Brad Gushue has returned to the curling ice in perfect form, going undefeated in winning his first event since the pandemic struck in March.

Gushue and his rink of Mark Nichols, Brett Gallant and sub Joel Krats defeated Nova Scotia’s Stuart Thompson 8-4 Sunday in the final of the Dave Jones Cash Spiel at the Mayflower Club in Halifax. Their 6-0 record earned the rink the top cash prize of $4,000.

Krats, from Labrador City, was filling in for lead Geoff Walker, a new father who’s taking some time off to be with his family.

Until this event, Gushue’s last game was a 7-3 victory over Alberta’s Brendan Bottcher to win the Brier in Kingston, Ont. That win secured his berth in the Olympic Trials next fall, and in the 2021 Brier as Team Canada.

Gushue’s trip to the world championship in Scotland this year was cancelled due to the pandemic.