with all-B.C. lineup at Saville Shootout
Jim Cotter is done watching from behind the glass. The 51-year-old Vernon skip returns to men's competition at the Saville Shootout in Edmonton, September 11-14, leading a new five-man B.C. rink of third Jared Kolomaya, second Connor Deane, lead Erik Colwell and alternate Brad Wood.
Cotter's last Brier was 2021, the tenth of his career, and his resume since he first represented British Columbia in 2008 includes a 2014 Brier silver, a 2013 Canadian Olympic Trials silver, the 2017 Elite 10 Grand Slam title and a dozen provincial championships. He spent last winter coaching Corryn Brown's Kamloops rink to the B.C. women's title and a trip to the Scotties.
The team came together in April after Cody Tanaka's departure from the reigning B.C. men's champions left Kolomaya looking for a home. Cotter called him within a day, and Kolomaya, who won this year's provincial title at Tanaka's side, said the chance to play with Cotter, whom he described as arguably the best B.C. curler ever, wasn't one to pass up. Deane and Colwell both skipped or played in the 2025 B.C. men's playoffs; Colwell threw second for Jordan Venance's runner-up team. Wood, the Penticton veteran, has four Brier appearances as B.C.'s alternate, all alongside Cotter.
The Saville Shootout is a familiar early test for Western Canadian teams, and it gives the new group four days to sort out chemistry before the B.C. playdown picture takes shape.
Cotter's last Brier was 2021, the tenth of his career, and his resume since he first represented British Columbia in 2008 includes a 2014 Brier silver, a 2013 Canadian Olympic Trials silver, the 2017 Elite 10 Grand Slam title and a dozen provincial championships. He spent last winter coaching Corryn Brown's Kamloops rink to the B.C. women's title and a trip to the Scotties.
The team came together in April after Cody Tanaka's departure from the reigning B.C. men's champions left Kolomaya looking for a home. Cotter called him within a day, and Kolomaya, who won this year's provincial title at Tanaka's side, said the chance to play with Cotter, whom he described as arguably the best B.C. curler ever, wasn't one to pass up. Deane and Colwell both skipped or played in the 2025 B.C. men's playoffs; Colwell threw second for Jordan Venance's runner-up team. Wood, the Penticton veteran, has four Brier appearances as B.C.'s alternate, all alongside Cotter.
The Saville Shootout is a familiar early test for Western Canadian teams, and it gives the new group four days to sort out chemistry before the B.C. playdown picture takes shape.
Source: Team Cotter Curling - https://www.facebook.com/teamcotter