Geoff Walker (born November 28, 1985) is a Canadiancurler, currently living in Edmonton, Alberta.[2] He currently plays lead for the Brad Gushue rink. He was the Men's World Champion in 2017 and won silver the following year in 2018. A six-time national champion, he won the Brier in 2017, 2018, 2020, 2022, 2023 and 2024. Walker was a two-time World Junior Champion when he won gold in 2006 and 2007.
Career
Walker was born in Beaverlodge, Alberta, to Alan and Lorraine. He began curling at the age of 12.[3] As a junior, Walker played for the Charley Thomas rink in Grande Prairie, Alberta. In 2006, the team won the Canadian and World Junior Curling Championships. Walker was too old to stay with the rink for the 2007 Canadian Junior Championships. He was invited to join the team after they won the event as their alternate for the 2007 World Junior Curling Championships. The World Juniors allows curlers to be one year older than the Canadian Juniors. As the alternate, Walker won his second straight World Junior Championship.
After Juniors, Walker joined the Kurt Balderston rink as his second. The team missed the playoffs at the 2008 Boston Pizza Cup (the Alberta provincial championship) but qualified for the playoffs at the 2009 Boston Pizza Cup, where they lost to James Pahl. After missing the playoffs again at the 2010 Boston Pizza Cup, Walker left the team to form his own rink. Walker would do well on his own and went all the way to the semifinal of the 2011 Boston Pizza Cup, where he lost to Kevin Koe.
Team Gushue added one more slam title during the 2016–17 season at the 2017 Canadian Open. The team would also have their most successful Brier to date at the 2017 Tim Hortons Brier, which was hosted in St. John's. They once again finished 9–2 in the round robin and would win the 1 vs. 2 game over Manitoba's Mike McEwen rink. Tied 6–6 in the final end of the final against Koe, Gushue needed to draw full eight foot to win the title. The team swept it all the way down the sheet, and the stone was just close enough for the win.[5] It was Newfoundland's first Brier title since 1976. The team represented Canada at the 2017 World Men's Curling Championship, where they went undefeated en route to capturing the gold medal. The whole Canadian team was named the All-Star Team for the tournament. This would earn them first place on the CTRS standings for the season.[6]
Geoff and Laura Walker with their son on CBC Sports "That Curling Show" in 2021
In his youth, Walker also played ice hockey and golf.[3] Walker formerly worked for the turf team at The Derrick Golf & Winter Club in Edmonton.[17] He is married to fellow curler Laura Walker,[2] and they have two children.[18] He attended Grande Prairie Regional College where he studied business administration for two years, before getting a job in insurance. Upon E. J. Harnden joining the team in 2022; it was announced that Walker would return to reside in Newfoundland and Labrador so that the team could continue to represent the province at the Brier.[19] However, this did not ultimately happen and Curling Canada clarified its rules that as Team Canada, as long as the team had three returning players, they could still play in the 2023 Tim Hortons Brier regardless of residency.[20]
