Schedules set for Humpty’s Champions Cup, Princess Auto Players’ Championship
UPDATE: The Humpty’s Champions Cup will now start Thursday. Please CLICK HERE to read the latest news announcement.
Kerri Einarson will kick off her quest for a third consecutive title in the curling hub city at WinSport’s Canada Olympic Park in Calgary taking on Team Homan in next week’s opening draw of the Humpty’s Champions Cup.
The Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling announced Wednesday the draw and broadcast schedules for the Humpty’s Champions Cup, April 15-19, and the Princess Auto Players’ Championship, April 20-25.
Quick Links: Humpty’s Champions Cup draw schedule | Princess Auto Players’ Championship draw schedule | Broadcast schedule
Einarson, from Gimli, Man., aims to keep her winning streak in the bubble running after successfully defending the Scotties Tournament of Hearts title in February and capturing the Canadian mixed doubles championship with Brad Gushue last month.
The Humpty’s Champions Cup and Princess Auto Players’ Championship were cancelled last year and the start of this season was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Complying with government health and safety protocols within the hub city, the Humpty’s Champions Cup and Princess Auto Players’ Championship will feature 12 of the top men’s teams and 12 of the top women’s teams based on the world team rankings. Both men’s and women’s divisions are split into two groups for pool play with the top six teams advancing to the playoffs.
Team Einarson took the 2019 Players’ Championship in Toronto and finished runners-up to Switzerland’s Team Tirinzoni in the 2019 Humpty’s Champions Cup in Saskatoon.
Edmonton’s Team Bottcher enter as the reigning men’s champions for both events and begin their Humpty’s Champions Cup title defence in the first draw taking on Team Schwaller of Switzerland. Also on tap for the opener are Toronto’s Team Epping vs. Team Gunnlaugson of Morris, Man., and Calgary’s Team Koe vs. Team Edin of Sweden.
Team Jacobs of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., and Sweden’s Team Hasselborg won their third consecutive Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling titles at the Meridian Canadian Open in January 2020 before play was halted and will look to pick up where they left off in the series. Team Hasselborg begin competition against Scotland’s Team Muirhead in Draw 2. Team Jacobs start against Winnipeg’s Team McEwen in Draw 3. Reigning Humpty’s Champions Cup women’s champions Team Tirinzoni also get their run underway in Draw 3 against Winnipeg’s Team Jones.
WinSport’s Canada Olympic Park has hosted the Humpty’s Champions Cup twice in the past. Jacobs captured the men’s title in 2017 with Gushue victorious in 2018 while Homan claimed both women’s titles.
Both events are closed to the general public. A grand total purse of $560,000 CAD is on the line.
Broadcast coverage for the Humpty’s Champions Cup begins April 15 at 2 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. PT on Sportsnet with online streaming available at Sportsnet NOW (Canada) and Yare (international).
Humpty’s Champions Cup
Thursday, April 15
Draw 1, 8 a.m. MT: Einarson vs. Homan, Epping vs. Gunnlaugson, Bottcher vs. Schwaller, Edin vs. Koe
Draw 2, 12 p.m. MT: Hasselborg vs. Muirhead, Fleury vs. Kim, Mouat vs. De Cruz, Gushue vs. Dunstone
Draw 3, 4 p.m. MT: Jacobs vs. McEwen, Fujisawa vs. Kovaleva, Stern vs. Homan, Jones vs. Tirinzoni
Draw 4, 8 p.m. MT: Epping vs. Bottcher, Schwaller vs. Koe, Edin vs. Gunnlaugson, Einarson vs. Peterson
Friday, April 16
Draw 5, 8 a.m. MT: Fleury vs. Jones, Tirinzoni vs. Muirhead, Hasselborg vs. Kim, Mouat vs. McEwen
Draw 6, Noon MT: Homan vs. Kovaleva, Stern vs. Peterson, Einarson vs. Fujisawa, Schwaller vs. Gunnlaugson
Draw 7, 4 p.m. MT: Mouat vs. Dunstone, McEwen vs. De Cruz, Jacobs vs. Gushue, Bottcher vs. Koe
Draw 8, 8 p.m. MT: Tirinzoni vs. Kim, Epping vs. Edin, Jones vs. Muirhead, Hasselborg vs. Fleury
Saturday, April 17
Draw 9, 8 a.m. MT: Gushue vs. De Cruz, Jacobs vs. Dunstone, Stern vs. Kovaleva, Fujisawa vs. Peterson
Draw 10, Noon MT: Fleury vs. Muirhead, Hasselborg vs. Tirinzoni, Epping vs. Koe, Bottcher vs. Gunnlaugson
Draw 11, 4 p.m. MT: Fujisawa vs. Stern, Einarson vs. Kovaleva, Homan vs. Peterson, Jones vs. Kim
Draw 12, 8 p.m. MT: Schwaller vs. Edin, Gushue vs. Mouat, McEwen vs. Dunstone, Jacobs vs. De Cruz
Sunday, April 18
Draw 13, Noon MT: Tiebreakers (if necessary)
Draw 14, 4 p.m. MT: Men’s and women’s quarterfinals
Draw 15, 8 p.m. MT: Men’s and women’s semifinals
Monday, April 19
Draw 16, Noon MT: Men’s final
Draw 17, 4 p.m. MT: Women’s final
Princess Auto Players’ Championship
Tuesday, April 20
Draw 1, Noon MT: Edin vs. De Cruz, Fleury vs. Kim, Jacobs vs. Gunnlaugson, Homan vs. Kovaleva
Draw 2, 4 p.m. MT: Gushue vs. McEwen, Stern vs. Tirinzoni, Jones vs. Muirhead, Bottcher vs. Mouat
Draw 3, 8 p.m. MT: Einarson vs. Peterson, Hasselborg vs. Fujisawa, Epping vs. Schwaller, Koe vs. Dunstone
Wednesday, April 21
Draw 4, 8 a.m. MT: Bottcher vs. Gunnlaugson, Mouat vs. Edin, Fleury vs. Stern, Jacobs vs. De Cruz
Draw 5, Noon MT: Fujisawa vs. Muirhead, Jones vs. Kovaleva, Peterson vs. Kim, Hasselborg vs. Homan
Draw 6, 4 p.m. MT: Schwaller vs. Koe, Epping vs. Gushue, McEwen vs. Dunstone, Fleury vs. Tirinzoni
Draw 7, 8 p.m. MT: Jacobs vs. Mouat, De Cruz vs. Gunnlaugson, Bottcher vs. Edin, Einarson vs. Stern
Thursday, April 22
Draw 8, 8 a.m. MT: Jones vs. Homan, McEwen vs. Koe, Fujisawa vs. Kovaleva, Hasselborg vs. Muirhead
Draw 9, Noon MT: Stern vs. Kim, Jacobs vs. Edin, Einarson vs. Tirinzoni, Fleury vs. Peterson
Draw 10, 4 p.m. MT: Schwaller vs. McEwen, Gushue vs. Dunstone, Mouat vs. Gunnlaugson, Epping vs. Koe
Draw 11, 8 p.m. MT: Hasselborg vs. Kovaleva, Bottcher vs. De Cruz, Homan vs. Muirhead, Fujisawa vs. Jones
Friday, April 23
Draw 12, 8 a.m. MT: Tirinzoni vs. Peterson, Einarson vs. Kim, Epping vs. Dunstone, Gushue vs. Schwaller
Draw 13, Noon MT: Fujisawa vs. Homan, Muirhead vs. Kovaleva, Jacobs vs. Bottcher, Edin vs. Gunnlaugson
Draw 14, 4 p.m. MT: Einarson vs. Fleury, Stern vs. Peterson, Hasselborg vs. Jones, Tirinzoni vs. Kim
Draw 15, 8 p.m. MT: Mouat vs. De Cruz, Schwaller vs. Dunstone, Gushue vs. Koe, Epping vs. McEwen
Saturday, April 24
Draw 16, Noon MT: Tiebreakers (if necessary)
Draw 17, 4 p.m. MT: Men’s and women’s quarterfinals
Draw 18, 8 p.m. MT: Men’s and women’s semifinals
Sunday, April 25
Draw 19, 9:30 a.m. MT: Women’s final
Draw 20, 2 p.m. MT: Men’s final
Note: Games that are broadcasted are also available online at Sportsnet NOW (Canada) and Yare (international).
