Playdown Party 2023

 #BetweenTheSheets: Welcome To Playdown Party 2023

Everyone is invited to playdown season drama

Welcome back an annual tradition for the blog. You have all been invited to the biggest party of the year, the Playdown Party!

We have not seen a full Canadian-wide playdown party since 2020. And the party scene has suffered.

But welcome 2023 and the Return of Party Time!

You have the invite in your hand. Put on your best curling gear. Come and knock on my door. We've been waiting for you. Lets get it started in here!

The Playdown Party is THE biggest party of the curling season in Canada.

It sweeps the ENTIRE nation. A party in every province and territory. Thus, by geographical mass alone, it is already the biggest party.

It also has the LARGEST guest list. Each provincial/territorial playdown has a list of attendees invited to the party.

And you know what makes a party memorable? The drama! And this party is full of DRAMA!!

You go to a great party on a Friday or Saturday night and something dramatic happens. Someone gets in a fight. Or someone gets in an argument. Or someone is mad because so-and-so was (or was not) invited. Something happens.

And what defines the party as being a great party? The discussion about the drama as it unfolds and after the fact. We love drama. You know you do a bit as well. Go to a party and nothing happens. What are you going to talk about on Sunday or Monday? People love a good story and good stories have good drama.

You can bet this Playdown Party will have all kinds of DRAMA!!

There have already been a few parties we should note. Some of you maybe attended them. Some of you maybe missed them completely. Lets get caught up on the drama at some earlier playdown parties.

#STOH2023

Two provincial and three territorial championships helped get the 2023 Scotties Tournament of Hearts playdown party started.

Congratulations to the following teams for surviving their playdown parties and are now getting ready for the main event in Kamloops, B.C.:

#TeamCanada - Team Einarson
#TeamPacific - Team Grandy
#Labelleprovince - Team St-Georges
#PolarPower - Team Galusha
#TeamArctic - Team MacPhail
#PurplePower - Team Birnie

There are a few familiar party guests listed above.

Of course Team Canada will be led by Team Einarson, who will be looking for the #4peat in Kamloops.

NWT's Kerry Galusha will be playing in her 18th Scotties, tied for second all-time with Kim Kelly and one behind leader Colleen Jones. Officially this will be Galusha's 20th Scotties appearance.

Team Galusha dominated the field at the NWT Championship, going a perfect 8-0 and defeating Team Wainman in the final. Galusha made #HERstory at last year's Scotties, reaching the Championship Round after posting a 5-3 RR record and surviving a TB against Manitoba (Team Zacharias).

Quebec's Laurie St-Georges will return to the Scotties for a third straight appearance as Quebec champion. The team finished the Quebec Scotties RR with a 4-1 record, tied for first with 2 other teams. They won the SF (def. Team Verrault to avenge their lone loss) before defeating Team Horton in the final.

St-Georges finished 3-5 last year, missing the playoffs. At her Scotties debut in 2021 inside the #IceBubble, she went 6-6, qualifying for the Championship Pool and finishing T6 overall.

B.C. will have a new face to run the place as Clancy Grandy will be making her Scotties debut in 2023. Ok, technically, she was at the 2021 Scotties as alternate for Chelsea Carey's #WC1 team but this will be her first Scotties as a player and skip.

Grandy extracted revenge against past champ Team Brown in the final, surviving giving up 5 early and winning in an extra end. Team Brown had defeated Team Grandy in the A-qualifier and the 1 vs. 2 PPG.

Yukon's Hailey Birnie returns to the Scotties party. She made her debut in 2019 as vice with Team Baldwin and skipped her own team in 2020 and 2022. Last year the team finished 0-8. Birnie will welcome back Chelsea Jarvis (nee Duncan) to the team after she missed last year's competition. Jarvis will be making her 6th Scotties appearance.

Nunavut's Brigitte MacPhail will make her second straight trip to the Scotties, after debuting last year. MacPhail, based out of Halifax, will try to improve on last year's 0-8 record as her experienced squad returns.

#Brier2023

We also know five teams already punching their tickets to the Tim Horton's Brier in London, ON. Congratulations to the following teams:

#TeamCanada - Team Gushue
#TeamPacific - Team Gauthier
#Labelleprovince - Team Asselin
#TeamArctic - Team Higgs
#PurplePower - Team Scoffin

We have some returning party goers on the attendee list as well as a new invitee.

Team Gushue returns with the maple leaf on their backs. Gushue will be looking to #DefendTheIce and chase down his 4th Brier title in his 20th appearance.

Quebec's Felix Asselin will make his 4th Brier appearance but first as the full-time skip. He previously represented #Labelleprovince with Mike Fournier, although throwing final stones last year when the team finished 4-4 missing out on the Championship Pool.

Asselin was the top team at the Quebec Tankard, reaching the playoffs via the A-qualifier. The team slipped up in the 1 vs. 2 PPG but earned revenge in the final, defeating Team Roberge to punch their ticket to London.

Yukon will once again be represented by Thomas Scoffin. Scoffin will be making his 4th Brier appearance (2018, 2020, 2022) and second in a row. His best result was 2-6 in 2018 while going 1-7 last year.

Jake Higgs is back to represent Nunavut after making his debut in 2020 and going 0-7. Nunavut did not have a territorial championship. Remember Higgs was a coach with USA Curling and coached the Hamilton siblings at the 2018 Winter Olympics mixed doubles competition.

And lets welcome our new party players to the field, Team Gauthier! Gauthier went undefeated in winning the B.C. Tankard, defeating past champion Team Pierce in the final. Gauthier has seen the big Brier lights before, serving as alternate with Jason Gunnlaugson's Manitoba championship team in 2021. The 2023 Brier will be the first as a player and skip for the 2020 Canadian and World junior champion.

But now lets open the door and enter the #PlaydownParty with two Playdown Previews. Are you ready? Grab a cold beverage. Enjoy some hot eats. And get ready for some fun (and drama).

Playdown Previews

#ABStrong

Wetaskiwin, AB

2022 Champion: Team Walker

Format: 8 team RR. Top 3 advance to playoff with top seed earning bye to the final.

#Fav

The defending champs, Team Walker, are no more as the team decided to break away after last season and skip Laura Walker focusing on mixed doubles. However, there will be remnants of the defending champion team competing in Wetaskiwin.

Kate Hogan and Taylor McDonald are back to #DefendTheIce, now teaming up with 2018 Alberta champ (and runner-up last year) Casey Scheidegger and sister Jessie Haughian.

On paper, this team is stacked up to win this championship. They have the strongest resume among the field and have been competing regularly in #GSOC events and major tour events. They even made the final at the season-opening PointsBet Invitational (with Kristie Moore filling in at skip of course). They have also reached two additional tour finals this season.

They are coming off an 0-3 performance at the Canadian Open however so momentum may not be on their side. On the flip, they were stepping onto competitive ice last week to prepare for this championship while their opposition was in the practice hack.

They are 3-2 against the field this season.

#TeamUpset

The blog has said it before, it will say it again. Is this finally the season Team Skrlik makes a deep run at the Alberta Scotties?

This season has been their best on tour, winning a tour title in Okotoks and qualifying in 3 other events. One of those qualifications was via the A-side at the ultra-competitive Autumn Gold Classic where they defeated Team Jones, Team Jaeggi and Team Gim. All three teams who just competed at the Canadian Open last week.

Last year the team finished 1-6, a complete surprise given the talent. Is 2023 their redemption tour?

They are 5-4 against the field this season, including 2-0 vs. #Fav Team Scheidegger.

#W2W4

The Alberta Scotties is always a hot contest. 2023 should be no different.

Scheidegger is the #Fav. Skrlik is waving the #TeamUpset flag. But there are quite a few teams very capable of making a playoff push.

Team Hunkin has been playing outstanding this season, including reaching the final of the Tour Challenge Tier II (losing to new B.C. champ Team Grandy).

Team Rocque has been oh so close in the past, losing the SF last year and the final in 2020.

And watch out for Team Sturmay. Selena will be welcoming two-time Scotties champ Heather Nedohin to the team as vice. The team also will add Dacey Brown to the team. The two Super Spares are needed because Abby Marks and Paige Papley, the regular members of the team, are representing Canada at the Winter University Games in Lake Placid.

The field will also include Team Stiksma, Team Parent and Team Richards.

Qualifiers: Team Scheidegger, Team Hunkin, Team Skrlik

Alberta Championship: Team Scheidegger def. Team Skrlik


#TeamAcadia

Fredericton, NB

2022 Champion: Not held (Team Kelly assigned champion)

Format: 8 team RR. Top 3 advance to playoff with top seed earning bye to the final.

#Fav

Andrea Kelly is back, aiming for an 11th Scotties appearance and 10th NB Scotties title (not including 2022).

Kelly also has some unfinished business to attend to on Scotties ice after reaching the playoffs last year and winning the bronze medal. #HERstory for her.

Add in vice Sylvie Quillian's 4 NB titles and second Jill Brothers' 4 Nova Scotia titles, this team is full of experience.

The team has qualified in all 6 tour events this season, reaching 1 final, 2 SF and 3 QF.

They are also a perfect 5-0 against the field this season.

#TeamUpset

The field?!

This field does have experience of course. It is not just a bunch of fawns being fed to the wolves.

Jaclyn Crandall has been to a Scotties before, competing in 2021 with Team Adams. She also used to play with Quillian. This season is her first as a skip though. Her team does have experience with two-time NB champ Melissa Adams as alternate.

And keep your eyes on Shaelyn Park and Samantha Crook.

#W2W4

There are 6 teams trying to dethrone the Queen in Fredericton. And it will not be easy for any of them.

The PointsBet take on this championship may just be Team Kelly vs. The Field. And even then, would you bet against the experienced Team Kelly?

When Kelly made the decision to join forces with her main NB rival, Sylvie Quillian, it put the province on notice these two are here to own and dominate the NB Scotties for as long as they want.

Whether someone can come in and knock down a wall against the mighty kingdom is yet to be seen.

Qualifiers: Team Kelly, Team Crandall, Team Park

New Brunswick Championship: Team Kelly def. Team Crandall


#WC

2022 Representatives: Team Fleury (#WC1), Team Carey (#WC2), Team Homan/Miskew (#WC3)

Format: Top three teams who did not win their provincial/territorial championship based on CTRS.

Teams In Contention: Team Homan, Team Jones, Team Lawes, Team Scheidegger, Team Ackland, Team Ladouceur, Team Black, Team Inglis, Team Hunkin

#W2W4

It all starts in Alberta. Team Scheidegger is in a very good position to land one of the Top 3 CTRS spots right now. Should Scheidegger win Alberta, a wildcard spot opens for the field. A field that does include Alberta challenger Team Hunkin.

With Jones/Lawes/Ackland all competing in Manitoba, assuming one of them wins the Buffalo, the other two also are in a good position.

Homan will be the favourite in Ontario but could be challenged by fellow wildcard contenders Ladouceur and Inglis.

Right now it appears Manitoba is set to snag two of the three WC tickets. The final ticket will depend on what happens in Alberta and Ontario.

And it all gets going this weekend in Wetaskiwin.

Wildcard Picks: Team Lawes, Team Ackland, Team Ladouceur

#StayTuned

The blog will return next week with all the Playdown Party discussions. Plus this party is not just your normal run of the mill one-nighter. Heck it is not even your normal weekend festival. This party keeps bumping and grinding for a few weeks. Get ready for more #PlaydownPredictions next week!

And ICYMI, the #PowerRankings mountain has its first update in 2023. Check out where the top teams land HERE.

Party on Wayne....