Duluth's Olympic Curler John Shuster Advances to World Championship Playoffs

John Shuster's rink clawed into the playoffs at the 2026 World Men's Curling Championship in Ogden, Utah, turning a rocky first half of round-robin play into a five-game winning streak that secured the sixth and final playoff berth at the Weber County Ice Sheet.

Team Shuster posted an 8-4 record across the 13-team round robin to finish in fifth place and earn a spot in the quarterfinals. The squad includes Shuster alongside third Chris Plys of Duluth, second Colin Hufman of St. Paul, and lead Matt Hamilton of McFarland, Wisconsin. Aidan Oldenburg, a 2026 Winter Olympian, joined the group as the fifth player for the tournament.

After alternating losses and wins over their first six matches at the venue that hosted the 2002 Olympic curling competition, Team Shuster reeled off wins over Japan (9-2), Czechia (8-5), China (6-5 in 11 ends), Poland (8-3), Norway (9-7 in 11 ends), and Italy (9-8) in succession. Those results made their final two round-robin games relevant only for seeding.

The playoff qualification round game pairs fourth-place Switzerland's Team Marcus Hoesli, who finished 9-3, against Team Shuster in a rematch of a Thursday night game that saw Switzerland prevail 9-5 to earn last-rock advantage. The winner of that matchup advances to the semifinals to face first-place Team Niklas Edin of Sweden, who went 10-2 in round-robin play.

Shuster, a six-time world championship participant who led Team USA to gold at the 2018 Winter Olympics, threw the ceremonial first stone at the opening ceremonies. Scotland's Team Ross Whyte finished second at 10-2, while Canada, Scotland, and Sweden all posted identical 10-2 records, with head-to-head results unable to resolve the three-way tie and Draw Shot Challenge standings ultimately determining seeding.

The tournament marks the last time this iteration of Team Shuster will compete together in its current configuration, lending the Ogden run an added sense of urgency. Shuster, who has appeared at 12 World Curling Championships dating back to 2003, acknowledged the ice surface has played exceptionally well throughout the week. "You can throw rocks with a lot of confidence and not have to guess what the ice is going to do," Shuster said.

The 2026 LGT World Men's Curling Championship runs through April 4 at the Weber County Ice Sheet, with Shuster needing two more wins to claim the title that has eluded him across more than two decades of world championship competition.