GSOC postpones start of 2020-21 season to April
The Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling has delayed the start of its season due to the ongoing risks of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sportsnet, which has owned and operated the series since 2012, announced Wednesday the first four events of the calendar that were scheduled for the fall and winter have been postponed. The revised Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling season will consist of the Princess Auto Players’ Championship, April 13-18, 2021, at Ryerson’s Mattamy Athletic Centre in Toronto and the Humpty’s Champions Cup, April 27 to May 2, 2021, at the Olds Sportsplex in Olds, Alta.
UPDATE (Dec. 3, 2020): Sportsnet has partnered with Curling Canada to explore hosting the Princess Auto Players’ Championship and the Humpty’s Champions Cup within a proposed hub city in Calgary in 2021. Please visit our home page for updates.
Although Sportsnet and the Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling looked into potential alternatives such as hosting events without fans or centralized hub cities, pushing back the start of the season to April was deemed the most responsible course of action at this time.
“The safety and well-being of curlers, volunteers, fans, partners and employees is of the utmost importance to Sportsnet,” said Rob Corte, Vice President of Sportsnet and NHL Production. “Following careful thought and deliberation, we made the decision to postpone the season until we could safely deliver the world-class competition and intimate fan experience the Grand Slam series is known for.”
The Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling has also unveiled dates and locations for the first three events of its 2021-22 schedule featuring the communities and venues that were selected to host them this year. Next season will begin with the Tour Challenge, Sept. 21-26, 2021, at the Coca-Cola Centre in Grande Prairie Alta., followed by the Masters, Oct. 19-24, 2021, at the Sarnia Arena in Sarnia-Lambton, Ont., and the National, Nov. 2-7, 2021, at the Chestermere Recreational Centre in Chestermere, Alta.
While the MERIDIAN Open was slated for January 2021 in Las Vegas as the first international event in series history, Sportsnet remains committed to growing the sport outside of Canada and will continue to work closely with local organizers to reschedule the momentous occasion.
Fans who purchased tickets to any of the four postponed events will receive details regarding refunds in the coming days. Those who bought packages for the Tour Challenge in Grande Prairie, Masters in Sarnia-Lambton or National in Chestermere will also have the option to roll over their tickets or passes to the new 2021 dates for their respective events. Please visit our tickets page for more details.
Points and prize money details will be determined at a future date.
Sportsnet and the Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling will continue to monitor the impact of COVID-19 in Canada and around the globe, keep it here at thegrandslamofcurling.com for any further updates.