Double the fun: 2 teams will represent Saskatchewan at 2025 Montana's Brier

Saskatchewan curling fans have plenty to cheer about as two teams from the province prepare to hit the ice at the 2025 Montana's Brier.

Eighteen teams from across the country will gather at Prospera Place in Kelowna, B.C., to compete in one of curling's biggest tournaments. The event will run from Feb. 28 to March 9. 

Team Kleiter, led by skip Rylan Kleiter, is gearing up for their first appearance on the national stage.

"It was pretty special," Kleiter said. "We're just super happy to go there. We're excited to represent Saskatchewan at that next level."

Team Kleiter is no stranger to playing together. Kleiter, along with teammates Trevor Johnson and Josh Mattern, have been competing as a unit for more than a decade. When second Matthew Hall joined the team two years ago, Klieter says, the team chemistry only got stronger.

"We just have something special," Kleiter said. "We get along really well off the ice — we're best of friends. I think that all translates onto the ice in our level of play and just how well we work together.

"Josh is sort of our calculated guy — he knows what's happening where," Kleiter said. "Mattern's our numbers guy — he knows the scoreboard inside and out."

Mattern, who plays third for the team, says the skills he brings to his day job as an engineer play a role in his approach to the game. 

"I'm a very analytical person — a bit of a perfectionist sometimes, maybe too much," Mattern said.

Hall, who works as an oddsmaker for a sportsbook, sees his role as bringing energy to the team. 

"I like to make sure that it's always high-energy out there — that we're always talking, always cracking jokes, just having a good time," he said.

Ramping up preparation

Fresh off winning their first SaskTel Tankard a month earlier, Team Kleiter has been ramping up their preparation. 

"We took a couple days off to rest, and then we were right back to it," Kleiter said. "Just continuing to sharpen our skills and be a little bit more precise each time."

Klieter says they've been on the ice four to five times a week, balancing that with gym sessions to stay in peak form. 

"We're really excited," Kleiter said. "We just can't wait to get out there and compete and show the country what we're all about."

Team Kleiter will be joined at the Brier by Team McEwen. While they'll both be flying the green-and-white, Kleiter acknowledges the competition will be fierce.

"I think it's exciting," he said. "It's great for the province having both of us there. We're going to be able to even help each other out a little bit, and it'll be cool to share that moment."