The Players’ Championship is the fourth and final major of the Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling season. It’s the crown jewel of the series featuring the top-ranked teams of the year — almost like the playoffs to the season — and is arguably the hardest title to win on tour.
The prestigious event predates the inception of the Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling itself. Known originally as the Seagram’s V.O. Cup for branding purposes, the powerhouse foursome of Russ Howard, Glenn Howard, Wayne Middaugh and Peter Corner claimed the inaugural title with a decisive 8-2 victory over Paul Savage’s team in the final at the Calgary Curling Club on Feb. 21, 1993. It was a dream season for Team Howard as they also won Brier and world championships that year.
Kevin Martin captured the first of his record 18 Grand Slam men’s titles in the 1994 Seagram’s V.O. Cup at the Calgary Curling Club with a come-from-behind victory over Ed Werenich.
Middaugh claimed the Players’ Championship in 2002, the first under the Grand Slam of Curling banner, and it was his third title in four years. A loss to Martin in the 2000 final prevented the four-peat.
A women’s division was added in 2006 with Jennifer Jones winning the first of a record six Players’ Championship women’s titles.
There were upsets in both divisions during the 2012 event as Team Epping, the men’s No. 8 seed, and Team Lawton, the women’s No. 8 seed, overcame the odds to capture their first Grand Slams as skips.
The 2013 women’s final at Ryerson’s Mattamy Athletic Centre in Toronto came down to a world championship rematch between Scotland’s Team Muirhead and Sweden’s Team Sigfridsson. It was the first all-European final in series history and the world champs prevailed again as Muirhead’s crew became the first non-Canadian team to win a Grand Slam of Curling event. Eve Muirhead also became the youngest skip to win a Grand Slam title at age 22.
It was an emotional 2014 Players’ Championship in Summerside, P.E.I., with 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 and eighth Players’ Championship.
Jacobs was back in the title picture the following year in Toronto still looking to earn his first career Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling championship. 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 the Players’ Championship men’s title.
Team Muirhead continued their winning ways at Ryerson’s Mattamy Athletic Centre capturing the women’s title again in 2015 and 2016. Team Gushue topped defending champions Team Jacobs in 2016. Brad Gushue became just the fifth men’s skip 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 upsetting then world champions Team Jones in the final.
Champions
| 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 |
| 2021 |  Team Mouat Skip: Bruce Mouat Third: Grant Hardie Second: Bobby Lammie Lead: Hammy McMillan Jr. |  Team Einarson Skip: Kerri Einarson Third: Val Sweeting Second: Shannon Birchard Lead: Briane Meilleur |
