Curling Canada to stick with 18-team format at men’s and women’s national playdowns
Advertisement
Read this article for free:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Monthly Digital Subscription
$0 for the first 4 weeks*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
- Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
- Access News Break, our award-winning app
- Play interactive puzzles
*No charge for 4 weeks then price increases to the regular rate of $19.95 plus GST every four weeks. Offer available to new and qualified returning subscribers only. Cancel any time.
Monthly Digital Subscription
$4.99/week*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
- Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
- Access News Break, our award-winning app
- Play interactive puzzles
*Billed as $19.95 plus GST every four weeks. Cancel any time.
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Add Free Press access to your Brandon Sun subscription for only an additional
$1 for the first 4 weeks*
*Your next subscription payment will increase by $1.00 and you will be charged $16.99 plus GST for four weeks. After four weeks, your payment will increase to $23.99 plus GST every four weeks.
Read unlimited articles for free today:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 04/11/2022 (1164 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
OTTAWA – Curling Canada will stick with its 18-team format at the men’s and women’s national championships this season.
The federation first used the format last year when the Tim Hortons Brier and Scotties Tournament of Hearts were held in a so-called bubble in Calgary due to the pandemic.
The 14 member associations will continue to be represented at the playdowns along with three wild-card teams (based on Canadian rankings) and the defending champion. The federation said the move to make the 18-team, two-pool format permanent was based on preliminary findings of a high-performance review.
“We’re embarking on some significant changes to ensure Canada is in the best possible position to achieve success on the world stage,” Curling Canada CEO Katherine Henderson said Friday in a release.
“It’s been made clear to us throughout this review process as well as in consultation with our national stakeholders such as Own the Podium and Sport Canada that it is a fundamental priority to ensure that our best teams are part of our national championships, and keeping the 18-team format accomplishes that goal.”
Curling Canada previously used a play-in game format on the eve of competition to determine a single wild-card team entry.
The federation’s high-performance review is being finalized by a third-party consultant, who has spoken extensively to athletes, coaches and national stakeholders, Curling Canada said.
Curling Canada is searching for a new high-performance director after Gerry Peckham transitioned to a reduced role this season ahead of retirement.
Canada struggled on the international stage in the previous quadrennial. Canada settled for a men’s bronze medal at the Beijing Olympics last winter and missed the playoffs in women’s and mixed doubles play.
In last season’s national playdowns, qualifying games were played ahead of seeding games to determine the matchups in the Page playoffs. The Wild Card One team skipped by Brad Gushue of St. John’s, N.L., won the men’s title and Kerri Einarson of Gimli, Man., defended her women’s crown.
The 2023 Scotties will be played Feb. 17-26 in Kamloops, B.C., and the 2023 Brier is set for March 3-12 in London, Ont.
The national champions will represent Canada at the world championships later this season.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 4, 2022.