Swearing Iced: Canadian curlers trying to keep swear jar empty at world championship

By Canadian Press on April 5, 2025.

MOOSE JAW — The Canadian team’s swear jar remains empty at the Temple Gardens Centre.

A team that’s unafraid to let salty language fly in the heat of competition has made a conscious effort to bite its tongue at the BKT World Men’s Curling Championship.

“There’s a lot of people that hate it. There’s lot of people that love it,” Canada lead Ben Hebert said of on-ice profanity. “So it is what it is, but we’re not doing it this week.”

Swearing can be a tad jarring for the rather genteel curling audience. Curse words often make it on the air during game broadcasts via player microphones.

Skip Brad Jacobs brought up the subject with his teammates before the nine-day championship. He said he wanted the team to be great role models while wearing the Maple Leaf on their backs.

“Just be as professional as humanly possible,” Jacobs said. “I think we’re doing a very good job of that. It’s not easy all the time though … but we’re doing a good job at that I think. And it’s also keeping us well grounded.

“We’re controlling our emotions really well no matter what the situation is. So I think that’s helping too.”

Canada didn’t have much to swear about in round-robin play at the 13-team competition, finished first in the standings at 11-1. The top-seeded Jacobs was scheduled to play Scotland’s Bruce Mouat in the semifinals on Saturday.

Mic’d-up curlers provide viewers with unparalleled insight into the game, strategy and thought processes. But since broadcasts air without a delay, swear words can make it on air.

Vice Marc Kennedy said all the players were on board and it was an “easy discussion.”

“We really want the crowd to be on our side,” he said. “And it’s about being professional out there with that big of a crowd (and) with the country supporting you. I think it’s important. You look at how many kids are out here — that stuff matters.”

Curling Canada does issue fines for player swearing at its events. The world championship is a World Curling competition and the national federation handles most of the off-ice operations.

Play will conclude Sunday with the medal games.

“Our team is, I would say, the most emotional in the field,” said Canada coach Paul Webster. “We want to keep that edge and that reaction and that pure emotion that allows us to stay on that edge that we want to be on.

“But I’m also really proud of the guys for recognizing they now have a different brand on their back too, which is the Maple Leaf. We’re representing our country in a world championship and that comes with some extra responsibility.”

Hebert, in particular, has been known to let the occasional F-bomb slip out, but he’s proud that he’s managed to keep things almost completely in check over the first week of competition.

“I did drop a JC (Jesus Christ), but I was praying,” he said with a smile. “I want everyone to know I am a church man and I was praying. So outside of that we haven’t dropped one. We’re sticking to it.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 5, 2025.

Gregory Strong, The Canadian Press