Kevin Koe facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kevin Koe
Curler
Koe in 2010
Born	(1975-01-11) January 11, 1975 (age 50) Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Team
Curling club	The Glencoe Club, Calgary, AB
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)
Brier appearances	12 (2010, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025)
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')
Medal record Representing  Canada Men's Curling World Curling Championships Gold 2010 Cortina d'Ampezzo Gold 2016 Basel Silver 2019 Lethbridge Tim Hortons Brier Silver 2017 St. John's Representing  Alberta Tim Hortons Brier Gold 2010 Halifax Gold 2014 Kamloops Gold 2016 Ottawa Gold 2019 Brandon Silver 2012 Saskatoon Silver 2022 Lethbridge Canadian Olympic Curling Trials Gold 2017 Ottawa Bronze 2005 Halifax Bronze 2021 Saskatoon Representing  Northwest Territories Arctic Winter Games Silver 1994 Slave Lake Representing Wild Card Tim Hortons Brier Silver 2021 Calgary

Kevin Koe is a famous Canadian curler. He was born on January 11, 1975. Kevin is known for being a two-time World champion and a four-time Canadian champion in curling. He also led the Canadian men's team at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

Kevin grew up in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. He now lives in Calgary, Alberta, and plays for The Glencoe Club. He started curling 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 allowed him to lead the Northwest Territories/Yukon team at the 1994 Canadian Junior Curling Championships. His team, which included his brother Jamie, did very well. They finished with an 8–3 record, tying for first place. They made it to the final game but lost a close match.

The next year, Kevin moved to Alberta for school. He reached the finals of the 1995 Alberta Junior championships. He only lost one game in that tournament.

Early Days in Men's Curling

After college, Kevin stayed in Alberta, where curling is very competitive. He first lived in Edmonton.

Early in his career, Kevin led Team Alberta to win the 2000 Canadian Mixed Curling Championship. He also won some early events on the World Curling Tour. From 2003 to 2006, he played as a third for John Morris. With Morris, Kevin won his first major event, the 2004 Players' Championship. This is a big tournament in curling called a Grand Slam.

In 2006, Kevin started his own team. He became the skip, which is the team leader. His team included Blake MacDonald, Carter Rycroft, and Nolan Thiessen. For many years, Kevin's team was often in the shadow of another great curler, Kevin Martin. In 2007, Kevin almost made it to the Tim Hortons Brier, a major Canadian championship. But he lost to Kevin Martin in the provincial finals.

Becoming a Champion (2010)

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, beating Glenn Howard's team in the final. It was a special win because he was the first new skip to win the Brier since 1992.

After winning the Brier, Kevin's team represented Canada at the 2010 Capital One World Men's Curling Championship. They finished second in the round robin. In the playoffs, Kevin's team beat Norway twice to win his first World title. This was a huge achievement!

Moving to Calgary and More Wins

In 2011, Kevin moved to Calgary. His teammate Blake MacDonald retired, and Pat Simmons joined the team. Kevin returned to the Brier in 2012. He led Team Alberta to an 8–3 record. He made it to the final but lost to Glenn Howard's team from 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 2013 Canadian Open of Curling. In 2014, Kevin's team won their second provincial title. They then won their second Canadian championship at the 2014 Tim Hortons Brier. They beat John Morris' team in the final.

Kevin's team then represented Canada at the 2014 World Men's Curling Championship. They finished second in the round robin. However, they had a tough time in the playoffs and ended up in fourth place.

A New Team and Olympic Dreams

After the 2014 Brier, Kevin decided to form a new team. He wanted to prepare for the 2018 Olympics. His new teammates were Ben Hebert, Marc Kennedy, and Brent Laing. This new team quickly found success. They won the first-ever 2015 GSOC Tour Challenge Grand Slam event. They also won the 2015 Canada Cup of Curling and the 2016 Boston Pizza Cup.

At the 2016 Tim Hortons Brier, Kevin's team won their third Canadian championship. They beat Brad Gushue's team in the final. They then represented Canada at the 2016 World Men's Curling Championship. They lost only one game and won the gold medal, beating Denmark in the final.

The 2018 Winter Olympics

Kevin's team qualified to represent Canada at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang. They started strong, winning their first four games. However, in the semifinal, they lost to the United States team. 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 very tough loss for the team.

After the Olympics, Kevin won the 2018 Players' Championship Grand Slam event. Later, Marc Kennedy and Brent Laing left the team. B. J. Neufeld and Colton Flasch joined Kevin's team.

After the Olympics (2018-2022)

Kevin's new team started the 2018–19 season by winning the first leg of the Curling World Cup. They also reached the finals of other events. In 2019, they won the Alberta provincial title again. At the 2019 Tim Hortons Brier, Kevin's team had an amazing run. They went undefeated throughout the entire tournament! They beat Brad Jacobs' team and then Brendan Bottcher's team in the final to win their fourth Brier title.

They then represented Canada at the 2019 World Men's Curling Championship. They made it to the final but lost to Sweden, earning a silver medal. They also won the Pinty's Cup for being the best Grand Slam team that season.

In March 2020, Kevin's team announced that Colton Flasch would be leaving. The next day, they added John Morris to the team.

New Teammates and More Brier Finals

The team with John Morris started the 2020–21 season. In 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the provincial championship was cancelled. Kevin's team earned a spot at the 2021 Tim Hortons Brier as a Wild Card team. Kevin led his team to a great 10–2 record, reaching the final. They played against Team Alberta, skipped by Brendan Bottcher, in a rematch of the 2019 Brier final. This time, Bottcher's team won, and Kevin's team took home the silver medal.

In the 2021–22 season, Kevin's team won their first two events. They also competed in the 2021 Canadian Olympic Curling Trials to try and qualify for the next Olympics. They had a strong 6–2 record but lost in the semifinal. In 2022, they won the Alberta provincial title again. At the 2022 Tim Hortons Brier, they had another excellent run, reaching the final. They faced the Gushue team in a very close game but lost in an extra end, earning their second consecutive Brier silver medal.

In March 2022, Kevin's team decided to make changes again. Kevin announced a new team for the 2022–23 season. This team included Tyler Tardi, Bradley Thiessen, and Karrick Martin.

Recent Seasons (2022-Present)

The new team started playing in the 2022–23 curling season. They reached the semifinals of the 2022 Tour Challenge Grand Slam. In February 2023, Kevin won his eighth provincial title at the 2023 Boston Pizza Cup. They represented Alberta at the 2023 Tim Hortons Brier. They had a good record in pool play but were eliminated in their first playoff game.

The team finished their season strong by winning the 2023 Players' Championship Grand Slam. Kevin made an amazing triple takeout shot to win the final game! After this season, Bradley Thiessen left the team. Jacques Gauthier joined for the 2023–24 curling season.

In the 2024 Boston Pizza Cup, Kevin's team lost in the final. However, they still got to play in the 2024 Montana's Brier as one of the top teams not already qualified. At the Brier, they had a tough time and did not make the playoffs. Kevin said it felt like "rock bottom" for the team.

For the 2024-25 curling season, Kevin's team made more changes. Jacques Gauthier left, and Aaron Sluchinski joined as third, with Tyler Tardi moving to second. This new team won the Alberta provincial championship, the 2025 Boston Pizza Cup. This means they represented Alberta at the 2025 Montana's Brier. At the Brier, they finished with a 4–4 record, missing the playoffs.

Kevin's Family and Life

Kevin comes from a curling family. His brother, Jamie Koe, has played for the Northwest Territories in many Briers. His sister, Kerry, has also represented the Territories in many Scotties Tournament of Hearts. Kevin has even coached his sister's team.

Their grandfather, Chief Jim Koe, was a pioneer in curling for their family. Kevin's father, Fred, also a politician and former skip, played in curling championships. The Koe family is part of the Gwich'in First Nations tribe. They received an award for their contributions to curling in the Northwest Territories.

Kevin went to high school in Yellowknife and was later honored in his school's Hall of Fame. He then went to 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.

Grand Slam Record

Kevin Koe has had a very successful career in the Grand Slam of Curling events. These are some of the biggest tournaments outside of the Brier and World Championships. He has won six Grand Slam titles.

Kevin Koe's Teams Over the Years

Here's a look at the different teams Kevin Koe has played with throughout his career. The "Skip" is the team leader, "Third" throws third, "Second" throws second, and "Lead" throws first.

See also

In Spanish: Kevin Koe para niños