News Masters

The Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling season continues with the Masters, running Oct. 27 to Nov. 1 at the Rath Eastlink Community Centre in Truro, N.S.

After a thrilling opening leg in front of sold-out crowds at the Tour Challenge last month in Paradise, N.L., the Masters is sure to pick up where we left off and continue the exciting action on the East Coast.

As the chase for the Rogers Grand Slam Cup continues, here’s our Eight Ends rundown covering the key points you need to know ahead of the Masters:

1st End: Masters by the numbers

The Masters is the second event of the 2015-16 Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling season and the first of four majors on the circuit alongside the National, Canadian Open, and Players’ Championship.

This is the 15th running of the Masters and the first time the tournament will be held in Nova Scotia. The event started as a men’s invitational during the inaugural GSOC season in 2002 while a women’s division was added in 2012.

The top 13 men’s and top 13 women’s teams based on the World Curling Tour’s total order of merit received invites to the Masters. Tour Challenge Tier 2 winners and sponsor exemptions round out the 15-team fields for both divisions.

2nd End: Women’s storylines to follow

Team Rachel Homan of Ottawa have been playing lights-out curling all season. Will they continue their stellar performance as Homan looks to win her third Masters title in four seasons?

Edmonton’s Team Val Sweeting missed the playoffs at the Tour Challenge, but expect a rebound as they aim to defend their Masters crown.

Reigning Scotties champion Jennifer Jones welcomes back lead Dawn McEwen, who will be making her Pinty’s GSOC return after giving birth to daughter Vienna over the summer. The Winnipeg team didn’t qualify in Paradise and will try to bounce back at the Masters.

Team Tracy Fleury of Sudbury, Ont., and South Korea’s Team EunJung Kim both had personal-best Pinty’s GSOC finishes reaching the semifinals at the Tour Challenge. What’s in store for the encore?

Is another title in the cards for Team Silvana Tirinzoni? The Swiss squad stunned many by capturing the Tour Challenge, earning their first career Pinty’s GSOC championship and taking an early lead in the Rogers Grand Slam Cup standings.

3rd End: Men’s storylines to follow

Calgary’s Team Kevin Koe took the title at the Tour Challenge and with that momentum on their side, second Brent Laing eyes a record seventh Masters championship while third Marc Kennedy and lead Ben Hebert are looking to win their first.

Team Brad Gushue of St. John’s have been on a hot streak to start the season. The defending Masters champions picked up their fourth title of the season this past weekend at the Challenge Chateau Cartier de Gatineau in Gatineau, Que.

Gushue defeated Team Mike McEwen in last year’s final, but it was the Winnipeg squad that stole the headlines. McEwen made an amazing shot to score four in the sixth end that went viral and instantly earned “shot of the year” honours. Team McEwen have also been strong out of the gate this season winning two titles on tour.

Brier champs Team Pat Simmons of Calgary and world silver medallists Team Thomas Ulsrud of Norway missed the Tour Challenge and it’ll be interesting to see how they figure into the mix at the Masters.

4th End: Moving on up

The inaugural Tour Challenge Tier 2 event in September has given a pair of teams the chance to face the best at the Masters.

Kerri Einarson and her Winnipeg-based team won their first title together at the Tour Challenge in order to qualify for the women’s division.

Over on the men’s side, it was a different story as Tier 2 champ Jim Cotter and his team from Vernon, B.C., are making their return to the elite ranks after slipping in the order of merit last season. Team Cotter finished runner-up to Team Koe at the Masters in 2012.

5th End: Sponsor’s exemptions in play

Two Nova Scotia teams will get their chance to play in a Pinty’s GSOC event on home-province ice in Truro.

Halifax’s Team Shawn Adams was selected as the sponsor’s exemption for the men’s division. Adams, a four-time provincial champion, formed a new team this season joining forces with 2004 Brier winners Mark Dacey and Andrew Gibson as well as 12-time Grand Slam champion Craig Savill.

Reigning Nova Scotia Scotties champions Team Mary-Anne Arsenault of Halifax were picked for the women’s division. Arsenault won two world and five Canadian championships playing second on Colleen Jones’s legendary team.

6th End: Champions Cup spot on the line

A new incentive for teams looking to win the Masters this year is they’ll also earn spots for the inaugural Champions Cup.

The season-ending Pinty’s GSOC event runs April 26 to May 1, 2016, in Sherwood Park, Alta, and teams must win a major tournament in order to qualify.

7th End: Action on and off the ice

You might not want to leave the Rath Eastlink Community Centre with a full slate of live entertainment scheduled in the Grand Slam Social House in between each draw every day during the Masters.

8th End: Watch on Sportsnet & CBC

Can’t make it to Truro? Sportsnet and CBC will bring the action live to your screen.

Watch Sportsnet’s coverage on your tablet, phone, laptop or desktop with Sportsnet NOW. Also available is our online streaming package, click here to subscribe for draws airing on Sportsnet starting Thursday at 11 a.m. ET / 8 a.m. PT.