Team Rachel Homan is gearing up for the Milan-Cortina Olympics, while Team Kerri Einarson will represent Canada at the upcoming Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Mississauga, Ontario. Curling Canada announced that Homan, the reigning Scotties champion, will not be defending her title. Instead, Einarson’s team, which secured a silver medal at the 2025 national playdowns, will take on the role of Team Canada at the event scheduled from January 23 to February 1.
Expressing their excitement, Einarson’s team shared on X (formerly Twitter) their honor in donning the Maple Leaf at the Scotties and their anticipation for the upcoming competition. The four-time Scotties champion from Gimli, Manitoba, along with teammates Val Sweeting, Shannon Birchard, and Karlee Burgess, had already secured one of the three pre-qualification spots based on last season’s rankings.
The vacant pre-qualification spot will be filled by the highest-ranked team that does not qualify through this season’s provincial/territorial playdowns, as stated by Curling Canada. Following a best-of-three final victory over Christina Black’s Halifax team, Homan’s squad, featuring Tracy Fleury, Emma Miskew, and Sarah Wilkes, emerged victorious, with Black having defeated Einarson in the semifinals.
The absence of Team Homan at the Scotties is a setback for the event at Paramount Fine Foods Centre. The 36-year-old Ottawa skip, prominently featured in pre-competition promotions, leads the world rankings alongside her team. This year marks the first time the 18-team event is being held in the Greater Toronto Area.
The national women’s championship last took place in the region in 2017 when Homan clinched her second of five Scotties titles. The tournament will feature 14 provincial and territorial representatives, with Black and Team Kayla Skrlik of Calgary also holding pre-qualification berths.
Preparations for Canadian curling training camps in Europe are in progress ahead of the Winter Olympics from February 4 to 22. The women’s curling schedule will commence on February 12 at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium, following the completion of the Scotties by 11 days.
In the mixed doubles discipline at the Olympics, Brett Gallant and Jocelyn Peterman will represent Canada, with their events starting on February 4. Gallant’s men’s team, including skip Brad Jacobs, Marc Kennedy, and Ben Hebert, will kick off their play on February 11 after securing their spot by defeating Matt Dunstone’s Winnipeg team 2-0 in the Trials final.
Team Jacobs, winners of the Montana’s Brier last year, are set to represent Canada at the 2026 playdowns in St. John’s. Pre-qualified teams led by Dunstone, Brad Gushue, and Mike McEwen are also gearing up for the Brier, starting on February 27, six days post the final men’s game at the Olympics.
