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Savill set to return at Shorty Jenkins Classic

Another busy weekend is on the horizon for the World Curling Tour.

More high-profile teams are set to make their season debut while others are continuing the grind with three events on tap: the historic AMJ Campbell Shorty Jenkins Classic in Cornwall, Ont.; the Colonial Square Ladies Classic in Saskatoon; and the Cloverdale Cash Spiel in Surrey, B.C.

Here are storylines the follow for Week 5:

Savill set for return at Shorty Jenkins Classic

Welcome back, Craig Savill.

The two-time world champion played with Team Adams of Nova Scotia last season until he was forced to step back from curling after being diagnosed with Hodgkins lymphoma.

The curling world showed their support for Savill wearing ribbons with his No. 27 on them during Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling events. It was an emotional moment when Savill returned to the ice as an alternate during his hometown Brier this year in Ottawa.

Savill announced last month his cancer is in remission following months of chemotherapy. The 37-year-old is listed in the lineup with Team Tuck as a spare for the Shorty Jenkins Classic.

The Shorty Jenkins Classic will also feature a golf tournament with proceeds benefiting the Alzheimer Society of Cornwall & District and the Ottawa Integrative Cancer Centre on behalf of Savill.

Team Gushue forging onward

Team Gushue head to another event this week as the defending champions minus their superstar skip. Gushue is nursing a hip/groin issue and is out indefinitely. Adam Spencer joined the crew last week at the Stu Sells Oakville Tankard with third Mark Nichols moving up to skip.

Calgary’s Charley Thomas joins them this week although it’s unknown what role he will play in the back end at this point.

There was some good news last week as their quarterfinal finish in Oakville gave them enough points to leapfrog Team Koe for 1st place on the World Curling Tour’s Order of Merit rankings.

Koe, Jacobs & McEwen to make season debut

Speaking of Team Koe, they’ll get their season underway at the Shorty Jenkins Classic. The reigning world champions from Calgary will be eager to try and reclaim the top spot on the OOM trailing Team Gushue by roughly 24 points.

Meanwhile, Olympic gold medallists Team Jacobs of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., will also make their 2016-17 debut. Jacobs won back-to-back Short Jenkins Classic titles in 2013 and 2014, although that was before the event moved to Cornwall from Brockville, Ont.

Adding more elite firepower is Winnipeg’s Team McEwen, also playing in their first event of the year. With the top nine teams in the world among the field, the Shorty Jenkins Classic will likely carry a high strength of field multiplier for points, thus giving those teams making their season debut an easy chance to catch up on the year-to-date ranks and make up for lost time.

Among the top nine competing this week who have already hit the road on tour are Toronto’s Team Epping, looking to get back on track after missing the playoffs in back-to-back events to start the year, and Team Edin of Sweden, fresh off of winning the Stu Sells Oakville Tankard.

Top women’s teams split again

The top women’s teams were divided between Oakville and Edmonton (HDF Insurance Shoot-Out) last weekend and are again on opposite sides of the country this week.

Ottawa’s Team Homan start their season at the Shorty Jenkins Classic facing Ontario rivals Team Flaxey and Team Middaugh among others including Stu Sells Oakville Tankard winners Team Tirinzoni of Switzerland.

Meanwhile, the Colonial Square Ladies Classic gets underway in Saskatoon with Winnipeg’s Team Jones making their season debut up against Scotland’s Team Muirhead, Switzerland’s Team Paetz, Team Sweeting and Team Rocque of Edmonton, plus more.

Both events should offer top points to keep the rankings race heated.