Latest news with #ScottiesTournamentofHearts
Calgary Herald
2 days ago
- Sport
- Calgary Herald
LATEST STORIES BY DONNA SPENCER, THE CANADIAN PRESS
Dedrick Mills, Vernon Adams Jr. power Stampeders to season-opening win over Tiger-Cats Mills rushed for 94 yards on 17 carries, while quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. completed 19-of-28 pass attempts for 284 yards, in his highly anticipated Stampeder debut. Calgary Stampeders Sudbury's Tracy Fleury, Team Homan repeat as Canadian women's champions Rachel Homan's dominance of women's curling continued on Sunday with a 6-1 win over Manitoba's Kerri Einarson to win the Scotties Tournament of Hearts. February 24, 2025 Sports Tyler McGregor leads Canada to gold at para hockey worlds Canada dented the United States' recent dominance in para hockey with a 2-1 win for the gold medal in Sunday's world championship final. May 13, 2024 Local Sports Paralympic skier Marcoux retires CALGARY — Decorated para alpine ski champion Mac Marcoux announced his retirement Wednesday, but he isn't done with sport. February 7, 2024 Local Sports Byfield named to Canadian U18 team, prepares for big year with Wolves CALGARY — Quinton Byfield is a bow-tie man. The Sudbury Wolves forward collects them. At 16, Byfield was an integral piece in Sudbury's 48-point turnaround with 29 goals and 32 assists in 64 games, followed by three goals and five assists in eight playoff games. July 31, 2019 Local Sports Hefford, Keith to enter Canadian Sports Hall of Fame CALGARY — Two Kingston athletes, one of whom made her mark on the ice and the other in the water, will be part of the class of 2019 entering Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in October. May 23, 2019 Local Sports Lambton County players devastated by CWHL's demise The collapse of the Canadian Women's Hockey League plunges the future of the female game in Canada into disarray, at least in the short term. April 2, 2019 Local Sports Team McDonald stays in hunt with two wins BRANDON, Man. — The wins are coming, but they're not coming easy for Alberta at the Canadian men's curling championship. March 8, 2019 Local Sports Wes Forget honours curling heroes; Team McDonald makes playoffs BRANDON, Man. — Wes Forget's old-school backswing is part homage to his curling idols, but part practical, too. March 7, 2019 Local Sports One league on Hefford's mind as she takes over at the CWHL's helm As a hockey player, Jayna Hefford strove to make her league viable and respected. She's now in a position to do that as its leader. July 27, 2018 Local Sports
CBC
31-03-2025
- Health
- CBC
Former Team Einarson lead Briane Harris weighs in on lost curling season
When Briane Harris received an unexpected email from World Curling in February 2024, she thought it looked quite unusual and didn't open it right away. Thinking it was probably spam, she instead joined her teammates, the four-time national champions skipped by Kerri Einarson, at a Calgary Flames game on the eve of the Scotties Tournament of Hearts. Another email from the federation arrived the next morning. This one looked a little different. "It just looked more legit the second time and I knew they would email me again if it was serious," Harris said. "So I was like, 'OK I'll open it.' And then at that time, like everything changed and I was like, 'Holy crap."' Harris was informed an out-of-competition urine sample tested positive for trace amounts of Ligandrol. It's banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency for its anabolic, muscle-building effects. "I had not seen that coming in a million years because obviously I wasn't doping," she said. Harris was placed under provisional suspension, setting in motion a nearly year-long journey that saw the Petersfield, Man., native appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which eventually found she bore "no fault or negligence" for the violation. Her ban was lifted last January. Shortly thereafter, her seven-year run with the Einarson team came to an end and she would join Team Kate Cameron at third. "I just feel like a weight has been lifted off me and I am so excited for the future," Harris said in an interview. 'Unknowingly exposed' Harris would claim she was unknowingly exposed to Ligandrol through intimate contact with her husband. But shortly after getting news of the positive test, she was stumped as to how it got in her system. "When I got back to the hotel room, my husband said that the name [Ligandrol] sounded really familiar and so he started looking it up on his phone," Harris recalled. "And he was like, 'Oh my God, I think you got it through me somehow.' "He was like, 'I didn't even know what this stuff was.' He was just taking a supplement you can buy." According to the court decision, Harris's husband had been using a supplement known as the "CrossFit Stack" from November 2023 until January 2024, which he kept in his gym bag and didn't use at home. Harris argued she didn't know or suspect that her husband had been consuming Ligandrol, or that intimate contact represented a risk of contamination with prohibited substances. She referred to the case of Laurence Vincent-Lapointe, who was suspended in 2019 after a similar situation. The Canadian canoeist, who was able to connect with Harris, was cleared after persuading a tribunal that a positive test for Ligandrol was caused by bodily fluid contamination from her then-boyfriend. "It was great to hear her side of things, how it went for her and what she suggested I get done to prove my innocence," Harris said from Petersfield, Man. In the whirlwind of those first few days in Calgary, Harris was told while under suspension she couldn't see her teammates or practise on the ice. She hired legal representation and tackled an off-ice process she never saw coming. Return to play After a hearing in August, it took nearly five months for CAS to release its decision. "We got the best result," Harris said. "The one that we wanted with zero fault and zero negligence." Through the fall, Harris trained regularly in her home gym, desperately wanting to return to the ice and resume playing with her team. "I would be crying [while] working out just because it was just so mentally hard to work toward something, [to] try to be ready to play when you don't know what the verdict is going to be," she said. "'[Am I] doing it for nothing?' That would always cross my mind." Five months pregnant when her suspension was lifted, Harris had set a goal to be ready to play "at any moment." When she got the good news, she advised her teammates with a message in a group chat. The team was playing at a Grand Slam in Guelph, Ont., at the time and offered congratulations, Harris said. Alternate Krysten Karwacki filled in during Harris's absence and newcomer Karlee Burgess was playing second for the injured Shannon Birchard. "I totally wanted to return to the team," Harris said. "That's what I wanted to do. I knew I was ready and I knew I was able." The team said it planned to figure out next steps after the bonspiel. Later that month, citing the need for lineup consistency, the Einarson rink decided the current foursome would continue on. Released from Scotties team In addition, Lauren Lenentine was added as an alternate for the 2025 Scotties. Even though Harris wasn't in the lineup, she was still "very much a part" of Team Einarson, coach Reid Carruthers said at the time. "When I got cleared, I asked that we have a team discussion to figure out what we wanted to do as a team for the Scotties," Harris said. "And they said that they were going to do that with me, but then that didn't really happen. "When I thought the meeting was happening to talk about it, [it] was actually them just telling me that I wasn't going to be on the team with them for the Scotties." Her tenure formally ended last week via a team social media post. Harris's addition to Cameron's foursome was announced the same day. Three members of Team Einarson declined interview requests to discuss the change. "I grew as a player and I'm really grateful for all of that, the experience and everything that I got to take from it," Harris said of her time with the team. "And now I get to take all that and apply it to Team Cameron.
CBC
13-03-2025
- Sport
- CBC
Canada's Rachel Homan on a roll as she looks to defend world women's curling title
Social Sharing Rachel Homan and her juggernaut Canadian championship team know their No. 1 world ranking doesn't guarantee success at the 2025 world women's curling championship. But that doesn't mean Homan, vice-skip Tracy Fleury, second Emma Miskew and lead Sarah Wilkes won't be full of confidence when they begin their title defence when the 13-country championship begins Saturday in Uijeongbu, South Korea. The Homan team has been together for three years and has been dominant over the past 18 months, winning back-to-back Scotties Tournament of Hearts titles and the 2024 world championship in Sydney, N.S. "We find the more experience we get playing together, the stronger we get," Fleury said. "We're all really comfortable with one another now." Since Homan returned to competition three weeks after giving birth to her third child in September 2023, the defending world champions reeled off six titles last season and six more in this campaign. They also posted a record-tying 22 straight wins in their back-to-back Tournament of Hearts victories, tying a mark the Homan rink set between 2013-15. "Last season was unbelievable, and I think heading into this season, we kind of tried to prepare ourselves it's OK if this season's not quite as incredible as last season," Fleury said. "[Last season] would be hard to replicate. But we came out strong again this year, and we're winning a lot of games. But we're still trying to find ways to make small improvements." Three weeks ago in Thunder Bay, Ont., Homan and Miskew won their fifth Canadian championship together in 11 appearances, one shy of Jennifer Jones' record of six. WATCH | Homan's rink successfully defends Canadian women's crown: Homan defeats Einarson at Scotties for 5th Canadian title 17 days ago Duration 2:06 Jones now coaches the Homan team, which represents the Ottawa Curling Club. But Jones won't join Canada in South Korea because of a scheduling conflict. Canadian national team coaches Viktor Kjell and Renee Sonnenberg, along with team alternate Rachelle Brown, will handle the mentoring duties. "This was something we were aware could be a possible factor," Kjell said. "Together with Renee and Rachelle, we'll be fine. I've spent a lot of time with the team throughout the season and various training [sessions]." With the world championship in South Korea, Canada will have to overcome the jet lag and a lack of in-person support. "I think, if anything, we're a little more prepared than last year," said the 35-year-old Homan, who curled a perfect 100 per cent in her team's 6-1 win against Kerri Einarson and Manitoba in the Canadian championship final last month. "We know what to do training-wise. Being overseas quite a bit, we know the jet lag and the importance of getting in the right zone, feeling ready for the games." WATCH | Who is Rachel Homan the curler, and mom?: Misunderstood: Who is Rachel Homan the curler, and mom? 2 months ago Duration 5:01 The Canadian curler has spent years under the spotlight as an athlete. But CBC Sports' Devin Heroux takes us behind the scenes to see who she is off the ice. Homan and Miskew represented Canada at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, a two-hour drive east of Uijeongbu, but finished sixth. The Canadians departed for South Korea on Sunday. They open against Virginija Paulauskaite's Lithuania rink before facing Rebecca Morrison's Scotland foursome in their second match on Saturday. "We know what to expect," said Miskew, who, along with Homan, has won two world championships in five appearances. "We feel that support, whether we're in Canada or not. They're watching. "We'll pretty much duplicate last year's schedule, even though it was in Canada. We'll be ready." WATCH | Rachel Homan on meeting fans, and being mic'd up while curling: Rachel Homan on meeting fans, and being mic'd up while curling 2 months ago Duration 2:38 The Canadian curler talks to CBC Sports' Devin Heroux about how she signs every autograph, and the difficulties of always being mic'd up as a curler.
CBC
10-03-2025
- Sport
- CBC
Relegation Return? Competition format a talking point at Brier
Numerous blowout games. A 6-2 team missing the playoff cut. No tiebreakers. The 18-team format at the Brier has had its share of critics even though six strong teams made it to the playoff round at Prospera Place in Kelowna, B.C. Six-time Brier champion Brad Gushue went one step further after round-robin play concluded by suggesting that relegation — a much-criticized qualification round that was only used for a few years — be considered again. "I think it would be worth a discussion," Gushue said. "I'm not advocating for it but I think that's the best option that's been shared with me that gets us back to that full round-robin that I used to love playing and I think the fans (loved). "It gets the best teams there. It's worth talking about." Relegation format In the relegation format, which Curling Canada called a "pre-qualifying" stage when it was used from 2015-17, the four lowest-seeded provinces and territories played a round-robin. The winner would reach the main draw and the three losing teams would go home. Longtime Northwest Territories women's skip Kerry Galusha weighed in on the subject on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. "As someone who participated in all three years of relegation it made us work harder and get better, not saying it's the answer but we are going to see lopsided games for years to come until the Northern teams start working harder and travelling more. I knew what we had to do." Curling Canada moved to a 16-team setup for the Brier and the Scotties Tournament of Hearts in 2018. The defending champion and all provincial and territorial winners were given direct entry along with a wild-card team. Two pools of eight teams were used in a format that has since expanded to 18 teams with three pre-qualified entries based on the previous season's rankings. Format debate found another gear this past week when Northern Ontario's John Epping and Manitoba's Reid Carruthers finished tied for third place in their pool at 6-2. Their head-to-head record was the tiebreaker, leaving Epping on the outside even though a 5-3 team from the other pool — Nova Scotia's Owen Purcell — made the cut. "It's weird to play a Brier and it's a double-knockout," Epping said. Supporters feel the format creates more intensity in the early going. The cutoff for the Friday qualifying games ahead of the Page playoffs heightens mid-week drama. Top rinks still play hard because seeding and hammer are on the line. At the same time, several teams in the field have essentially no chance against the well-funded, well-travelled powerhouse rinks. "We're trying to make everybody happy and we're not making anybody happy," said Brent Laing, who coached Mike McEwen's Saskatchewan side. "It's a bit of a mess." 'It's never perfect' Darren Moulding, who coached Thomas Scoffin's Yukon team, said ranking imbalance in the pools can also be a factor. He noted that sometimes in pro leagues like the NHL, MLB or the NFL, a team with a mediocre record can sneak into the playoffs. "In sports, it's never perfect," he said. "If you change the format to make that not happen, there's going to be something else that you sacrifice." Nunavut's Shane Latimer and Aaron Bartling of the Northwest Territories both went 0-8 in round-robin play. Bartling was dumped 20-2 in his second game and gave up an average of almost 11 points a game. Latimer, meanwhile, was outscored 83-25 over his eight losses. "I don't see with the way it's currently structured how it helps these lower-ranked teams to come in here and get blown out," said former Curling Canada event manager Warren Hansen. "I know it's a big thrill for a lot of them (to be here). "But I can't really see myself enjoying coming into this venue and this setting and getting completely annihilated, which a lot of them have this week." Curling Canada announced in 2023 that the current format for the national playdowns will remain in place through next season. "If any changes are made, they would begin in the next (Olympic) quadrennial," an organization spokesman said via email. Another intriguing format quirk came after Alberta's Brad Jacobs went a perfect 8-0 in round-robin play and then lost his first qualifying game. That forced him into a situation where his only route to a title would be four straight must-wins in the playoffs. Jacobs managed to pull it off with a 7-5 semifinal win over Gushue on Sunday afternoon and a 5-3 victory over Manitoba's Matt Dunstone in the evening final. WATCH | Jacobs and Team Alberta win 2025 Brier on great final shot: Brad Jacobs' Team Alberta wins 2025 Brier on great final shot 11 hours ago Duration 1:33 Trailing with the last rock in the final end, Brad Jacobs squeezed in a great shot to score three and down Matt Dunstone's Team Manitoba. "At the end of the day, there's certain games you can't lose," Laing said. "I don't know all the answers. "The old format was a lot simpler, that's for sure."
CBC
05-03-2025
- Sport
- CBC
Defending Brier champion Gushue beats Kevin Koe in extra end to secure playoff berth
Social Sharing Three-time defending champion Brad Gushue is picking up where he left off at the Montana's Brier. His St. John's-based team was the first to secure a playoff berth with a 7-6 victory over Alberta's Kevin Koe on Wednesday at Prospera Place. Koe pushed him hard, taking advantage of a Gushue miss in the 10th end to score a deuce and force an extra end. The Calgary skip was a little wide with his final draw into a crowded house and the teams shook hands. "We kept our composure," Gushue said. "When rocks didn't turn out, we didn't get negative." Gushue led the nine-team Pool A standings at 6-0 with two round-robin games left to play. He's trying to win the national men's curling championship for a record seventh time. "Now the focus is on trying to get first place and trying to get hammer in the playoffs," Gushue said. It's the second straight year that Koe (2-4), a four-time Brier champion, will miss the playoff cut. "It's frustrating," he said. "Last year, we were just brutal and we lost. This year, we played quite well and we could have won a few [more] games. Any time you lose at the Brier it's [tough]." Manitoba's Reid Carruthers was in second place at 6-1 ahead of Manitoba's Matt Dunstone (5-1) and idle Northern Ontario skip John Epping (4-2). Top 3 teams in each pool advance Carruthers defeated Nunavut's Shane Latimer 7-3 and Dunstone dumped New Brunswick's James Grattan 9-3. British Columbia's Cameron de Jong posted an 8-3 win over Newfoundland and Labrador's Ty Dilello in the other early game. Koe was in a fifth-place tie with Grattan ahead of de Jong (2-5), Dilello (2-6) and Latimer (0-6). The top three teams from each pool at the end of round-robin play Thursday night will advance to the qualification games Friday. "We feel like we should be a playoff team but there's going to be two good teams in our pool that don't get there," Koe said. "Not to disrespect anyone else, but we're one of them. "We actually played well but it's a fine line when you're playing the best teams and we have just been slightly off." Pool B leader Mike McEwen (6-0) of Saskatchewan and Alberta's Brad Jacobs (5-0) have a chance to secure playoff berths later in the day depending on Draw 14 results. Ontario's Sam Mooibroek, Saskatchewan's Rylan Kleiter and Quebec's Jean-Michel Menard started the day tied for third place at 3-2. The Page playoffs are on tap this weekend with the final set for Sunday night. Gushue vice Mark Nichols and lead Geoff Walker also have six career Brier titles. Second Brendan Bottcher, who joined the team mid-season, is looking for his second career national crown. The Brier winner will represent Canada at the BKT world men's curling championship starting March 29 in Moose Jaw, Sask. Rachel Homan won the Scotties Tournament of Hearts last month in Thunder Bay, Ont. Her Ottawa-based team will wear the Maple Leaf at the women's world playdowns starting March 15 in Uijeongbu, South Korea.
