Sweeting lands on her feet

Not even the reigning Scotties champions are immune to change at the end of a quadrennial cycle.

Days after returning home with a silver medal from the world women’s curling championship in Calgary, Gimli’s Kerri Einarson announced she was parting ways with third Val Sweeting — a teammate since 2018.

“It wasn’t a complete surprise. I had a sense there would be changes to the team moving forward,” Sweeting told the Free Press.

“It’s always tough when those chapters close, but I’m looking forward to what’s next.”

Rumours had circulated throughout the season that the 2025–26 campaign would be Sweeting’s last with Einarson. But the Lottie Lake, Alta., product isn’t interested in airing dirty laundry, and she didn’t waste any time landing on her feet.

Last week, 27-year-old Kayla MacMillan out of Victoria, B.C., added the five-time Scotties champion at third. Sweeting, 38, joins an up-and-coming rink that are ranked seventh in the CTRS, despite falling short at the B.C. provincials.

MacMillan, second Lindsay Dubue and former Jennifer Jones lead Lauren Lenentine parted ways with third Brittany Tran prior to bringing in the accomplished veteran.

“I think a lot of people were thinking I might skip again, but I do really love playing third and just enjoy my role sweeping, managing the rock, and having a hand in everything. I think it’s helped me grow as a player,” said Sweeting.

“And yeah, I’m excited. I’ve watched Kayla for a number of years and just always thought she was a really good shotmaker and just really calm in how she goes about her business and calls and everything. It just seems like it would be a really good environment.”

The past few weeks have been a whirlwind for Sweeting, who played this year’s worlds in her own backyard in Calgary. She curled under 80 per cent in four games before finding her stride and ending the event at 83.1 per cent, which ranked second among thirds.

“It was tough because I obviously put everything into worlds, and then the stuff with the team, I wasn’t really in a good place for a bit so it was hard to see or think about what was next,” said Sweeting.

“But everyone was really respectful of the time and the big picture of everything that was happening. So I just kind of tried to take some space and start looking at things with a clear head and eventually got there. That’s kind of how things unfolded.”

It’ll be hard for Sweeting to top her time curling out of Manitoba. She played a pivotal role in Team Einarson having one of the most successful runs in Canadian curling history.

MacMillan appeared at both the 2023 and 2024 editions of the Scotties under Clancy Grandy and could be poised to compete on the national stage now that she’s landed one of the top free agents in the sport.

“They’re super hungry to make that next level and consistently stay there and be a top team in Canada and I’m confident we can become one of those teams,” said Sweeting.

“The drive and the work ethic goes a long way and they definitely have the talent as well.”

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