The Players’ Championship is the fourth and final major of the Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling season and is the crown jewel event of the series. Also known as the tour championship, the Players’ Championship features the top-ranked teams of the season and is arguably the hardest title to win on tour.
The event predates the Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling itself and was first held in Calgary in 1993, known originally as the VO Cup. The powerhouse team of Russ Howard, Glenn Howard, Wayne Middaugh, and Peter Corner claimed the inaugural Players’ Championship title. It was a dream season for the foursome as they also won the Brier and world championships that year.
Middaugh won three of four Players’ Championship tournaments from 1999 to 2002, with a loss to Team Martin in the 2000 final denying a four-peat.
A women’s division was added in 2006 with Jennifer Jones winning the first.
John Epping, who won the National in 2008 with Middaugh’s team, earned his first Grand Slam title as a skip in 2012, edging Team Howard 7-6 in the final and avenging a loss to Team Howard earlier that season in the World Cup of Curling (Masters) final. It was also extra special for Epping’s second Scott Howard, who earned his first-ever Grand Slam title in the process by defeating his father Glenn. Team Epping beat the odds, too, as they were the No. 8 seed in the event.
The 2013 Players’ Championship women’s final came down to a world championship rematch between Scotland’s Team Muirhead and Sweden’s Team Sigfridsson. The world champs prevailed again as Muirhead’s crew became the first non-Canadian team to win a Grand Slam of Curling event. Muirhead also became the youngest skip to win a Grand Slam title at age 22.
It was an emotional 2014 Players’ Championship with legendary skip Kevin Martin announcing he would retire at the conclusion of the event. Martin reached the final against Team Jacobs in a matchup between the 2010 Olympic gold medallist (Martin) and the recently crowned 2014 Olympic champions (Jacobs). Martin capped his career on a high note winning 4-3 to earn his record 18th Grand Slam men’s title.
Jacobs was back in the title picture the following year looking to earn his first career Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling championship at the 2015 Players’ Championship in Toronto. Team Jacobs faced off against Team McEwen, who had already won two Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling events during a sensational tour season. Jacobs stole the winning point in the final end to claim not only the Players’ Championship title but also the Pinty’s Cup.
It was deja vu on the women’s side with Muirhead taking home the Players’ Championship title once again in Toronto. Muirhead stole points in the final two ends to beat Team Sidorova 4-2. Muirhead then made it three in four years defeating Team Jones to capture the 2016 Players’ Championship crown.
Team Gushue took the men’s title in 2016 topping defending champions Team Jacobs to complete a career Grand Slam.
Team Sinclair became the first United States-based club to win a Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling trophy when they captured the 2018 Players’ Championship women’s title.
Champions – NEED PHOTOS
| Season | Men’s Champions | Women’s Champions |
| 1992-93 | Team Howard Skip: Russ Howard Third: Glenn Howard Second: Wayne Middaugh Lead: Peter Corner | |
| 1993-94 | Team Martin Skip: Kevin Martin Third: Kevin Park Second: James Pahl Lead: Don Bartlett | |
| 1994-95 | Team McEachern Skip: Murray McEachern Third: Rick Schneider Second: Daryl Nixon Lead: Larry Schneider | |
| 1995-96 | Team Middaugh Skip: Wayne Middaugh Third: Graeme McCarrel Second: Ian Tetley Lead: Scott Bailey | |
| 1996-97 | Team Howard Skip: Russ Howard Third: Glenn Howard Second: Scott Patterson Lead: Phil Loevenmark | |
| 1997-98 | Team Martin Skip: Kevin Martin Third: Don Walchuk Second: Rudy Ramcharan Lead: Marcel Rocque | |
| 1998-99 | Team Middaugh Skip: Wayne Middaugh Third: Graeme McCarrel Second: Ian Tetley Lead: Scott Bailey | |
| 1999-00 | Team Martin Skip: Kevin Martin Third: Don Walchuk Second: Carter Rycroft Lead: Don Bartlett | |
| 2000-01 | Team Middaugh Skip: Wayne Middaugh Third: Graeme McCarrel Second: Ian Tetley Lead: Scott Bailey | |
| 2001-02 | Team Middaugh Skip: Wayne Middaugh Third: Graeme McCarrel Second: Ian Tetley Lead: Scott Bailey | |
| 2002-03 | Team Stoughton Skip: Jeff Stoughton Third: Jon Mead Second: Gary VanDenBerghe Lead: Jim Spencer | |
| 2003-04 | Team Morris Skip: John Morris Third: Kevin Koe Second: Marc Kennedy Lead: Paul Moffatt | |
| 2004-05 | Team Martin Skip: Kevin Martin Third: Don Walchuk Second: Carter Rycroft Lead: Don Bartlett | |
| 2005-06 | Team Ferbey Skip: Randy Ferbey Fourth: David Nedohin Second: Scott Pfeifer Lead: Marcel Rocque | Team Jones Skip: Jennifer Jones Third: Cathy Overton-Clapham Second: Jill Officer Lead: Georgina Wheatcroft |
| 2006-07 | Team Martin Skip: Kevin Martin Third: John Morris Second: Marc Kennedy Lead: Ben Hebert | Team Jones Skip: Jennifer Jones Third: Cathy Overton-Clapham Second: Jill Officer Lead: Dawn Askin |
| 2007-08 | Team Howard Skip: Glenn Howard Third: Richard Hart Second: Brent Laing Lead: Craig Savill | Team Holland Skip: Amber Holland Third: Kim Schneider Second: Tammy Schneider Lead: Heather Seeley |
| 2008-09 | Team Ferbey Skip: Randy Ferbey Fourth: David Nedohin Second: Scott Pfeifer Lead: Marcel Rocque | Team Jones Skip: Jennifer Jones Third: Cathy Overton-Clapham Second: Jill Officer Lead: Dawn Askin |
| 2009-10 | Team Martin Skip: Kevin Martin Third: John Morris Second: Marc Kennedy Lead: Ben Hebert | Team Bernard Skip: Cheryl Bernard Third: Susan O’Connor Second: Carolyn Darbyshire Lead: Cori Bartel |
| 2010-11 | Team Martin Skip: Kevin Martin Third: John Morris Second: Marc Kennedy Lead: Ben Hebert | Team Jones Skip: Jennifer Jones Third: Kaitlyn Lawes Second: Jill Officer Lead: Dawn Askin |
| 2011-12 | Team Epping Skip: John Epping Third: Scott Bailey Second: Scott Howard Lead: David Mathers | Team Lawton Skip: Stefanie Lawton Third: Sherry Anderson Second: Sherri Singler Lead: Marliese Kasner |
| 2012-13 | Team Howard Skip: Glenn Howard Third: Wayne Middaugh Second: Brent Laing Lead: Craig Savill | Team Muirhead Skip: Eve Muirhead Third: Anna Sloan Second: Vicki Adams Lead: Claire Hamilton |
| 2013-14 | Team Martin Skip: Kevin Martin Third: Marc Kennedy Second: David Nedohin Lead: Ben Hebert | Team Jones Skip: Jennifer Jones Third: Kaitlyn Lawes Second: Jill Officer Lead: Dawn McEwen |
| 2014-15 | Team Jacobs Skip: Brad Jacobs Third: Ryan Fry Second: E.J. Harnden Lead: Ryan Harnden | Team Muirhead Skip: Eve Muirhead Third: Anna Sloan Second: Vicki Adams Lead: Sarah Reid |
| 2015-16 | Team Gushue Skip: Brad Gushue Third: Mark Nichols Second: Brett Gallant Lead: Geoff Walker | Team Muirhead Skip: Eve Muirhead Third: Vicki Adams Second: Cathy Overton-Clapham Lead: Sarah Reid |
| 2016-17 | Team Edin Skip: Niklas Edin Third: Oskar Eriksson Second: Rasmus Wrana Lead: Christoffer Sundgren | Team Jones Skip: Jennifer Jones Third: Kaitlyn Lawes Second: Jill Officer Lead: Dawn McEwen |
| 2017-18 | Team Koe Skip: Kevin Koe Third: Marc Kennedy Second: Brent Laing Lead: Ben Hebert | Team Sinclair Skip: Jamie Sinclair Third: Alexandra Carlson Second: Vicky Persinger Lead: Monica Walker |
| 2018-19 | Team Bottcher Skip: Brendan Bottcher Third: Darren Moulding Second: Bradley Thiessen Lead: Karrick Martin | Team Einarson Skip: Kerri Einarson Third: Val Sweeting Second: Shannon Birchard Lead: Briane Meilleur |
