Burgess departs from Team Carey leaving Scotties spot in doubt
Published
With the Scotties Tournament of Hearts just around the corner, third Karlee Burgess is parting ways with Manitoba's Team Chelsea Carey.
"I couldn't be more grateful to Glenn, Chelsea, Emily and Lauren for their friendship and support, as well as all of the knowledge I gained from playing with them as teammates," Burgess said in a statement on Thursday. "I will always value our time together. Chelsea is truly one of our sport's best skips and she has been so generous in sharing her knowledge and insight in our short time together. And I will cherish the successes and experiences I've shared with Emily and Lauren over the years, and I know I'm a better player for having been their teammate."
Team Carey said they will "make announcements in the near future" for their plans going forward.
Burgess, a 26-year-old originally from Nova Scotia, won three Canadian and world junior curling championships before turning pro in 2020-21.
Playing for six-time Canadian champion Jennifer Jones, Burgess, alongside front end players in Emily Zacharias and Lauren Lenentine, advanced to back-to-back Scotties finals, losing to Team Kerri Einarson in 2023 and Team Rachel Homan in 2024.
With Jones retired from four-person curling, two-time Scotties champion Chelsea Carey took over for the Winnipeg-based rink this season.
Team Carey, ranked 19th in the world and 10th in Canada, have struggled so far in 2024-25, posting a 16-19 record, including a 4-10 showing in three Grand Slam events. They've qualified for the playoffs in just three of eight bonspiels, losing in the quarter-final each time.
Thanks to their strong ranking on last year's Canadian Team Ranking System, Team Carey still pre-qualified for the 2025 Scotties with three of their four players - Burgess, Zacharias and Lenentine - returning to the team, as per Curling Canada rules.
With Burgess now departing, only two players from last year's squad remain, leaving their pre-qualified status up in the air.
The 2025 Scotties Tournament of Hearts takes place in Thunder Bay, Ont., from Feb. 14-23. Manitoba's Scotties playdowns are scheduled for Jan. 21-26.