Which skips could complete career Grand Slams at AMJ Players’ Championship?
Bruce Mouat joined an exclusive club when he captured the Co-op Canadian Open men’s title last season.
Mouat became the sixth men’s skip to complete a career Grand Slam, having won all four major championships in the series.
The four majors consist of the original events in the series: Co-op Canadian Open, KIOTI National WFG Masters and AMJ Players’ Championship.
Mouat joined Kevin Martin, Wayne Middaugh, Glenn Howard, Jeff Stoughton and Brad Gushue among men’s skips who have accomplished the feat.
Anna Hasselborg is the lone skip who has pulled it off on the women’s side. To be fair, while the Grand Slam of Curling has existed since the 2001-02 season in the men’s division, it’s only been since 2015-16 that the women’s division has been featured in all four majors.
A few skips are on the cusp of joining the list in both divisions. Let’s look at the two who are a AMJ Players’ Championship title away from adding their names to the list.
MIKE MCEWEN
| Event | Best Result | Season |
|---|---|---|
| Co-op Canadian Open | Champion | 2010-11, 2011-12 |
| KIOTI National | Champion | 2014-15 |
| WFG Masters | Champion | 2010-11, 2015-16 |
| Players’ Championship | Finalist | 2012-13, 2014-15, 2016-17 |
Mike McEwen is a three-time finalist at the AMJ Players’ Championship with all three at Toronto’s Mattamy Athletic Centre ending in heartbreak fashion.
McEwen was up by one heading into the eighth end during the 2013 final, but Glenn Howard held the hammer and scored two points for the 4-3 win. Although McEwen had the hammer in the eighth end of the 2015 final against Brad Jacobs with the score tied, his last rock was overswept and resulted in stolen point to fall 4-3. Steals also played a factor in the 2017 final as McEwen gave up back-to-back singles in the seventh and eighth ends to lose 5-3 to Niklas Edin.
McEwen, who has won a total of seven titles in the series, formed a new team last season with third Colton Flasch, second Kevin Marsh and lead Dan Marsh. The Saskatoon-based club finished its first year together earning silver at the Brier and reaching the semifinals of the Players’ Championship. The team was the No. 1 seed in the playoffs and earned a bye to the semis, but was eliminated after Joel Retornaz scored three in the eighth end to win 6-5.
Team McEwen won three tour titles this season in September and is ranked No. 6 in the world entering the AMJ Players’ Championship.
RACHEL HOMAN
| Event | Best Result | Season |
|---|---|---|
| Co-op Canadian Open | Champion | 2015-16, 2018-19, 2023-24, 2024-25 |
| KIOTI National | Champion | 2015-16, 2018-19, 2024-25 |
| WFG Masters | Champion | 2012-13, 2013-14, 2015-16, 2023-24 |
| Players’ Championship | Finalist | 2010-11, 2013-14, 2020-21 |
Rachel Homan has won more Grand Slam of Curling women’s titles than any other skip with a total of 17, but an AMJ Players’ Championship title remains on the to-do list to check off.
Homan reached the Players’ Championship final in just her second appearance in the series in 2011, losing to Jennifer Jones 7-5. She fell to Jones again during the 2014 final, 5-2, and lost to Kerri Einarson 5-2 during the 2021 final in the Calgary bubble.
The Ottawa skip was a Players’ Championship away from completing a Grand Slam in a single season during the 2015-16 campaign but lost 7-6 to Einarson in the quarterfinals.
Homan was flying through the Players’ Championship last season winning five consecutive games, but her team’s run came to a halt in the semifinals against Silvana Tirinzoni. Tied in the eighth end, Homan conceded a steal of two points to fall 5-3 to the eventual champion.
Her team has had another unreal season winning back-to-back Grand Slam titles at the Co-op Canadian Open and KIOTI National and successfully defending the gold medal at the world championship. The world No. 1 Homan holds a 69-6 record on the season and is 136-13 over the past two seasons.
