24 teams in 24 days — Day 9: Team Edin
We’re profiling all 24 teams, one per day, to get ready for the return of the Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling leading up to the start of the Humpty’s Champions Cup.
Day 9: Team Edin
Lineup: Niklas Edin (skip), Oskar Eriksson (third), Rasmus Wranå (second), Christoffer Sundgren (lead)
Home club: Karlstads Curlingklubb; Karlstad, Sweden
Edin was born in Örnsköldsvik, which is also the birthplace of several famous hockey superstars including Peter Forsberg, Markus Naslund, Victor Hedman plus twins Daniel and Henrik Sedin.
The 35-year-old Edin is a four-time world men’s curling champion and the only skip since 1964 to accomplish that feat. He is also a seven-time European Championships gold medallist and has skipped Sweden at the past three Winter Olympic Games earning bronze in 2014 and silver in 2018. Edin also served as the flag bearer for Sweden in the opening ceremonies of the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
With no world championship held last year, Team Edin enter this year’s event as the double defending champions.
Team Edin won three Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling men’s events and claimed the Pinty’s Cup during the 2016-17 season. Their first came at the 2016 Masters in Okotoks, Alta., stealing the winning point in an extra end from Team Jacobs to become the first non-Canadian men’s team to win a title in the series.
Edin was back in the winner’s circle two weeks later capturing his second at the Tour Challenge in Cranbrook, B.C., defeating Team Smith in the final. The Players’ Championship completed the trifecta, or tre kronor if you will, with Edin beating Team McEwen at Ryerson’s Mattamy Athletic Centre in Toronto.
This past season saw Team Edin reach the men’s final of the BOOST National in Conception Bay South, N.L., finishing runners-up to Team Jacobs.
The Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling returns with the Humpty’s Champions Cup, April 14-18, followed by the Princess Auto Players’ Championship, April 20-25. Both events will be played at Calgary’s WinSport Arena and closed to the general public. Watch live coverage on Sportsnet, stay tuned for the broadcast schedule.