The Scotties Tournament of Hearts and Tim Hortons Brier are set to take place inside the Calgary bubble in early 2021, but first they have to figure out which teams will be playing.

That will prove to be much more difficult compared to year's past.

With varying restrictions and health protocols to consider because of the COVID-19 global pandemic, provinces and territories across Canada may find it difficult to hold their playdowns, leading to questions as to which teams get to go to Calgary.

Here's the current state of each provincial and territorial championship. All proposed dates and locations are subject to change due to evolving circumstances surrounding the pandemic.

 

British Columbia

Brier - Cancelled
Scotties - Cancelled

Note: The province was forced to cancel its playdowns due to ongoing COVID-19 restrictions. The events were supposed to be played January 26-31 in Kamloops. Last year's winners in Corryn Brown and Steve Laycock will represent BC in Calgary.

2021 Representatives: Steve Laycock and Corryn Brown

 

Alberta

Brier - Cancelled
Scotties - Cancelled

Note: The women's and men's playdowns, slated to run January 25-31, 2021 in Sylvan Lake, have been cancelled. Instead, last year's provincial champs in Brendan Bottcher and Laura Walker will get to go to the national championships. Calgary's Kevin Koe is headed there as well as a wild-card team. 

2021 Representatives: Brendan Bottcher and Laura Walker

 

Saskatchewan

Brier - Cancelled
Scotties - Cancelled

Note: CURLSASK is sending 2020 Brier bronze medalists Team Matt Dunstone to the Brier and 2020 Saskatchewan women's finalist Team Sherry Anderson to the Scotties. Robyn Silvernagle skipped last year's provincial championship team on the women's side, but has two new players on her team this year, making her ineligible to return as the defending champion.

2021 Representatives: Matt Dunstone and Sherry Anderson

 

Manitoba

Brier - Cancelled
Scotties - Cancelled

Note: Manitoba were hoping to host their playdowns in early February, but were forced to cancel on Dec. 21. As a result, Team Jason Gunnlaugson will represent the province at the Brier while Team Jennifer Jones will do the same at the Scotties. Gunnlaugson won his first provincial championship last season and Jones was the runner-up to Team Kerri Einarson. Einarson is already qualified after winning the national championship in 2020 and will wear Team Canada colours in Calgary.  

2021 Representatives: Jason Gunnlaugson and Jennifer Jones

 

Ontario

Brier – Cancelled
Scotties – Cancelled

Note: Like Manitoba, Ontario was also forced to cancel its provincial playdowns on Dec. 21 due to COVID-19. They will send last year's provincial champs to Calgary in Team John Epping and Team Rachel Homan.

2021 Representatives: John Epping and Rachel Homan

 

Northern Ontario

Brier – Cancelled
Scotties – Cancelled

Note: The Northern Ontario Curling Association have cancelled all of its competitions until further notice due to the COVID-19 crisis. As a result, the NOCA invited last year's provincial winners - Brad Jacobs and Krista McCarville - to represent Northern Ontario at the Brier and Scotties in the Calgary hub. Team Jacobs accepted the invitation while Team McCarville declined the invite due to travel restrictions and family commitments. Team Krysta Burns, the 2020 Northern Ontario finalists, will go to the bubble in Team McCarville's place.

2021 Representatives: Brad Jacobs and Krysta Burns

 

Quebec

Brier – Cancelled
Scotties – Cancelled

Note: Quebec has decided to send Team Laurie St-Georges to the Scotties and Team Mike Fournier to the Brier. Curling Quebec Board of Directors collaborated with Curling Canada to make the selections. Alek Bedard and Noemie Verreault won last year's provincial championships.

2021 Representatives: Mike Fournier and Laurie St-Georges

 

New Brunswick

Brier – Cancelled
Scotties – Cancelled

Note: The women's event was officially cancelled on Jan. 18 with the men's event called of on Jan. 29. Defending champion James Grattan will represent the province at the Brier. On the women's side, Team Andrea Crawford, who won the 2020 New Brunswick Scotties, received an invite to represent the province but had to decline due to "work and family obligations."

"We have spent a long time debating this decision and trying to find a way to make it happen but it is with much disappointment that we are unable," the team said in a statement on Facebook. Melissa Adams, who last represented the province at the 2018 Scotties, will compete instead.

2021 Representatives: James Grattan and Melissa Adams

 

Nova Scotia

Brier - Cancelled
Scotties - Cancelled

Note: The Scotties and Brier playdowns - scheduled to run Jan. 25-31 in New Glasgow - have been cancelled. Jamie Murphy's team, who won last year's Nova Scotia title, accepted their invitation to go to the Canadian championship, however they were forced to find a new skip as Murphy is unable to attend due to work commitments and quarantine requirements upon his return home. As a result, Nova Scotia will be skipped by Ontario's Scott McDonald. Team Jill Brothers accepted the invite on the women's side after she lost to Team Mary-Anne Arsenault in the 2020 provincial final. Arsenault now lives out west in British Columbia.

2021 Representatives: Jamie Murphy (with Scott McDonald skipping) and Jill Brothers

 

Prince Edward Island

Brier – January 29-31, 2021 in O'Leary
Scotties - January 29-31, 2021 in O'Leary

Note: Eddie MacKenzie and Suzanne Birt are headed back to the national championships after winning PEI playdowns, one of the few places to run playdowns for both the Scotties and Brier. Mackenzie swept Blair Jay in a best-of-five series while Birt did the same against Darlene London. Both events happened at the Maple Leaf Curling Club in O’Leary. 

2021 Representatives: Eddie MacKenzie and Suzanne Birt

 

Newfoundland and Labrador

Brier - January 27-31, 2021 in St. John's
Scotties - January 29-31, 2021 in St. John's

Note: Sarah Hill dropped the opener of the best-of-five series to Mackenzie Mitchell before rattling off three straight wins in the Newfoundland Scotties, punching her first career ticket to the Tournament of Hearts. On the men's side, Greg Smith is going to his second career Brier after stealing the 12th end of a thriller against Team Colin Thomas. 

2021 Representatives: Greg Smith and Sarah Hill

 

Yukon

Brier - Cancelled
Scotties - January 14-17, 2021 in Whitehorse

Note: Dustin Mikkelsen was acclaimed as the Yukon men's champion while Team Laura Eby won the best-of-five on the women's side and is headed to the bubble. 

2021 Representatives: Dustin Mikkelsen and Laura Eby 

 

Northwest Territories

Brier – January 26-31, 2021 in Yellowknife
Scotties - January 26-31, 2021 in Yellowknife

Note: Greg Skauge outlasted Glen Hudy in a best-of-three series to claim his first Territorial championship while Kerry Galusha will be going to the Scotties for an 18th time.

2021 Representatives: Greg Skauge and Kerry Galusha

 

Nunavut

Brier – January 9-10, 2021 in Iqaluit
Scotties – Cancelled

Note: In one of the few playdowns played in the country, Team Peter Mackey battled Team Wade Kingdon in a best-of-five series to determine who would represent the territory at the Brier. Team Kingdon took the first two games before Mackey's crew stormed back with three straight victories to win the series and punch a ticket to Calgary. Lori Eddy, who skipped Nunavut at last year's Scotties in Moose Jaw, Sask., will return and will be inside the Calgary bubble.

2021 Representatives: Peter Mackey and Lori Eddy