#BetweenTheSheets: Fall Frenzy
11 events hit tour ice this weekend
Not only will there be a ton of rocks to watch this weekend, there are some fairly large events to focus on.
From tour events with deep curling tradition to newer events attracting some of the top teams in the world.
The Shorty Jenkins Classic will take place in Cornwall, Ontario.
This event has been held annually since 1996, minus 2002 and those pesky COVID-19 years.
A woman's field was added in 1997 and has also been held annually ever since (minus those same years).
The Classic is in honour of famous ice-maker Shorty Jenkins, who passed away in 2013. Jenkins was well-known for his pink cowboy hat, pink cowboy boots and pink leather jacket.
But besides his style, he was also known for his ice-making and studying of rocks. The concept of timing rocks to tell the quality of ice was something Jenkins took to heart.
He was a technician of the sport and a passionate supporter for the continued growth of curling.
And some of the biggest and best names in the sport have competed in and won the Shorty Jenkins Classic. Past champions include Glenn Howard, Kevin Martin, Jennifer Jones, Rachel Homan, Brad Gushue, Kevin Koe, Brad Jacobs, Jean-Michel Menard and John Epping, to name a few.
This event has become a staple on the curling tour scene and an event many players, and fans, look forward to every year.
On the flip side to an event steeped in tradition, we also welcome new events to the tour which draw world-class fields.
Enter the ATB Okotoks Classic in Okotoks, Alberta.
This event may only be in its infancy stage with 2023 being Year #3, but it already is building a reputation for being one of the best events on tour.
Kevin Koe (2021) and Brendan Bottcher (2022) are the past champions, showcasing Alberta home ice advantage. And swapping championship final wins over one another. 2023 being the TB?
And while this event does not have a women's field, if you head to Northern Alberta you will find the Alberta Curling Series Major event for the women in Beaumont, Alberta.
The men hit the ice at this "Major" last weekend. This weekend the women rule the ice at the Beaumont Curling Club. This will be the second edition of this new event but, similar to the men's event in Okotoks, is gaining momentum as a top tier tour event.
And of course we cannot forget the Rick Rowsell Classic and the US Open of Curling, two tour events also known to produce great champions from strong fields.
This year the Rick Rowsell Classic will add a women's field to the schedule as well.
Need more frenzy in your life? This is a very important weekend for Grand Slam of Curling qualification.
The Tour Challenge is right around the corner, scheduled to be played October 17 - 22 in Niagara Falls, Ontario.
The Top 16 teams based on the rankings released this past Monday September 18 qualify for the Tier I.
Teams ranked #17 - #32 will receive invites to the Tier II, once the Tier I invites are finalized.
For those teams sitting on the world rankings at #26 to #36, this could be a big weekend. If you want to get into Tier II consideration, a good weekend result might be your ticket.
Could we see a team play their way into the Tier II field this weekend?
Anything can happen remember.
Oh yes, we welcome Fall this weekend. And the frenzy that comes with it.
#TourLifePredictions
ICYMI, the updated #PowerRankings were released earlier this week. Check out the new Top 10 HERE.
Bring on the previews and predictions.
WOMEN
AMJ Campbell Shorty Jenkins Classic
Cornwall, ONT
2022 Champion: Not Held (Last Champion: Team Jones, 2019)
Format: 18 team RR with 3 pools of 6. Top 8 qualify.
#Fav: Team Tirinzoni
One event under the slider, one championship trophy on the mantle.
Solid way to kick off another season for the Swiss world champs.
They were the cream of the crop against European rivals last weekend, lets see how they do against some Pan Continental (and Scottish) opposition this weekend.
The RR game vs. Team Morrison should be a fun game as Morrison has been one of the strongest and most consistent teams in this early part of the season.
#TeamUpset: Team St-Georges
We saw Laurie St-Georges on the ice last weekend, competing with her Canadian mixed championship squad at the KW Fall Classic.
The team reached the SF.
Now the focus is back on her women's game, reuniting with her Quebec women's team.
St-Georges is one of those teams chalk full of a high ceiling of potential but we are still waiting to see the full results to match.
Sitting at #60 in the world, this is a team more than capable of being Top 30 (or above) if they can enter a few more events, pick up a few more wins and start making deep playoff runs.
The talent is there.
It will not be an easy path to the playoffs though this weekend. They have 3 high ranked Asian teams standing in their pool: Korea's Team Gim and Team Ha and Japan's Team Yoshimura.
They are going to need to upset 1, if not 2, of those 3 teams to make the playoffs.
#W2W4
Welcome to Pool C. Also known as the #PoolOfDeath!
Look at this grouping: Team Auld, Team Grandy, Team Inglis, Team Jones, Team E. Kim, Team Mann.
Yikes!
4 of these teams are ranked in the Top 27 of the world. 2 in the Top 12.
It is quite possible we see one, or more, of these top ranked teams miss the playoffs or struggle to pick up wins.
In this field, 2 RR wins will not get you into the playoffs. 3 wins might not either.
If the potential playoff cut line is 4 wins, and you look at the teams entered in this pool, you tell me how any of those teams can be considered playoff locks?
#PopcornMatch
Team Grandy vs. Team Inglis vs. Team Jones vs. Team E. Kim - RR: Any game combination from these 4 teams is going to be HUGE. Losses will be costly. Wins will be monumental. #YowieWowie
Team Tirinzoni vs. Team Morrison - Draw 2: A nice way to open the event for the 2 favourites out of Pool A. Luckily the loser still has ample opportunity to collect the wins needed to reach the playoffs. The winner should be comfortable for a playoff ticket.
Team Gim vs. Team Ha - Draw 15: The current Korean champ vs. The previous Korean champ. This should be a fun game...hopefully it will be streamed!
Qualifiers: Team Tirinzoni, Team Ha, Team E. Kim, Team Morrison, Team Gim, Team Jones, Team Yoshimura, Team Inglis
Championship: Team Tirinzoni def. Team Morrison
US Open of Curling - Championship
Blaine, MN
2022 Champion: Team Ha
Format: 12 team triple knockout with 6 qualifiers.
#Fav: Team Strouse
This may be debatable with many people probably assuming the higher ranked Team Peterson should be listed as the #Fav here but....have you been watching this season thus far?
Team Strouse is on a roll!
Moving up the world rankings. Moving up the Power Rankings.
Winning tour titles. Knocking off, basically, every team who steps on the ice against them.
4 events played. 3 finals. 2 titles. 1 SF finish. An overall record of 19-6.
And they enter play in Blaine riding a 7-match winning streak.
Plus they were a finalist here last year.
Any doubt on why they should be considered the #Fav?
#TeamUpset: Team Cousins
At first glance, you may not be familiar with the name Team Cousins.
What if I said the name Madison Bear? Sound a bit more familiar?
Three-quarters of this team competed last year as Team Bear and found success, including a playoff appearance at US Nationals.
With Bear no longer with the team, Elizabeth Cousins made the jump from second to skip, previous lead Allison Howell moved up to second and alternate Liz Janiak moved to lead.
And the new look Team Cousins was born.
They retain the majority of their ranking points from last year and find themselves sitting at #66 on the world rankings.
This will be their season opener event too.
They have alot of positives to build off last season, even with a lineup change.
And against an all-American field of contenders and challengers, this is a great opportunity to remind everyone they are here too!
#W2W4
Team Peterson is the still the face that runs the place.
Team Strouse is gaining all the momentum and attention.
Team Anderson remains a dark horse #TeamUpset.
But then who? Who can step up and challenge these 3 teams? Is America only a 1 or 2 or 3 team nation for women's teams?
Or can another team in this field make a move and announce their arrival this season?
Sure the Big 3 will be favourites. But that still leaves 3 other playoff spots up for grabs.
The fun part will be seeing who answers when the opportunity door starts knocking this weekend.
#PopcornMatch
Team Peterson vs. Team Cousins - Possible Draw 6: Both earn opening round byes so if they win their first games, they would meet in an A-SF.
Team Strouse vs. Team Anderson - Possible Draw 6: Similar to above, with the added attention of both teams being #TeamUpset contenders to start the season. One has moved past #TeamUpset consideration. The other would like to do the same now.
Qualifiers: Team Peterson, Team Strouse, Team Cousins, Team Anderson, Team McMakin, Team Rhyme
Championship: Team Strouse def. Team Peterson
Alberta Curling Series Major
Beaumont, AB
2022 Champion: Team Kitazawa
Format: 22 team triple knockout with 8 qualifiers.
#Fav: Team Fujisawa
Team Fujisawa has been patiently waiting 10 days to get back on the competitive ice after their QF loss at the Saville Shootout.
After winning their season opening event in Hokkaido back in August, the QF loss in Edmonton was not the end result they were hoping for.
We know how dangerous Fujisawa is. We also know how much more dangerous the team is after a loss.
This is a team who defines resiliency and turns short-term losses into long-term wins so anything less than a deep playoff run this weekend would be a surprise.
Plus, lets remember, this team is in Pan Continental tune-up mode right now with the 2023 PCCC next month.
#TeamUpset: Team Marks
The blog was big on Team Marks going into the U25 #NextGen Classic. And the team reached the final.
They missed qualification at the Saville Shootout but finished with a respectable 2-3 record, including victories over Team Einarson and Team Skrlik.
Do not let that #42 world ranking number fool you. This is a young team capable of making some noise this season against some of these higher ranked teams in the field.
We have already seen the success of Team Gray-Withers (also entered in this field).
Could we see the Double Knockout Punch from Alberta #NextGen teams with Marks and Gray-Withers making playoff runs this weekend?
#W2W4
The blog has been taking note for the past few weeks about the Canada vs. The World storyline.
This weekend it really could be Canada vs. Asia.
Asian representation will be scattered all over this triple knockout draw.
Japan will have Fujisawa, defending champs Team Kitazawa, Team Kanai, Team Sasaki and Team Tabata.
And all 5 of these teams have shown strong results already this season.
Korea will be represented by Team Park, who finished 5th at a very competitive 2023 Korean Curling Championship.
And China will, hopefully, be back on the ice with Team Han and Team Wang.
You may remember from the women's Season Preview post, the blog believes Han could be a dangerous #TeamUpset this season.
The Canadian teams will be in tough to #DefendTheIce as the home nation.
Japan took the title last season. Can Canada regain the title this season or are we in for more Asian domination?
#PopcornMatch
Team Tabata vs. Team Sasaki - Draw 2: A great all-Japanese battle from the start with the winner possibly getting Fujisawa in the A-SF game.
Team Cameron vs. Team Sturmay - Possible Draw 4: Should both win their opening games, this could be a great A-SF game for both teams.
Team Kitazawa vs. Team Marks - Possible Draw 4: The defending champs against the #TeamUpset flag bearers in an A-SF game, assuming both win their openers of course.
Qualifiers: Team Fujisawa, Team Cameron, Team Tabata, Team Kitazawa, Team Gray-Withers, Team Marks, Team Hunkin, Team Sasaki
Championship: Team Fujisawa def. Team Cameron
Rick Rowsell Classic
St. Johns, NL
2022 Champion: New Event
Format: 4 team double RR with Top 2 advancing to the championship final.
#Fav: Team Curtis
Stacie Curtis returned to the ice last season and it was a triumphant one. She led her team back to the Scotties, marking a 6th appearance for the skipper overall.
Team Curtis remains the favourite to #DefendTheIce in NL this season and get back to the Scotties next February.
This is a solid opening slide towards Calgary.
A small field but a field of fellow NL competitors who would love to knock off the reigning champs.
Curtis should find herself in the final. A win would give the team a ton of momentum and confidence.
#TeamUpset: The Field
If teams in NL are going to become the best, they need to beat the best.
The other 3 teams in the field (Team Boland, Team Godsland, Team Taylor) will need to step up to the hack and give the champs a challenge.
For these 3 teams, it might not even be about winning the title this weekend. If one, or more, can take a W off Team Curtis and book a spot in the final, win or lose the championship, it will still be a successful weekend and a statement made.
#W2W4
We get a mini-provincial preview. 4 teams from The Rock competing for a tour title.
An overwhelming favourite and defending provincial champion.
3 teams looking to step up and declare themselves a main provincial challenger.
#PopcornMatch
Team Boland vs. Team Godland vs. Team Taylor - All Draws: If Curtis is the fav and none of the other 3 can beat her in the RR, the games among themselves will decide the final spot in the final.
Qualifiers: Team Curtis, Team Boland
Championship: Team Curtis def. Team Boland
Great Western Brewing Bonspiel
Saskatoon, SK
2022 Champion: Not Held (Last Champion: Team S. Anderson, 2021)
Format: 16 team RR with 4 pools of 4.
#Fav: Team Martin
While some teams are just getting set to make their season debuts, Team Martin is already playing into the second month of their season.
This weekend will mark their 4th event of the year. And it has been a fairly successful early part of the season too.
A run to the finals in Leduc. A SF last weekend in Winnipeg. Sure those two events bookended the 0-5 result in Edmonton but feed off the successes and slide past the struggles.
Nancy Martin may be the sentimental favourite in Saskatchewan this season.
Martin was the team to beat last year. A team many picked to represent Team Green at the Scotties, this blog included.
And then came that provincial final. The tough loss to "Welcome Back" Silvernagle.
Martin has had her share of tough losses in her career but that one had to sting.
Could Martin be shifting her mentality this season from a "why not me?" mentality to a "Revenge Tour" mentality?
Maybe the killer edge is what is missing in her game.
If so, this weekend, against fellow SK competition, is the perfect time to release the beast.
#TeamUpset: Team Shumay
Saskatchewan curling fans may be familiar with the name Jill Shumay.
After all, she was the 2013 provincial champion who represented the province at the 2013 Scotties Tournament of Hearts.
But Shumay stepped away from the sport in 2015.
Fast forward 8 years and here she is back with a new team and ready to toss on the competitive slider.
Past provincial champions always earn respect in any field, regardless of how long away from the game.
This is will be fun to welcome Shumay back to the competitive ice and see how she stacks up against the "new" competition.
#W2W4
This field really is the Who's Who of Saskatchewan women's curling.
Look at the names competing: Sherry Anderson, Amber Holland, Michelle Englot, Nancy Martin, Penny Barker, Robyn Silvernagle.
And that is just to name a few top contenders.
But also we weary of the dark horse challengers like Team Blais, Team Just, Team Selzer, Team Ackerman, Team Mitchell, Team Stevenson.
This really is an early season Saskatchewan Scotties Tournament of Hearts event.
The winner will earn early bragging rights as the SK frontrunner.
There are many great events on the curling calendar this weekend but do not less this event slip by your radar.
#PopcornMatch
Team Barker vs. Team Englot vs. Team Shumay - Pool B: 3 past provincial champions all in the same pool. This should be fun to see who survives....and do not overlook Team Blais either here.
Team Holland vs. Team Martin - Draw 6: This game could decide who wins Pool A and the winner should book a ticket to the playoffs. Plus Amber Holland and Nancy Martin are two top contenders in the province this year.
Team Anderson vs. Team Silvernagle - Draw 8: The final RR game could have major playoff implications. This is a Sask Scotties rivalry if ever there was one in recent years. Silvernagle has the 3-1 H2H advantage since 2020 with all games played at the provincial championship. Overall Silvernagle leads the H2H over Anderson 12-8 as well.
Qualifiers: Team Martin, Team Barker, Team Mitchell, Team Anderson, Team Holland, Team Silvernagle, Team Ackerman, Team Englot
Championship: Team Martin def. Team Barker
MEN
AMJ Campbell Shorty Jenkins Classic
Cornwall, ONT
2022 Champion: Not Held (Last Champion: Team Epping, 2019)
Format: 24 team RR with 4 pools of 6. Top 8 qualify.
#Fav: Team Mouat
Ok, many Canadian curling fans may want to list Team Gushue here. And there is nothing wrong with that idea.
But, Gushue will be making their season debut this weekend.
Mouat has already been playing competitive curling...and has gone 2 for 2 on tour championships.
Plus, Mouat did ascend to the #1 world ranking recently.
All the rocks align for the Scottish lads to retain their #Fav status and continue to dominate.
The path to the playoffs is probably less bumpy compared to some of their fellow high-ranked competitors so expect to see the world champs in the playoff bracket chasing down another tour title on Sunday.
If Tiger wore red to chase championships on Sunday, maybe Team Mouat should start wearing lucky blue?
#TeamUpset: Team Asselin
In last week's preview post, Felix Asselin was listed in the #W2W4 section when competing at the KW Fall Classic.
But that was with his Canadian champion mixed team. And they reached the SF.
This week, Asselin is back on the ice but with his Quebec men's team. And they are making their season debut.
We have seen this team at the Brier, coming so close to knocking off those "big name" teams and closing in on playoff qualification.
Could this be their breakout year?
They enter the event ranked #35 in the world, so close to that Tier II cutoff ranking spot.
And the path to the playoffs will not be easy. Look at their final 3 RR games: Glenn Howard, John Shuster, Bruce Mouat.
On the positive note, they open with two games they can win. Their opener is against fellow Quebec competitors Team Desjardins.
If Asselin builds off the momentum he had last weekend with his mixed team and opens this competition with 2 wins, the team could have the season opening confidence to take down the bigger names later in the RR and make a playoff push.
#W2W4
The Best vs. The Rest?
And we say this with complete respect to all teams competing this weekend.
There are top of the mountain teams in this field. In fact, the Top 4 teams on the blog Power Rankings are all here: Mouat, Team Whyte, Team Gushue, Team Retornaz. Add in fellow Top 10er Team Edin.
If just those teams alone make the playoffs, there are 5 of the 8 spots gone.
Then we have Team Carruthers. Two-time defending champ John Epping. Olympic champ John Shuster. World champ Glenn Howard.
The big names could dominate here.
OR...
Do we see the next best, rest of the field make some noise?
Scotland's Team Craik is making moves this season. Owen Purcell has proved to be a dangerous opponent. Switzerland's Team Stocker made a final last weekend. And #NextGen rising star Sam Mooibroek is always ready to take down a big name.
Will "The Best" dominate the Elite 8 playoff bracket?
Or "The Rest" show they are not to be overlooked and shock the system?
#PopcornMatch
Team Retornaz vs. Team Whyte - Draw 1: Power Rankings #4 vs. Power Rankings #2 right off the start.
Team Mouat vs. Team Shuster - Draw 2: Winner could have the inside track to winning the pool.
Team Craik vs. Team Epping - Draw 6: Craik has been on fire this season. A win over the two-time defending champ would go a long way towards qualification.
Team Edin vs. Team Carruthers - Draw 8: Blockbuster matchup anytime, any place.
Team Gushue vs. Team Sato - Draw 10: A potential trap game for the Canadians? Sata has already played a lot of competitive curling this season.
Team Whyte vs. Team Mooibroek - Draw 10: The #NextGen potential is through the roof in this game.
Team Gushue vs. Team Epping - 13: Because why not? Big name battle.
Team Carruthers vs. Team Stocker - Draw 17: Depending how both to against Edin, this could be a de facto elimination game.
Team Mouat vs. Team Asselin - Draw 18: A #WinAndIn opportunity possibly for Asselin?
Qualifiers: Team Gushue, Team Mouat, Team Edin, Team Whyte, Team Craik, Team Asselin, Team Carruthers, Team Retornaz
Championship: Team Gushue def. Team Mouat
US Open of Curling
Blaine, MN
2022 Champion: Team Dropkin
Format: 16 team triple knockout with 8 qualifiers.
#Fav: Team Dropkin
Why go against the champs?
The Young Bucks return to their home state to #DefendTheIce.
Sitting at #10 in the world, Dropkin has momentum heading into the US Open.
The boys reached the SF at their last event in Europe and reached the QF two weeks ago in Oakville.
They will be overwhelming favourites this weekend.
And lets give a shout out to them for entering the US event as the defending champs.
With events in Cornwall and Okotoks listing stronger fields, and a great chance to improve their ranking points, Dropkin comes back to US soil to face national opposition.
Sometimes it isn't all about rankings and money folks. National pride and competition matters too.
#TeamUpset: Team Sampson
Ethan Sampson's team from Chaska, MN will be an interesting one to watch this weekend.
The team is coming off a QF appearance last weekend at the Mother Club event in Winnipeg as their season opener.
And now them return to home state ice to tackle American opposition.
This is a good opportunity for them to build on their momentum and success from last weekend too.
The QF result moved them into the Top 80 in the world, now sitting #76.
We have seen similar "dark horse" American teams make moves over the years (Dunnam, Casper). Is Sampson next?
#W2W4
No Shuster, No Problem.
With Shuster deciding to compete in Cornwall, some may think this event lost some luster.
Hardly.
Dropkin is back. And there are a slew of up and coming American men's teams looking to make some noise on the world rankings.
Team Casper is up to #28 in the world after a QF run last weekend in Beaumont.
Team Dunnam is sitting at #48.
Rich Ruohonen, now ranked #97, has represented the Stars & Stripes at a world championship and would love to get back there.
We have also seen early season positive results from Team Brundidge and Team Wendling.
This field is a lot deeper in talent than meets the eye.
#PopcornMatch
Team Connolly vs. Team Wendling - Draw 1: A tough opener in the triple knockout for two teams who are quite capable of making a playoff run.
Team Ruohonen vs. Team Sampson - Possible Draw 3: If both win their openers, this could be a fun A-SF game.
Team Dunnam vs. Team Casper - Possible Draw 8: Both avoided Dropkin in the top half of the bracket so a great opportunity for both, should they make it here, as an A-qualifier game.
Qualifiers: Team Dropkin, Team Casper, Team Dunnam, Team Sampson, Team Ruohonen, Team Brundidge, Team Wendling, Team Connolly
Championship: Team Dropkin def. Team Casper
ATB Okotoks Classic
Okotoks, AB
2022 Champion: Team Bottcher
Format: 24 team triple knockout with 8 qualifiers.
#Fav: Team Bottcher
Well there is a theme building for the #Fav status this weekend I guess. #DefendTheIce
But do you really want to bet against Bottcher on Alberta ice?
They already opened their season with a championship performance in Edmonton.
They are the defending champions here.
#TeamUpset: Team Zou
Welcome back to international ice China!
Do not let the world rankings fool you rockheads. Zou Qiang and his team may be ranked #140 in the world but the talent, and possibility for wins, is far higher than their ranking.
You may remember Zou Qiang from the 2022 Winter Olympics, where he was part of the Chinese men's team who finished 5th overall with a 4-5 record.
Among those 4 wins were victories over Switzerland's Team De Cruz, Norway's Team Walstad and Italy's Team Retornaz.
The return of Chinese teams on the tour was an unknown this season. Would they return? How would they perform? Could this still contend after COVID?
This will be a great opening litmus test for this team. A team quite capable of making a deep run up the world rankings this year.
And remember, Zou is a former PACC champion too (2014).
#W2W4
EVERYTHING!
Seriously, this field is stacked full of top contenders and dark horse challengers.
Your contender list will include Bottcher, Koe, Dunstone, McEwen, Morozumi, Sluchinski, Sturmay.
Your dark horse challenger list will include Brunner, Gosgens, Kleiter, Maeda, Yanagisawa.
And there are dangerous international teams: Hood, Kapp, Lee, Park and Zou.
Plus, we all know we want to see Team Sluchinski vs. Team Yanagisawa after Aaron Sluchinski's X, formerly known as Twitter, post last weekend right?
Mike McEwen weighed in with some replies as well so a McEwen vs. Yanagisawa game could have fireworks too.
Of note, Team Brunner did come to defense of Yanagisawa through a post on X. USA's Chris Plys and Alberta's Tyler Tardi have also weighed in on the social media platform defending Team Yanagisawa.
And The Curling News posted a story on Tuesday with quotes from Japanese coach Bob Ursel, calling the entire situation "bullshit".
Attack shots were made. Reputations were called into question. Feelings are being hurt. Posts were deleted. Apologies were made.
The overarching end result? Unknown in some ways.
But also a reminder, camera angles at local curling clubs may be playing a game of "Magic Eye" on the viewers more than we know.
The increase of viewing opportunities is great but these are not TSN cameras either. If a team does or does not cause an infraction, we best ensure there is hardcore fact based on more than just a stationary camera hanging somewhere in a local curling club.
This story is a social media trend building and building. Lets see what happens when the players/teams meet face to face?!
#PopcornMatch
Team Sluchinski vs. Team Zou - Draw 1: A possible trap game for a red hot Alberta team fresh off a win and facing a team who hasn't been on competitive ice in awhile but a strong #TeamUpset challenger.
Team Kleiter vs. Team Maeda - Draw 2: A tough opener for two teams very capable of making a run to the playoffs...and two teams who already have tour titles under the slider this season.
Team McEwen vs. Team Hood - Draw 2: A Battle of Smiling Skips?! 😉
Team Sluchinski vs. Team Sturmay - Possible Draw 3: If both win their openers, we get another page in the storied Alberta rivalry.
Team Brunner vs. Team Yanagisawa - Possible Draw 4: You know that post mentioned above? It was from the game last weekend between these two teams. Rematch?
Team Bottcher vs. Team Sluchinski/Sturmay - Possible Draw 6: No words needed. We all want to see it...and it would be an A-qualifier.
Qualifiers: Team Bottcher, Team Dunstone, Team Koe, Team Sluchinski, Team Brunner, Team McEwen, Team Kapp, Team Kleiter
Championship: Team Bottcher def. Team Koe
Rick Rowsell Classic
St Johns, NL
2022 Champion: Team Young
Format: 12 team RR with 2 pools of 6. Top 6 qualify.
#Fav: Team Young
They are the defending provincial champions. And they will attempt to #DefendTheIce at this event as slide in the right direction towards a repeat provincial championship.
The young team (get it?!) has already hit the ice this season, competing at the U25 #NextGen Classic at the end of last month.
The SF result in Edmonton should give them confidence and momentum against their fellow NL competitors, many of whom have yet to step on competitive ice this season.
A run to the playoffs should be expected but the path will not be a given either, especially when you have names like Colin Thomas and Andrew Symonds standing in your way.
#TeamUpset: Team Tipple
Here is an up and coming team from NL who could be ready to make some noise in the next few years.
If Team Young is still considered #NextGen, Team Tipple is the #NextNextGen.
They have dual athlete presence, playing baseball in the summer months and curling in the winter.
They have a relation to the most well-known curler coming out of #TheRock.
And they have a social media personality drawing in fans year after year.
Yes, they were the inaugural winners of the Grant Hopley Award in 2020.
Get to know the name Tipple now folks. You will be hearing it more often in the future.
#W2W4
What makes this event so great to watch is it feels like a NL Tankard preview...at the start of the season.
We have 12 teams from #TheRock entered to compete.
With Team Gushue already at the Brier as Team Canada, Newfoundland and Labrador remain open for the taking.
The winner will emerge as the early favourite to win the provincial title.
The losing teams will become the chase pack, looking to hunt down the champion for the rest of the season and knock them off.
Consider this lap one of a marathon race towards booking a ticket to Regina for the Brier next March.
#PopcornMatch
Team McNeil Lamswood vs. Team G. Smith - Draw 2: This is a huge opening game for two of the favs to emerge out of Pool B. Winner will have the inside track towards a possible bye to the SF.
Team Symonds vs. Team Thomas - Draw 3: If either of these teams in Pool A are going to challenge the defending champs, they need to get out of the gate with a W first.
Team G. Smith vs. Team Tipple - Draw 4: The Present vs. The Future.
Team Symonds vs. Team Young - Draw 8: The final RR game could decide the playoff bracket and, possibly, the winner earning a SF bye.
Qualifiers: Team Young, Team Smith, Team Symonds, Team McNeil Lamswood, Team Thomas, Team Skanes
Championship: Team G. Smith def. Team Young
Great Western Brewing Bonspiel
Saskatoon, SK
2022 Champion: Not Held (Last Champion: Team K. Hartung, 2021)
Format: 12 team triple knockout with 6 qualifiers.
#Fav: Team Knapp
The defending #TeamGreen provincial champs make their season debut this weekend.
As the highest ranked team in the field, #33, the pressure will be on them.
They are Team Sask. They rank higher. They are the hunted.
What is interesting to watch this season is how the team transitions from a #TeamUpset mentality, chasing down the top teams in the province, to becoming the team everyone wants to knock off.
For some athletes, regardless of sport, that can factor into their psychological play more than anything.
If Team Knapp can embrace the #Fav role, they have the skills to make a run at another provincial championship this season.
But first they need to get on the ice and knock off some of their provincial counterparts and play the part of a provincial champ.
#TeamUpset: Team Bernath
Bring on another #NextGen team trying to wave the #TeamUpset flag.
This is a telling year for the young team from Saskatoon.
Back at the 2022 Canadian Junior Curling Championships, Bernath was the Saskatchewan champion and ended up winning a bronze medal.
With junior days behind them, they are under that always stressful (and sometimes difficult) transition into the men's game.
We have seen Rylan Kleiter battle his way through the transition, sometimes with success and sometimes with struggles. Now we will see how Bernath handles it.
Bernath hit the ice in Edmonton at the U25 #NextGen Classic to open their season but it will be an event they will want to forget, going 0-5 and being outscored 34-13.
Big test this weekend against Sasky men's teams.
And speaking of #NextGen and Sask junior teams, keep your eyes on Team Drewitz. Drewitz represented SK at last years Canadian Junior Curling Championships as Sask2, after losing in the junior provincial SF.
#W2W4
There will be a few storylines to watch out for this weekend in Saskatoon.
Steve Laycock will be back on the ice with his team, also making their season debut.
Similar for Kody Hartung. The champs are back to #DefendTheIce...with some building pressure? Hartung has been one of the most consistently strong teams in the province for years but has yet to put all the pieces together at a provincial championship. Is this their year?
And this field is full of dark horse Saskatchewan teams.
Jason Jacobson. Michael Carss. Dustin Kalthoff. Garrett Springer. Ben Gamble.
With pre-season Sasky front-runner Team McEwen and #NextGen stud Rylan Kleiter playing in Okotoks this weekend, this is a great opportunity for the "rest" of the Sasky teams to gain some momentum heading into a Sask Tour season.
And lets not overlook the "one of these things is not like the other" team in the field.
Yup, it is not only Sasky teams playing this weekend. Manitoba will be represented by Team Riley Smith. We know what a dangerous team they can be as well. Can the Buffalo run over their prairie rivals and steal the trophy?
#PopcornMatch
Team R. Smith vs. Team Laycock - Draw 3: A good opening test for two teams who should be considered contenders for the playoffs and possibly the title.
Team Jacobson vs. Team Hartung - Draw 3: Blockbuster Sasky battle right here. Two teams who often push for playoff spots at the provincial Tankard but fall short in the big playoff games. Could this become a secret Sask rivalry we all need?
Team Knapp vs. Team Jacobson/Team Hartung - Draw 6: This could be a massive A-qualifier game involving teams who many consider to be the main contenders for the Sask tankard, alongside McEwen/Kleiter. Of course this assumes Knapp defeats Team Carss in their opener game, not a gimme game either.
Qualifiers: Team Laycock, Team Knapp, Team Hartung, Team Jacobson, Team R. Smith, Team Springer
Championship: Team Hartung def. Team Knapp
Note, there is also a tour event taking place in Ottawa this weekend called the Capital Curling Fall Men's. There are actually men's and women's teams entered in the 16 team field.
And there are mixed doubles tour events taking place in Saskatchewan, B.C. and Estonia.
Also worth noting, the Swedish women's Euro qualifier series will take place this weekend. The blockbuster rivalry continues: Team Hasselborg vs. Team Wrana.
The winner of the series will represent the Tre Kronor in Aberdeen, Scotland at the European Curling Championships in November.
A classic battle between two teams in the Top 10 of the world rankings (Hasselborg #7 vs. Wrana #8)...and two teams sitting near the top of the #TwineTime Power Rankings (Hasselborg #3 vs. Wrana #4).
#StayTuned
The PointsBet Invitational hits the ice next week. Are you ready to try and win a cool $1M dollars?
The #Sweep16 is BACK! You can register your bracket at Sweep 16 HERE.
As your 2022 Sweep 16 Media Champion, the blog will return early next week for a bracket preview podcast, breaking down all the action for the men's and women's brackets.
Who are the #Favs? Who could be a #BracketBuster? Plus the blog will do a full bracket reveal.
PLUS....a SPECIAL GUEST will join the podcast for the preview. WHO???
For those competing this weekend, good luck and good curling.
And as the blog says every week, remember the #PowerRankings are watching. 👀👀
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