Who will win 1st Canadian Open women’s title?
YORKTON, Sask. — It’s double the fun at the Canadian Open as the Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling tournament will crown a women’s division champion for the first time in the event’s history.
Olympic gold medallist Jennifer Jones continues to top the World Curling Tour’s order of merit ranking while Val Sweeting looks to follow up on her first career Grand Slam win at the Masters last month with another major title.
Two-time defending Scotties champion Rachel Homan took the inaugural Masters title two years ago and aims to make history again at the Canadian Open.
Let’s take a look at the 16 women’s teams that will be competing at the Canadian Open.
More on the Canadian Open:
Buy Tickets | Schedule | TV schedule | Men’s Division Preview
TEAM CAREY
Lineup: Chelsea Carey, Laura Crocker, Taylor McDonald and Jen Gates
Hometown: Edmonton
WCT order of merit ranking: 15th
Winnipeg-born Carey moved to Edmonton during the off-season and formed a new rink. Crocker and Gates won back-to-back Canadian university championships in 2011 and 2012 while attending Sir Wilfrid Laurier University. McDonald won the gold medal with Team Canada at the world junior championship last season. The all-new team has won two World Curling Tour titles this season — the HDF Insurance Shoot-Out in September and the Boundary Ford Curling Classic title — both of which were triple knockout tournaments just like this Grand Slam event.
TEAM EBERLE
Lineup: Chantelle Eberle, Cindy Ricci, Larisa Murray and Debbie Lozinski
Hometown: Regina
WCT order of merit ranking: 23rd
Eberle won the 2012 Canadian Mixed Curling Championship representing Saskatchewan. She also won the MNP Charity Classic in Medicine Hat, Alta., in 2012. Her team is competing in its first Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling event.
TEAM FELTSCHER
Lineup: Binia Feltscher, Irene Schori, Franziska Kaufmann and Christine Urech
Hometown: Flims, Switzerland
WCT order of merit ranking: 7th
Feltscher enters the Canadian Open after claiming the European championship on home ice last month. The reigning world champions topped the Masters round robin with an undefeated 4-0 record but fell to Sweden’s Team Sigfridsson 8-4 in the quarterfinals. Feltscher earned a silver medal at the 2006 Olympics in Turin, Italy, while playing third for Mirjam Ott.
TEAM FLAXEY
Lineup: Alli Flaxey, Katie Cottrill, Kristen Foster and Morgan Court
Hometown: Listowel, Ont.
WCT order of merit ranking: 18th
Team Flaxey represented Ontario at the 2014 Scotties Tournament of Hearts. The Winnipeg-born Flaxey also won the 2009 Canadian Mixed Curling Championship throwing third stones for Manitoba’s Sean Grassie. Although they didn’t qualify during the Masters in Winnipeg, they stunned hometown Olympic gold champs Team Jones with a 6-1 opening draw victory.
TEAM HASTINGS
Lineup: Julie Hastings, Christy Trombley, Stacey Smith and Katrina Collins
Hometown: Thornhill, Ont.
WCT order of merit ranking: 17th
Hastings has had a successful season so far on the World Curling Tour. The team has made it to the finals at three tournaments winning the KW Fall Classic in September and the Stroud Sleeman Cash Spiel in October.
TEAM HOLLAND
Lineup: Amber Holland, Cathy Overton-Clapham, Sasha Carter and Chelsey Matson
Hometown: Regina
WCT order of merit ranking: 25th
Yorkton-born Holland won the Scotties Tournament of Hearts and earned a silver medal at the world championships in 2011. The team reached the semifinals at the Autumn Gold Curling Classic in October. Overton-Clapham has won four Grand Slam titles including the Masters this season when she filled in at third on Team Sweeting.
TEAM HOMAN
Lineup: Rachel Homan, Emma Miskew, Joanne Courtney and Lisa Weagle
Hometown: Ottawa
WCT order of merit ranking: 2nd
Team Homan is the two-time defending Scotties Tournament of Hearts champion although the team made one roster change with Courtney replacing Alison Kreviazuk at second. Courtney previously played with Team Sweeting and faced Homan in the finals of the Scotties last season. Homan has been a finalist this year at the Stockholm Ladies Curling Cup, the Curlers Corner Autumn Gold Curling Classic and the Canada Cup.
TEAM JONES
Lineup: Jennifer Jones, Kaitlyn Lawes, Jill Officer and Dawn McEwen
Hometown: Winnipeg
WCT order of merit ranking: 1st
The Olympic champions finished their dream season capturing the Players’ Championship in April. Team Jones hasn’t lost their golden touch and won the Curlers Corner Autumn Gold Curling Classic in Calgary.
TEAM MCDONALD
Lineup: Kristy McDonald, Kate Cameron, Leslie Wilson-Westcott and Raunora Westcott
Hometown: Winnipeg
WCT order of merit ranking: 14th
McDonald won the 2010 Manitoba Lotteries Women’s Curling Classic and was a finalist at the 2012 Masters while playing third for Team Carey. McDonald formed her own team for this season.
TEAM MIDDAUGH
Lineup: Sherry Middaugh, Jo-Ann Rizzo, Lee Merklinger and Leigh Armstrong
Hometown: Coldwater, Ont.
WCT order of merit ranking: 9th
Team Middaugh started the season on a roll winning both the AMJ Campbell Shorty Jenkins Classic and the Stu Sells Toronto Tankard. The rink reached the finals at the Canadian Olympic Trials last season.
TEAM MUIRHEAD
Lineup: Eve Muirhead, Anna Sloan, Vicki Adams and Sarah Reid
Hometown: Stirling, Scotland
WCT order of merit ranking: 3rd
Muirhead skipped her team to the world championship and the Players’ Championship titles in 2013. Muirhead, Sloan and Adams also won the bronze medal at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. Reid joined the team at lead for this season. Team Muirhead bounced back from a disappointing Masters tournament to claim the Colonial Square Ladies Classic title and took home bronze at the European championship.
TEAM NEDOHIN
Lineup: Heather Nedohin, Amy Nixon, Jocelyn Peterman and Laine Peters
Hometown: Edmonton
WCT order of merit ranking: 11th
Team Nedohin won the Scotties Tournament of Hearts and earned a bronze medal at the world championship in 2012. Nixon won an Olympic bronze medal representing Canada at the 2006 Winter Games in Turin, Italy, and joined Nedohin’s rink this season. The team made it to the semifinals at the Canada Cup.
TEAM ROTH
Lineup: Nina Roth, Jamie Sinclair, Becca Hamilton and Tabitha Peterson
Hometown: Blaine, Minn.
WCT order of merit ranking: 30th
Roth is a two-time U.S. national champion and finished fourth at the 2010 worlds while playing third for Erika Brown. Her team is currently the top-ranked American rink on tour.
TEAM SWEETING
Lineup: Val Sweeting, Lori Olson-Johns, Dana Ferguson and Rachelle Brown
Hometown: Edmonton
WCT order of merit ranking: 4th
The team added Andrea Crawford at third this season (replacing Joanne Courtney) but experienced a lineup change on the eve of the Masters after Crawford decided to leave the team and return to New Brunswick. Cathy Overton-Clapham came in as a last-minute replacement but the team went on a remarkable run capped with Sweeting winning her first career Grand Slam title. With Olson-Johns in place at third, the team came out on top to win the Canada Cup title Sunday.
TEAM THURSTON
Lineup: Jill Thurston, Brette Richards, Briane Meilleur and Krysten Karwacki
Hometown: Winnipeg
WCT order of merit ranking: 13th
Thurston has won two bronze medals at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts. She qualified for the playoffs at the Autumn Gold Curling Classic in October but fell to eventual champions Team Jones.
TEAM TIRINZONI
Lineup: Silvana Tirinzoni, Manuela Siegrist, Esther Neuenschwander and Marlene Albrecht
Hometown: Aarau, Switzerland
WCT order of merit ranking: 6th
Team Tirinzoni made it to the semifinals at the Players’ Championship last season. The rink kicked off this year winning the Stu Sells Oakville Tankard in September.
