#BetweenTheSheets: Champions Cup Preview
A fond farewell the final slam event...for now?
Are you ready to say a fond farewell rockheads?
When the final rock stops spinning at the Champions Cup in Regina, we will be saying a few farewells.
We will say goodbye to the 2022/23 curling season. And what a season it has been.
But, perhaps to a great level of sadness, we will say goodbye to the Champions Cup event.
It has been announced the Champions Cup event will officially be put on hiatus after this season.
An event started in 2016 will be taking its last slide at The Co-operators Centre on Sunday May 7 with the men's and women's finals.
It will be a bit sad to see this event fall into the boards.
The Champions Cup really is a celebratory event, bringing together event champions for one final Battle Royal to crown the ultimate Champion of the Season.
Unlike other #gsoc events, qualification into this event is not based on ranking points. If you want a ticket to this event, you need to earn your spot...literally!
Each team competing won an event this season, whether it be a Grand Slam of Curling event or a tour event or a world championship or a national championship.
There are no freebie handouts in this field. No event lives up to the #WinAndIn motto more than the Champions Cup.
And now we will bit it a fond farewell...but maybe only temporarily? 🤞🤞
Here is how each team qualified for the field:
MEN
Team Mouat - 2022 Players' Championship
Team Gushue - 2022 Champions Cup
Team Edin - 2022 World Men's Curling Championship
Team Dropkin - 2022 Tour Challenge Tier II
Team Retornaz - 2022 WFG Masters
Team Bottcher - 2023 Co-op Canadian Open
Team Shuster - 2022 US Men's Curling Championship
Team Carruthers - 2022 PointsBet Invitational
Team Knapp - 2023 SCT Players Championship
Team Dunstone - 2022 Red Deer Curling Classic
Team Whyte - 2022 Swiss Cup Basel
Team Ferris - 2022 Stu Sells Brantford NISSAN Classic
WOMEN
Team Hasselborg - 2022 Players' Championship
Team Einarson - 2022 Champions Cup
Team Tirinzoni - 2022 World Women's Curling Championship
Team Homan/Fleury - 2022 Tour Challenge Tier I
Team Grandy - 2022 Tour Challenge Tier II
Team Fujisawa - 2023 Co-op Canadian Open
Team Peterson - 2022 US Women's Curling Championship
Team Jones - 2022 PointsBet Invitational
Team Gim - 2022 Curlers Corner Autumn Gold Curling Classic
Team Lawes - 2022 Stu Sells 1824 Halifax Classic
Team Ladouceur - 2022 North Greenville Fall Classic
Team Rørvik - 2023 Sun City Cup
Worth noting, some teams declined their invite. Remember, if a team declines the invite OR a qualification spot is taken by a team already qualified, the next spot in the draw is filled by the next highest WCT event winner.
And the WCT winners are based on the event's Strength of Field quotient number.
Team Walter (2022 DEKALB Superspiel), Team Kitazawa (2022 Curling Stadium Alberta Curling Series) and Team E. Kim (2022 Karuizawa International) qualified for the field but, for various reasons, decided to decline.
Their decline allowed acceptance from Team Lawes, Team Ladouceur and Team Rørvik.
Team Gushue, Team Edin, Team Bottcher, Team Schwaller, Team Shuster, Team Mouat, Team Retornaz, Team Whyte and Team Dunstone were multi-winners this season and thus occupied multiple qualification positions.
Those multiple wins from those teams ended up being an advantage for Team Ferris, the final team in the men's field.
On the women's side, Team Einarson, Team Tirinzoni, Team Fleury, Team Jones, Team Grandy, Team Hasselborg and Team Gim were the multi-winners and earned multiple qualification positions.
Their multi-wins ended up being an advantage, combined with teams declining invites, for those final 3 invites.
Worth noting, 2022 European Curling Championship women's champion Team Dupont from Denmark were also invited to attend but had to decline due to a personal reason (and a personal reason of family celebration).
Of course #ECC2022 men's champion, Team Mouat, already had earned a spot in the field from their 2022 Players' Championship win at the end of last season.
Before we dive into the Championship Cup itself, let us take a brief moment to congratulate all the teams who qualified for this event, whether accepting their invite or having to decline, as well as shout out to any team who landed in the winner's circle this season.
Winning any event, regardless of strength of schedule, is an accomplishment and for those teams who did secure a winner's cheque during the 2022/23 season...CONGRATULATIONS!!! 🥳🥳
So lets get to the competition shall we?
Who are the #Favs? Who can be #TeamUpset? And, of course, #W2W4!
Bring on the preview and predictions...
Champions Cup
Regina, SK
2022 Champions: Team Einarson (women) & Team Gushue (men)
Format: 12 team RR with 2 pools of 6. Top 6 qualify. 1st place in each pool earn bye to SF.
WOMEN
Pool A
Teams: Team Hasselborg, Team Homan, Team Jones, Team Peterson, Team Rørvik, Team Tirinzoni
#Fav:
When you start your season with a tour win, you might as well end it with a tour win right?
This is what Switzerland's Team Tirinzoni is looking to accomplish. The perfect bookend to a near perfect season.
They opened their season with a tour title in Quebec last August. Since then, they have won 6 more titles, including the world championship and #gsoc BOOST National.
Remember that small stretch of competition in December 2022/January 2023 when they went 1-7 at back-to-back slam events (Masters, Canadian Open)?
No? Well neither do they.
Since then, they have reached 4 straight finals, winning 3 titles. And the 4th was their run to the Players' Championship final a few weeks ago in Toronto.
Want to know what their overall record is in 2023? How does 36-8 sound?!
And yes, that is JUST since the calendar switched over in January.
Overall they are 76-18 this season. Yowie Wowie!
Are you willing to bet against them here?
If there is any slight, and I mean very small slight, against them it could be lead Briar Schwaller-Hurlimann returning to the team after just competing at the World Mixed Doubles Curling Championship in Korea last week.
Could all the curling, and travel, start wearing her down a bit?
Even if so, which is VERY understandable, with this lineup in front of her, they are still going to be the #Favs.
#TeamUpset:
Beware Norway's Team Rørvik!
Many may believe their run to the world women's final last month was a fluke but when you look at the season they have had, the consistent theme is finals.
They have competed in 10 events this season. This includes #ECC2022, #WWCC2023 and the Norwegian National Championships.
Of those 10 events, they have reached 7 finals. 7!!!
I don't care who you are, who you play or where you play, to reach 7 of 10 FINALS is an amazing accomplishment.
How is that for consistency?
Of course, on the flip side, of those 8 finals they have only won 2 championships: The Norwegian National Championship and the 2023 Sun City Cup, which earned them their ticket into this event.
But again, do not discredit them because of strength of field or their schedule being mostly European events against teams perhaps not considered "familiar" names by Canadian curling fans.
You saw what they did at the world championships, right?
Why should you assume they cannot do the same against this #gsoc field?
They may be a slam rookie team but they have shown all season what happens when you underestimate them.
And remember, lead Martine Rønning was also in Korea competing at #WMDCC2023.
Get ready for the big world finale rematch vs. Team Tirinzoni on Thursday evening. It probably will not be the TV game but hopefully the TV viewing population will receive some updates.
But if not, #TwineTime will have you covered 😉
#W2W4:
This is the remix. The 2022 Champions Cup Pool A remix.
Back again are Team Hasselborg, Team Tirinzoni and Team Peterson.
Jennifer Jones is back as well, albeit this time with a different team in front of her. And, similar to Schwaller-Hurlimann, she will be returning from Korea to compete here as well. Could there be some jetlag early in the event?
Gone are Team Dupont and Team Holland.
Welcome Team Homan and Team Rørvik.
Last year Team Hasselborg (5-0) and Team Tirinzoni (4-1) survived the pool as the only teams to reach the playoff bracket.
Tirinzoni is back as the world champs...again.
Hasselborg is back but with a slightly altered lineup as skipper Anna Hasselborg remains in Sweden preparing for the new addition to her family. Wishing her, new baby and the family all the best! Johanna Heldin returns the ice and will be playing second this week.
Peterson went 2-3 last year while Jones, with her previous team, finished 1-4.
Peterson could be a team to watch out for as new world mixed doubles champion Cory Thiesse returns with a gold medal around her neck and a wave of positivity from Korea. Hopefully the travel, and post-win celebrations, do not derail her momentum.
Of course Homan was also here last year, with her previous team, and she reached the playoffs with a 3-2 record.
New Team Homan member, Tracy Fleury, also was here last year also with her previous team and reached the playoffs with, also, a 3-2 record.
Both Homan and Fleury competed in Pool B last year. Now they have joined forces and are slotted into the highly competitive Pool A.
They will also have a #SuperSpare joining the team in Regina as Rachelle Brown will play lead while Sarah Wilkes is also on maternity leave. Wishing Wilkes and family all the best.
And can the northernmost team in the field represent the Kingdom of Norway and continue to surprise the curling world one last time this season?
Folks, this is going to be a fun pool to watch unfold. Arguments could be made for all 6 of these teams being legit playoff contenders.
The question is who will survive or will the teams devour one another in the RR portion of the competition, leaving the championship to be contended amongst those in Pool B?
Projected Final Standings: 1. Team Tirinzoni 2. Team Homan 3. Team Rørvik 4. Team Jones 5. Team Hasselborg 6. Team Peterson
Pool B
Teams: Team Einarson, Team Fujisawa, Team Gim, Team Grandy, Team Ladouceur, Team Lawes
#Fav:
Team Einarson seems to thrive in these #DefendTheIce situations. So why not do it once again to end the season?
With respect to the other teams in this pool, the SF bye is really Team Einarson's for the taking.
They have been the most consistent team on tour this season.
And while their streak of #gsoc finals came to a halt at the Players' Championship with the SF loss, they still reached the SF folks. 7 straight slam events dating back to last season with a Final Four result.
Not to mention 2 titles along the way, including this event last year.
Kerri Einarson seems to really love this event as well. She has qualified for this field every year it has been held.
She has 1 title (2022), 2 finals (2018, 2019) and 2 SF (2016, 2021) results under the slider. The only miss was failing to qualify for the playoffs in 2017 (lost a TB vs. Jamie Sinclair).
Perhaps "consistency" is secretly Einarson's middle name? Has anyone checked her birth certificate?
Note lead Briane Harris will miss this event as she prepares to welcome her little bundle of joy into the family. Wishing her and her family, and new baby, all the best.
Coming out of retirement at lead will be Dawn McEwen! Welcome back Dawn!!
#TeamUpset:
Bring on some #NextGen love to the 2023 Champions Cup field.
Welcome Ontario's Team Ladouceur.
Remember when the Champions Cup first started and the World Junior Curling Championships winners would receive an auto spot in the field?
Don't we miss that? Honestly!
How awesome was it to have #NextGen representation at the final event of the season and truly support a #growthesport mentality?
Unfortunately that auto qualification spot no longer exists and, as such, we do not have the guaranteed #NextGen representation anymore.
Team Ladouceur, you are the flag bearer for not only #TeamUpset but for the entire #NextGen movement while competing. But no pressure, ok?!?
In all seriousness though, this team won their way into the field. All season!
They reached 4 tour finals. 4 straight tour finals worth noting. They won 3 tour events. And that was just their September/October schedule.
We also saw them compete at their first #gsoc event in January, competing at the Canadian Open.
They may have gone 0-3 at the event but the experience could help them in Regina as they search for their first GSOC win(s).
The only main cause of concern for the young team is lack of competitive playing. We have not seen them on the competitive ice since bowing out of the Ontario Scotties at the end of January.
A bit of rink rust is expected but against this field, it could also spell danger right out the hack.
#W2W4:
This is a classic Pan-Continental pool featuring 4 teams from Canada and 2 teams from Asia. Which side will prevail?
Japan's Team Fujisawa has already made #HERstory this season in becoming the first Asian team to win a slam title (Canadian Open).
Korea's Team Gim was a finalist here last year and has reached 4 straight #gsoc semi-finals (Tour Challenge, Masters, Canadian Open, Players' Championship).
Both could turn the Canadian curling fans on their heads with strong RR results and pick the Canadian pocket for playoff spots.
And guess what game we get in the opening draw Tuesday morning? Fujisawa vs. Gim!
And guess what game we get Wednesday night? The 2022 Champions Cup final rematch: Einarson vs. Gim.
Those two games to start the competition, before TV coverage even gets going, could go a LONG way in deciding how this pool plays out.
Team Lawes may be the wildcard in the pool. They started their season strong, including a SF run at The National. But they have fallen off the #gsoc playoff picture the past two events, missing out at the Canadian Open and Players' Championship.
Now of course we cannot be too hard on a team who has been celebrating new additions to the curling family all season either. Those are reasons to celebrate! From curling while pregnant to having #SuperSpares added to the roster to celebrating the birth of healthy new babies, Team Lawes has had one of the most memorable seasons on and off the ice this year.
Imagine ending it in the most perfect way possible...winning a slam title.
Of course, lets not just write off the ultimate #TeamUpset of the entire season (who does not qualify for #TeamUpset status anymore) Team Grandy.
They may have failed to reach the playoffs at The Masters and Players' Championship this season but they should not be overlooked.
They are the ultimate dark horse in this pool...and this field. Watch out?!
Projected Final Standings: 1. Team Einarson 2. Team Gim 3. Team Fujisawa 4. Team Grandy 5. Team Lawes 6. Team Ladouceur
Qualifiers: Team Tirinzoni, Team Einarson, Team Homan, Team Gim, Team Rørvik, Team Fujisawa
#GSOC Champions Cup Women's Final: Team Gim def. Team Tirinzoni
MEN
Pool A
Teams: Team Carruthers, Team Dunstone, Team Ferris, Team Gushue, Team Retornaz, Team Whyte
#Fav:
Do we ever bet against Brad Gushue?
Do we dare bet against him as the defending champion?
He showed what happens if anyone tries at the Brier.
Can he do it again at the Champions Cup?
At the Players' Championship we wondered how the team would rebound so quick after a tough, emotional loss in the world championship final.
They rebounded quite nicely, reaching the playoffs and walking away with a SF result.
And this team has been one of the most consistent on #gsoc ice this season, winning one title (The National), reaching 3 SF (Tour Challenge, Canadian Open, Players') and 1 QF (Masters).
Pencil them in to win the group, earn the SF bye and see what happens from there?
#TeamUpset:
Curling fans may look at this pool and start singing the "One of these things is not like the other" song.
And, if so, they should mean no disrespect to Pat Ferris and his team from Grimsby, Ontario.
The 47-year-old skip may be making his #gsoc debut but do not count him out. He has been a regular staple on the Ontario curling scene for years and has been making a steady climb up the rankings these past few seasons.
The team has reached 4 tour finals this season and picked up 2 tour titles. They may have struggled at the Ontario Tankard, finishing 2-3 and missing the playoffs, but they can still be a viable #TeamUpset flag bearer against a group of teams who may not be as familiar with them as they are with one another.
Sometimes the "New Kid on the Block" can be Hangin' Tough and show they have the "Right Stuff" remember.
#W2W4:
This is going to be a pool of opportunity. Outside of Gushue attempting to #DefendTheIce, the rest of the teams in this pool did not qualify for this event last season.
Sure Brad Jacobs was skipping his own team and now will be competing with Team Carruthers.
And Ross Whyte was in Olds subbing for Grant Hardie with Team Mouat.
But both are now with their regular teams and looking to finish the season strong.
And what about the Brier runner-up Team Dunstone? They will get another shot at Gushue in the Wednesday evening draw. Too bad we have no TV coverage for that one.
Or what about Dunstone taking on provincial rival Carruthers? That game goes Tuesday afternoon, the opening game for both. Again, no TV coverage unfortunately.
All eyes may want to be on Italy's Team Retornaz. What a season they are having. From Euro bronze to slam victory (Masters) to losing the world bronze to 2 SF #gsoc results (Canadian Open, Players' Championship)...what does the Italians have left in the tank for Regina?
Note second Sebastiano Arman was just in Korea competing at the #WMDCC2023 too. How much did that competition, and travel, affect his gas tank?
This pool is going to be VERY interesting!
Projected Final Standings: 1. Team Gushue 2. Team Dunstone 3. Team Retornaz 4. Team Whyte 5. Team Carruthers 6. Team Ferris
Pool B
#Fav:
It is hard to bet against the current world champions when they are in the field but Scotland's Team Mouat struggled at the Players' Championship and struggled at this event last year.
Could they just be a team who runs out of gas at the end of a long season?
Perhaps...and who can blame them!
Skipper Bruce Mouat might not have anything left in the tank after the April he has had. From the world championships to the Players' Championship to the World Mixed Doubles Curling Championship to the Champions Cup. He is putting in some serious ice time over the past month. Will it catch up to him?
Plus all that travel! While his boys were enjoying a deserving vacation in Las Vegas, Mouat was in Korea chasing down another world title.
We know this team can beat anyone in the field. And they are the world champs after all.
But is the tank running on fumes by this point in the year?
#TeamUpset:
The home province fans will be out in full force cheering for the lone Sasky team in the field.
Team Knapp made a splash on ice this season when they won the Sask Tankard and proved to be a dangerous dark horse challenger at the 2023 Brier.
Sure they missed the playoffs but finishing 4th in your pool with a 4-4 record is a strong accomplishment.
Can they continue that momentum at the season-ending event in front of Sasky curling fans?
Those attending in Regina certainly hope so.
And remember, this is not a "flash in the pan" team. They did win 4 tour titles this season before winning the #TeamGreen jackets.
This is a pool full of experience. International experience. Olympic experience.
Knapp may not have the resume to stack up with the competition but he may just have the #TeamUpset game, and crowd support, to shock a few of these teams.
#W2W4:
Is this 2022 Pool B - The Remix? Eerily similar to the women's Pool A preview above?
If you remember last year at this event, Bottcher, Dropkin, Edin and Mouat were all placed in the same Pool B.
Fast forward a year later and here we are again. A bit of #HIStory repeating? If so, advantage Edin (4-1) and Bottcher (3-2) as they both made the playoffs. Dropkin (2-3) and Mouat (1-4) missed out.
But what about the "new faces" to the Pool B party?
Could Team Shuster and/or Team Knapp push the "regulars" aside and make a playoff push themselves?
Last year Jason Gunnlaugson was in this pool and qualified for the playoffs while Korea's Team Kim missed out.
Which team will be the "Gunnlaugson" in the pool this year?
And can Dropkin and/or Mouat reverse the fortunes of a year's past?
Plus we get the All-American battle between main rivals Team Shuster and Team Dropkin Wednesday afternoon. Shuster took the US championship. Dropkin is arriving with a world championship around his neck. Who takes the final battle for Stars & Stripes bragging rights?
If the set up is 2 Americans, 2 Canadians, a Swede and a Scot walk onto the ice...what will be the punchline and who will it be against?
Qualifiers: Team Gushue, Team Edin, Team Dunstone, Team Bottcher, Team Retornaz, Team Mouat
#GSOC Champions Cup Men's Final: Team Dunstone def. Team Gushue
What say you rockheads? Agree or disagree with the predictions? Who are YOU cheering for?
Share your thoughts via the comments below and/or via social media using #GSOC.
There are international events on the ice as well.
The European Curling Championship C-Division is underway in Dumfries, Scotland.
8 men's nations and 10 women's nations are competing for promotion to the #ECC2023 B-Division. As the host location for the 2023 European Curling Championships has not been finalized, only the winning nations will earn promotion and will compete at #ECC2023 in November.
Having said that, depending on where the competition is played and where said host nation is competing, the C-Division runner-up MAY earn a promotion ticket as well. #StayTuned
Worth noting, Poland will return to international competition. We last saw the Polish men compete at the 2019 European Curling Championships, where the men won B-Division bronze while the women were relegated to the C-Division.
Of course neither team would compete again until this year and both will start in C-Division, hoping to claw their way back up the European curling pyramid.
For the men's competition, Ukraine and Slovenia are attempting to regain promotion back to the B-Division after being relegated last year. Poland should be considered a favourite as well.
And if you want to cheer for a #TeamUpset in the C-Division, watch out for the tiny nation of Liechtenstein. Last year they struggled with an 0-8 finish but in 2021 they just missed the playoffs with a 5-4 record.
For the women's competition, Slovakia and Spain will try to earn their spots back in B-Division after being relegated in 2022.
Their main contenders for promotion should come from Ireland, who finished just outside of promotion in 4th at the 2022 C-Division, and the return of Poland.
Keep your eyes on debutants Portugal as a #TeamUpset challenger. We saw the Portugal men earn B-Division promotion last year at this event. Can the women follow suite? They happen to be skipped by April Gale Seixeiro, whose husband Steve skips the men's team.
Catch all the live scores and updated standings at the World Curling Federation event page HERE.
#StayTuned
The #TwineTime blog will be in Regina to cover the event. Live around the rings coverage will begin Tuesday on the TwineTime social media accounts.
A special thank you to the Grand Slam of Curling for their continued support of the blog and providing media accreditation to non-traditional media outlets.
And the blog may just have a SPECIAL GUEST joining in on the fun all week. Any guesses? 👀
For those competing in Regina, the ice is yours. Good luck and good curling!
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