Kevin Koe facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Kevin Koe |
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Koe in 2010
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| Born | January 11, 1975 |
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| Team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Curling club | The Glencoe Club, Calgary, AB |
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| Skip | Kevin Koe | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Third | Aaron Sluchinski | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Second | Tyler Tardi | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lead | Karrick Martin | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Member Association |  Northwest Territories (1989–1994; 1998–1999) Alberta (1994–1998; 1999–present) |
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| Brier appearances | 12 (2010, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Championship appearances |
4 (2010, 2014, 2016, 2019) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Olympic appearances |
1 (2018) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Top CTRS ranking | 1st (2015–16) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Grand Slam victories | 6 (2004 Players', 2012 Masters, 2013 Canadian Open, 2015 Tour Challenge, 2018 Players', 2023 Players') | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Kevin Koe (pronounced KOO-ee; born January 11, 1975) is a Canadian curler. He is famous for being a two-time World champion and a four-time Canadian champion. Kevin was the skip (team leader) for Canada's men's team at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
Kevin grew up in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. Now, he lives in Calgary, Alberta, and plays curling out of The Glencoe Club. He started learning to curl when he was just six years old in Inuvik, Northwest Territories.
Kevin Koe's Curling Journey
Starting in Junior Curling
Kevin Koe worked hard in junior curling championships. In 1994, he finally won the territorial junior men's curling title. This win allowed him to lead the Northwest Territories/Yukon team at the 1994 Canadian Junior Curling Championships.
His team, which included his brother Jamie, had a great record. They made it to the final game but lost a very close match. The next year, Kevin moved to Alberta for school. He reached the finals of the 1995 Alberta Junior championships, losing only one game.
Early Adult Career in Edmonton
After finishing university, Kevin decided to stay in Alberta. He first settled in Edmonton, where curling was very competitive.
In his early adult career, Kevin led Team Alberta to win the 2000 Canadian Mixed Curling Championship. He also won two events on the World Curling Tour in 1999 and 2002.
From 2003 to 2006, Kevin played as the third player for John Morris's team. With this team, Kevin won his first major event, called a Grand Slam, in 2004. They also competed in the 2005 Canadian Olympic Curling Trials, trying to qualify for the Olympics.
In 2006, Kevin formed his own team. He was the skip, but another player, Blake MacDonald, threw the last stones. For many years, Kevin's team was often in the shadow of another great curler, Kevin Martin. In 2007, Kevin Koe almost made it to the Tim Hortons Brier (the Canadian championship), but lost to Kevin Martin in the provincial finals.
First Brier and World Titles
In 2010, Kevin finally won his first provincial championship. This happened because Kevin Martin was busy preparing for the 2010 Winter Olympics. Kevin Koe then went on to win the 2010 Tim Hortons Brier, becoming the first new skip since 1992 to win the Brier.
After winning the Brier, Kevin's team represented Canada at the 2010 Capital One World Men's Curling Championship. They played very well and won their first World title, beating Norway in the final. This was a huge achievement for Kevin and his team.
Moving to Calgary and More Wins
In 2011, Kevin moved to Calgary. His long-time teammate, Blake MacDonald, retired. Pat Simmons joined the team as the new fourth player. Kevin returned to the Brier in 2012, representing Calgary's Glencoe Club. His team finished with a strong record and made it to the final, but lost to Ontario.
Kevin won his first Grand Slam title as a skip in 2012 at the Masters. He won another Grand Slam title in 2013 at the Canadian Open.
In 2014, Kevin's team won their second provincial title, finally defeating Kevin Martin. They then went on to win their second Canadian championship at the 2014 Tim Hortons Brier, beating British Columbia in the final. At the 2014 World Men's Curling Championship, they finished in fourth place.
A New Team and Olympic Journey
After the 2014 Brier, Kevin made a big decision. He left his winning team to form a new one, aiming for the 2018 Olympics. His new team included Ben Hebert and Marc Kennedy, who were part of the 2010 Olympic champion team, and Brent Laing.
With his new team, Kevin won the Alberta championship in 2015. In the 2015–16 season, they had even more success. They won the first-ever GSOC Tour Challenge Grand Slam event and the 2015 Canada Cup of Curling. They also won the 2016 Boston Pizza Cup, sending them to the Brier.
At the 2016 Tim Hortons Brier, Kevin's team won their third Canadian championship. They then represented Canada at the 2016 World Men's Curling Championship, where they won the gold medal, losing only one game. They beat Denmark in the final.
In 2017, Kevin's team played at the 2017 Tim Hortons Brier again as Team Canada. They made it to the final but lost to Brad Gushue's team from Newfoundland.
The 2018 Winter Olympics
Later in 2017, Team Koe competed in the 2017 Canadian Olympic Curling Trials. They played incredibly well, winning most of their games. This earned them the right to represent Canada at the 2018 Winter Olympics.
At the Olympics, the team started strong, winning their first four matches. However, in the semifinal, they lost to the United States. This was the first time a Canadian men's curling team did not make it to the Olympic final. They then lost the bronze medal game to Switzerland, finishing fourth. This was a tough loss for the team.
After the Olympics, in April 2018, Kevin Koe won another Grand Slam event, the Players' Championship. Soon after, Marc Kennedy and Brent Laing left the team. B. J. Neufeld and Colton Flasch joined Kevin and Ben Hebert.
After the Olympics (2018–2020)
Kevin's new team started the 2018–19 season by winning the first event of the Curling World Cup. They also reached the finals of other major events. In February, they won the Alberta provincial title, which sent them to the 2019 Tim Hortons Brier.
At the 2019 Brier, Team Koe was amazing! They went undefeated throughout the entire tournament, winning all their games. In the final, Kevin made a fantastic shot to score two points and win the game 4-3. This was his fourth Canadian championship.
They then represented Canada at the 2019 World Men's Curling Championship. They played well and made it to the final, but lost to Sweden, earning a silver medal. They also won the Pinty's Cup for being the best team in the Grand Slam series that season.
The 2019–20 season saw Team Koe reach several finals and semifinals. At the 2020 Tim Hortons Brier, representing Team Canada, they finished with a good record but were eliminated in a tiebreaker game. The season ended early due to the COVID-19 pandemic. After the season, Colton Flasch left the team, and John Morris joined as the new second player.
John Morris Joins the Team (2020–2022)
Team Koe, with John Morris, started the 2020–21 season with strong performances, including two second-place finishes. Due to the pandemic, the provincial championship was cancelled. However, Team Koe earned a spot at the 2021 Tim Hortons Brier as a "Wild Card" team.
At the 2021 Brier, Kevin led his team to an excellent record, finishing first in the round robin. This gave them a direct spot in the final, where they faced Team Alberta. They lost a close game, earning a silver medal.
In the 2021–22 season, Team Koe won their first two events. They then competed in the 2021 Canadian Olympic Curling Trials to try and qualify for the 2022 Olympics. They had a strong record but lost in the semifinal.
In 2022, the team won the Alberta provincial title again. At the 2022 Tim Hortons Brier, they had another great run, making it to the final. In a very tight game, they lost in an extra end, earning their second consecutive Brier silver medal.
In March 2022, Team Koe announced they would be changing their lineup. Kevin decided to skip a new team for the 2022–23 season, with Tyler Tardi, Bradley Thiessen, and Karrick Martin.
New Team (2022–Present)
Kevin's new team began the 2022–23 curling season playing in new events. They reached the semifinals of the Tour Challenge Grand Slam event. In February, Kevin won his eighth career provincial title at the 2023 Boston Pizza Cup.
They represented Alberta at the 2023 Tim Hortons Brier, where they had a strong record in pool play. However, they were eliminated in their first playoff game. The team finished their season by winning the 2023 Players' Championship, another Grand Slam event. Kevin made an amazing triple takeout shot to win the final! After this event, Bradley Thiessen left the team and Jacques Gauthier joined for the 2023–24 curling season.
Kevin Koe's Family and Life
Kevin comes from a very talented curling family. His brother, Jamie Koe, has represented the Northwest Territories many times at the Brier. His sister, Kerry Galusha, has also represented the Territories at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts (the Canadian women's championship). As of 2024, Kevin is coaching his sister's team.
The Koe family's love for curling started with Kevin's grandfather, Chief Jim Koe. Kevin's father, Fred, a politician, also played curling and competed in championships. Fred is part of the Gwich'in First Nations tribe, which connects Kevin to the Indigenous community in the Northwest Territories. The Koe family has even received an award for their contributions to curling.
Kevin was born in Edmonton, Alberta. He went to high school in Yellowknife, where he was later honored in his school's Hall of Fame. He then moved to Alberta to attend the University of Calgary. Kevin works as a land and stakeholder coordinator for a company called TransAlta Corporation. He is married and has two children.
Images for kids
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Kevin Koe in 2010
See also
In Spanish: Kevin Koe para niños
