Canadian curling trials set to take over SaskTel Centre

SaskTel Centre is all prepared for some of the country’s best curlers.

As arguably the largest sporting event held in Saskatoon since the pandemic started, the 2021 Tim Hortons Curling Trials will feature 18 teams — nine women’s teams and nine men’s teams — seeking a chance to represent Canada at the 2022 Beijing Winter Games.

Running from Saturday until Nov. 28, the nine-day tournament begins with an afternoon draw for which teams have waited three years to arrive.

“This is a process that takes three years to get to these nine teams. Obviously, the pandemic got in the way a little bit of the process, but ultimately, it’s a matter of sustained performance over the last three years that produces the teams that will compete at SaskTel Centre,” Al Cameron, Curling Canada’s director of communications, said earlier this week.

Saskatchewan will be represented on both the men’s and women’s sides.

Matt Dunstone’s rink enters as the only Saskatchewan-based rink hoping to cash in on some home-ice advantage.

Redvers product Val Sweeting plays third for Kerri Einarson’s rink, Regina’s Ben Hebert throws lead stones for Kevin Koe’s rink and Saskatoon’s Stefanie Lawton joins Team Kelsey Rocque as an alternate.

“I think that we’ve already gained a few fans and I think that we can definitely use that to our advantage,” Lawton said, hoping to convince more of her hometown crowd to cheer on her new teammates. “We’ll have some people rooting for these girls.”

Aside from Dunstone’s rink, the men’s side boasts plenty of international experience. Reigning Brier champion Brendan Botcher and former Olympic champion skips Brad Gushue (2006) and Brad Jacobs (2014) are back, as is Koe, who’ll try to return to the Olympics after failing to reach the podium in 2018 at Pyeongchang.

John Epping, Mike McEwen, Jason Gunnlaugson and Tanner Horgan round out the teams vying for Olympic glory.

On the women’s side, Rachel Homan is looking to head back to the Olympics after going to Pyeongchang in 2018.

Standing in her way are Einarson (the two-time defending Scotties champion), Jennifer Jones and Tracy Fleury, a trio of Manitoba-based rinks.

Rocque, Casey Scheidegger, Laura Walker, Krista McCarville and Jacqueline Harrison complete the women’s field.

Cameron said tickets for all morning (9 a.m.), afternoon (2 p.m.) and evening (7 p.m.) draws are available, and he’s counting on Saskatoon to show up as it has in the past for large curling events.

“We knew what to expect from Saskatoon; that’s a curling hub in Canada,” Cameron said. “Has (COVID-19) had an effect? Arguably, yes, but the sales are tracking very positively.”

COVID-19 didn’t have an affect on the Patch. The go-to location to enjoy a beverage between all the draws is back at the New Holland Training Centre on Marquis Drive with a variety of entertainment scheduled to perform.

All volunteers, attendees and participants must be double vaccinated to gain entry to SaskTel Centre and the Patch for the duration of the trials.

Dunstone team deals with unexpected shakeup

We have had to make an unexpected change to our line-up as Braeden is unable to compete at this time, due to personal reasons.

We are grateful to have Colton Lott join our team as our third for the week & look forward to the next nine days of competition at the Trials! pic.twitter.com/uzk3T6tNEW

— Team Dunstone (@TeamMDunstone) November 18, 2021

Lott played third for former Saskatchewan skip, Pat Simmons this season.

The new look Dunstone squad will open the trials 7 p.m. Saturday night against Mike McEwen.