Pinty’s Cup-date: Gushue, Einarson capture GSOC season points titles
TORONTO — Although Team Gushue and Team Einarson were eliminated in the semifinals of the Princess Auto Players’ Championship on Saturday night, it’s not how it ended but the journey and the friends we made along the way.
The chase for the Pinty’s Cup has come to a close with Gushue eking out the victory for the 2022-23 Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling points title in the men’s division and Einarson adding a cherry on top to a sensational season in the women’s division.
The two Canadian clubs each earn a $75,000 bonus for topping the standings.
Teams receive points for how they finish in Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling events. Points are roughly doubled in the Princess Auto Players’ Championship.
Team Gushue actually tied Sweden’s Team Edin with 46 points apiece, however, the crew from St. John’s, N.L., came out on top based on their finish in the Princess Auto Players’ Championship. Gushue reached the semifinals with a bye while Edin was eliminated in the quarterfinals.
“It’s kinda of bittersweet at the moment. Obviously, coming off of a tough loss, we let our game slip away and not being able to win the Players’ Championship is tough but the Pinty’s Cup is a culmination of the whole year,” Gushue said. “It shows how well we’ve played all year. We gave ourselves a chance in just about every Slam to win. We just lost a few more semis this year than I would have liked, only getting one win, but we played well.
“There are so many good teams now that to qualify in all of the Slams and to get to the semis in three and win one is a pretty darn good season.”
It’s the third time Gushue has won the Pinty’s Cup following title victories in 2015-16 and 2017-18. Gushue captured his 14th career Grand Slam title to start our season in October at the BOOST National in North Bay, Ont., coincidentally defeating Edin in an extra end during the final.
Meanwhile, Einarson reached four consecutive women’s finals and won the WFG Masters in Oakville, Ont., in December. Einarson’s streak actually stretches back to last season and a record six straight Grand Slam finals that began right here at the 2022 Princess Auto Players’ Championship.
Team Einarson, who finished with 54 points, just had to reach the semifinals this weekend in the Princess Auto Players’ Championship to lock down the Pinty’s Cup.
“It feels awesome,” Einarson said. “To get the Cup is pretty amazing. We’ve worked so hard over the season and made all of the Grand Slam finals except for this one but to win that is pretty special for us.”
Watch the Princess Auto Players’ Championship women’s final featuring Team Tirinzoni against Team Wrana at 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT on Sportsnet One and SN NOW followed by the men’s final between Team Koe and Team Schwaller at 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. ET on Sportsnet and SN NOW.
