Thunder Bay set to host Canada's best curlers at 2022 Scotties

It’s back to the bubble for the 2022 Scotties Tournament of Hearts.

This year’s Canadian women’s curling championship in Thunder Bay, Ont., was supposed to go back to normal with a packed arena and minimal protocols. Unfortunately, COVID-19 and the Omicron variant has had other plans, forcing the Scotties to return to a tight-bubble system much like the Calgary experience in 2021. 

This means playing in front of an empty Fort William Gardens as well as dealing with stringent testing and protocols. The new variant has proven to be far more contagious compared to the situation a year ago, so the task of keeping the virus out will be that much tougher. 

Many curlers leaving the bubble last Season of Champions probably didn’t think they would have to experience that all over again, but in the time of COVID, nothing is ever guaranteed. 

"With the advancement of the new Omicron variant we wanted to ensure Curling Canada set up the most effective health protocols possible to keep all participants at the 2022 Scotties Tournament of Hearts safe,” Curling Canada CEO Katherine Henderson said in a statement last week. “We thank our partners in Ontario Health and the local health authority in Thunder Bay for helping us put together a plan to make this event a success.”

Like last winter, the surge of COVID-19 cases across the country forced many provincial and territorial playdowns to be cancelled, resulting in teams being nominated by their respective curling associations. British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Yukon and Nunavut were the only provinces/territories able to host a playdown. 

The expanded 18-team field with three Wild Cards rinks is also returning, but the format will look a little different. 

At last year’s Scotties, the top four teams in each pool advanced to the championship round where the three-team playoff was determined. This year’s version sees the top three teams in each pool advancing to a six-team playoff which will be dwindled down to a regular four-team page playoff to determine the 2022 Canadian women’s curling champions.  

The pools and seeding are based on the Canadian Team Ranking System as of Jan. 10.

 

Like every Tournament of Hearts, the storylines are aplenty and the desire to reach the top of the podium by week’s end is what drives these athletes. After all, with the tandem of Rachel Homan and John Morris as well as the four-person teams led by Jennifer Jones and Brad Gushue set to represent Canada at the Winter Olympics in Beijing over the coming weeks, the journey to the 2026 Games has just begun.

First stop is Thunder Bay.

 

POOL A

 

Team Tracy Fleury (Wild Card 1)

Note: Tracy Fleury, skip for Wild Card 1, was one of two participants in this year's Scotties Tournament of Hearts that tested positive for COVID-19 on their pre-departure PCR tests. However, Team Fleury says the skip could return to the team as soon as this weekend.

Seed: 1
2021-22 Record: 43-9
Curling Club: East St. Paul Curling Club

Lineup

Skip: Tracy Fleury
Third: Selena Njegovan
Second: Liz Fyfe
Lead: Kristin MacCuish
Coach: Sherry Middaugh

Outlook

It’s been an up-and-down season for Team Tracy Fleury. The Manitoba foursome, currently holding the No. 1 ranking in the world, were the hottest team on the planet entering November’s Tim Hortons Curling Trials. They owned a record of 30-5 and were winners of three of five events. Team Fleury didn’t lose a beat in Saskatoon, winning all eight of their games in the round robin to earn a bye straight to the final against 2014 Olympic champion Jennifer Jones. The final was a roller-coaster ride that ended with Fleury wrecking on a guard in the extra end, dashing their dream of reaching Beijing. A few weeks later, Fleury and her team were the favourites at the Manitoba Scotties, but upsets by Kaitlyn Jones, Kristy Watling and Mackenzie Zacharias was enough to keep them out of the three-team playoff. Fleury would have been in the winner-take-all Wild Card game, but with 18-team fields now returning for the Tournament of Hearts and Tim Hortons Brier, the East St. Paul rink won’t have to worry about going home before they even get settled. At last year’s bubble Scotties, Fleury elected to stay home to look after her infant daughter who was dealing with a medical condition. Chelsea Carey filled in at skip, leading the team to a 6-6 record. Fleury, 35, has never won a Scotties. The rest of the team dropped the 2018 final to Team Jones when they were playing for Kerri Einarson. Is the time to stand atop the podium here for Team Fleury?

 

Team Chelsea Carey (Wild Card 2)

Seed: 4
2021-22 Record: 21-8
Curling Club: Highland Curling Club in Regina

Lineup

Skip: Chelsea Carey
Third: Jolene Campbell
Second: Stephanie Schmidt
Lead: Jennifer Armstrong
Alternate: Rachel Erickson
Coach: Colin Hodgson

Outlook

Chelsea Carey will compete for a third different province at this year’s Scotties. After her Scotties-winning team disbanded following the 2019-20 campaign, Carey found herself without a team as the pandemic hit North America. Carey filled in for Tracy Fleury at last year’s nationals but didn’t find a regular foursome until this season. Playing for her third prairie province, Carey has led this first-year squad to some solid performances on Tour. Team Carey won a Saskatoon bonspiel in September and qualified for the playoffs in their next five events. They won their first four games at the Saskatchewan Scotties, including two over Penny Barker, before losing to Team Barker in the championship game, 7-5. Carey, a two-time Canadian champion, will make her seventh appearance at the Scotties in Thunder Bay. Third Jolene Campbell has the second-most experience on Team Carey as this will be her fifth appearance and first since 2016. Wild Card 2 will be one of the favourites to make it out of Pool A, but it won’t be a walk in the park by any means given the strength of their opponents. 

 

Team Emma Miskew (Wild Card 3)

Seed: 5
2021-22 Record: 24-16
Curling Club: Ottawa Curling Club

Lineup

Skip: Emma Miskew
Third: Sarah Wilkes
Second: Alli Flaxey
Lead: Joanne Courtney
Alternate: Lynn Kreviazuk
Coach: Marcel Rocque 

Outlook

For the first time in her career, Emma Miskew will skip a team at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts. Rachel Homan will be in Beijing with teammate John Morris competing in Olympic mixed doubles, so Miskew gets the nod as the captain. Team Homan is set to bring in Alli Flaxey to play second for the week while regular second Sarah Wilkes moves to vice. Joanne Courtney remains at lead. Homan and Miskew have played together since bantam curling in 2002 and have competed in eight Tournament of Hearts, winning three titles. The Ottawa rink became the first team in history to lose three consecutive Scotties finals last year following a 9-7 defeat to Team Kerri Einarson. In 2021-22, Team Homan hasn’t been at their best as they haven’t been able to get past the quarterfinal round in five Tour events, including two Grand Slams. Team Homan posted a 3-5 record at November’s Olympics Trials, missing the playoffs as the defending champions. A Homan-less Team Homan is something we have never experienced before at the Scotties, so it’s going to be one of the more interesting storylines to follow in Thunder Bay. Whatever happens on the pebbled ice, you can bet that both Homan and her team will be cheering each other on from overseas. 

 

Team Penny Barker (Saskatchewan)

 

 

 

 

Seed: 8
2021-22 Record: 29-13
Curling Club: Moose Jaw Ford Curling Centre

Lineup

Skip: Penny Barker
Third: Christie Gamble
Second: Jenna Enge
Lead: Danielle Sicinski
Alternate: Amber Holland
Coach: Mark Lang

Outlook

Penny Barker will make her second appearance at the national championship after upsetting Chelsea Carey in the Saskatchewan final. Skipping a mostly different squad at the 2017 Scotties (lead Danielle Sicinski was also on that team), the 36-year-old from Moose Jaw finished last with a 1-10 record. Team Barker have put together a very strong 2021-22 campaign with two wins on the SaskTour and a 3-3 performance at the Olympics Pre-Trials in Liverpool. Expect better results from Barker in her second Scotties but she will still be in tough to make the top three in such a stacked field. Amber Holland led Saskatchewan to their most recent national curling title in 2011 and will join Team Barker in Thunder Bay as their alternate. 

 

Team Krista McCarville (Northern Ontario)

Seed: 9
2021-22 Record: 21-11
Curling Club: Fort William Curling Club in Thunder Bay

Lineup

Skip: Krista McCarville
Third: Kendra Lilly
Second: Ashley Sippala
Lead: Sarah Potts
Alternate: Jen Gates
Coach: Rick Lang

Outlook

Krista McCarville and company finally get to play in their hometown. Even if with no fans in the stands. After last year’s Scotties was moved from Thunder Bay to the Calgary bubble, the Northern Ontario city pivoted to the winter of 2022, hoping to host a regular Tournament of Hearts for the first time since 1996 in all its glory. Unfortunately, Fort William Gardens will likely be empty for the entire week due to provincial restrictions. Regardless, winning your first national title in your home barn would be a dream come true for this foursome. McCarville’s team have been perennial contenders at the Scotties since their formation in 2015-16 as they’ve made the playoffs in each of their four appearances. However, they’ve been ousted by Team Rachel Homan in the page playoffs in their last three appearances at nationals. Team McCarville also made the playoffs in November’s Olympic Trials, losing to Team Jennifer Jones in the semi-final. Reaching the six-team playoff is the first goal for Team McCarville and that won’t be easy with four teams ranked higher in Pool A going into the tournament. 

 

Team Andrea Crawford (New Brunswick)

 

 

 

 

Seed: 12
2021-22 Record: 19-3
Curling Club: Capital Winter Club in Fredericton

Lineup

Skip: Andrea Crawford
Third: Sylvie Quillian
Second: Jillian Babin
Lead: Katie Forward
Coach: Daryell Nowlan

Outlook

New Brunswick was unable to host a provincial playdown due to COVID-19 restrictions, instead nominating Team Andrea Crawford for the Scotties. Crawford and her team were selected last year as well but declined with Team Melissa Adams going in their place. The 36-year-old Crawford has played in nine Canadian championships, mostly recently at the 2020 Moose Jaw Scotties where she finished with a 4-3 record, losing to Saskatchewan’s Robyn Silvernagle in a tiebreaker to get into the championship pool. Sylvie Quillian, who has skipped the Maritime province at four Scotties, has since taken over the third position from Jennifer Armstrong. Team Crawford had a strong Tour season in 2021-22, making the final in three of four events, winning twice. Crawford’s best showing at the Scotties was in 2013 and 2014 when she led her team to a 6-5 record. The Saint John native won the 2005 Canadian junior title and bronze at the world championships that same year. 

 

Team Suzanne Birt (Prince Edward Island)

 

 

 

 

Seed: 13
2021-22 Record: 23-12
Curling Club: Montague Curling Club /Cornwall Curling Club

Lineup

Skip: Suzanne Birt
Third: Marie Christianson
Second: Meaghan Hughes
Lead: Michelle McQuaid
Coach: Kathy O’Rourke

Outlook

For the fourth straight season, Suzanne Birt will represent Prince Edward Island at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts. Birt has advanced to the playoffs twice in a dozen career appearances, making it all the way to the semifinals in her first Scotties in 2003 before losing to Cathy Cunningham of Newfoundland and Labrador. Despite missing the championship pool last year with a 4-4 record, Birt and company are fully capable of taking out the big names in any given draw. It’s just matter of finding that consistency throughout the week to stay in contention for the playoffs. Their games are usually quite entertaining as they averaged 7.8 points for and 7.7 points against per game over eight contests at the 2021 Scotties. The Birt rink had a busy fall schedule this season, playing in six events from late August to mid-November, making three finals and winning one. They had a strong start at the Pre-Trials but dropped back-to-back playoff games to Jacqueline Harrison and Sherry Anderson. Can Birt discover some early 2000s magic and find a way back into the playoffs?

 

Team Sarah Hill (Newfoundland and Labrador)

 

 

 

 

Seed: 16
2021-22 Record: 3-5
Curling Club: Re/Max Centre St. John’s Curling Club

Lineup

Skip: Sarah Hill
Third: Kelli Sharpe
Second: Beth Hamilton
Lead: Adrienne Mercer
Coach: Laura Phillips

Sarah Hill returns to rep The Rock for a second consecutive year. Team Hill was nominated after playdowns were cancelled due to the surge in COVID-19 cases. In the bubble, Hill, 26, led her team to a 2-0 start with wins over New Brunswick and Nunavut and later in the week almost defeated Jennifer Jones, losing 6-5. Team Hill finished 2-6. The Newfoundlanders have had a light schedule this season going 3-5 over two events. 

 

Team Brigitte MacPhail (Nunavut)

 

 

 

 

Seed: 17
2021-22 Record: 3-11
Curling Club: Iqaluit Curling Club

Lineup

Skip: Brigitte MacPhail
Third: Sadie Pinksen
Second: Kaitlin MacDonald
Lead: Alison Taylor
Coach: Donalda Mattie

Outlook

Brigitte MacPhail takes over for the Nunavut foursome previously skipped by Lori Eddy at the last two Tournament of Hearts. MacPhail, a chiropractor from Halifax, has never competed at the national championship. Eddy led Nunavut to its best performance in 2020 with a pair of wins in round-robin play. They went 0-8 in Calgary last season. The rest of the squad will carry that experience over to Thunder Bay with a new skip and might be able to squeak out a win in Pool A.

 

POOL B

 

Team Laura Walker (Alberta)

Seed: 2
2021-22 Record: 32-23
Curling Club: Saville Community Sports Centre in Edmonton

Lineup

Skip: Laura Walker
Third: Kate Cameron
Second: Taylor McDonald
Lead: Nadine Scotland
Alternate: Dana Ferguson
Coach: Shannon Pynn

Outlook

Laura Walker will make her third straight Tournament of Hearts appearance in Thunder Bay after beating provincial rival Casey Scheidegger in the Alberta final. Walker’s team finished third at the Scotties in the Calgary bubble last season, losing to defending champ Kerri Einarson in the semi-final, 9-3. Team Walker went 3-5 at the Tim Hortons Curling Trials earlier this season, missing the playoff tiebreaker by a single game. In addition to provincials, Walker was victorious at the Avonair bonspiel on the Alberta Curling Series. Team Walker seems like a safe bet to reach the playoffs in Thunder Bay and could be primed to take the next step with their first Scotties title. 

 

Team Kerri Einarson (Canada)

Seed: 3
2021-22 Record: 23-16
Curling Club: Gimli Curling Club in Manitoba

Lineup

Skip: Kerri Einarson
Third: Val Sweeting
Second: Shannon Birchard
Lead: Briane Meilleur
Alternate: Krysten Karwacki
Coach: Reid Carruthers

Outlook

Kerri Einarson and her rink from Gimli, Man., will look to become just the fourth team in history to win three consecutive Scotties, joining curling legends in Jennifer Jones (2008-10), Colleen Jones (2001-04) and Vera Pezer (1971-73). Team Einarson has defeated Team Rachel Homan in the last two Scotties finals, winning 9-7 in last year’s championship game. Einarson and company have yet to hit their stride this season, making only one final with a 4-6 record at the Grand Slams. November’s Olympic Trials was the last time we saw this group in action. They were in the hunt all week but exited Saskatoon following a close 4-3 loss to Team Krista McCarville in the second tiebreaker. Can Team Einarson find their groove in Thunder Bay and join some elite company?   

 

Team Mackenzie Zacharias (Manitoba)

Seed: 6
2021-22 Record: 36-20
Curling Club: Altona Curling Club in Manitoba

Lineup

Skip: Mackenzie Zacharias
Third: Karlee Burgess
Second: Emily Zacharias
Lead: Lauren Lenentine
Alternate: Lori Olson-Johns
Coach: Sheldon Zacharias

Outlook

After being selected as a wild-card team last year inside the bubble, 22-year-old Mackenzie Zacharias returns to the Scotties this year as a provincial champ after capturing the Buffalo in Manitoba. The prairie province was one of the few to actually host a playdown due to the raging Omicron variant. Team Zacharias booked a bye into the final after going 6-2 in the round robin, including a 9-6 victory over Team Tracy Fleury. In the title game they would square off against Team Kristy Watling and scored a deuce in the 10th end to pick up the 7-5 win for their first provincial championship. Team Zacharias, who won the 2020 World Junior Curling Championship, went 3-5 at last year’s Tournament of Hearts and missed the playoffs. They’ve been plenty busy this season with nearly 60 games played and two bonspiel victories on Tour. Zacharias made it to the playoffs at the Pre-Trials but was ousted by Krista McCarville. With a little national experience now under their belt, Zacharias and company will be another dark horse in Thunder Bay. 

 

Team Hollie Duncan (Ontario)

 

 

 

 

Seed: 7
2021-22 Record: 28-14
Curling Club: Woodstock Curling Club

Lineup

Skip: Hollie Duncan
Third: Megan Balsdon
Second: Rachelle Strybosch
Lead: Tess Bobbie
Alternate: Julie Tippin
Coach: Barry Westman

Outlook

Rachel Homan’s rink from the Ottawa Curling Club originally got the call to represent Ontario after provincial playdowns were axed, but that all changed after Homan was selected by Curling Canada to represent the country in mixed doubles at the Beijing Olympics. As a result, Hollie Duncan and her team from the Woodstock Curling Club will wear Ontario colours in Thunder Bay as the next highest-ranked team on the CTRS. Duncan, 35, is having a strong season on Tour, reaching two finals and winning the Stu Sells Toronto Tankard in October. Team Duncan, in their first year as a foursome, went 3-3 at the Home Hardware Pre-Trials and 2-3 at the National on the Grand Slam circuit. In her first and only appearance in 2018 – the last time a player not named Homan skipped the province – Duncan qualified for the championship pool after winning a tiebreaker and eventually finished with a 4-7 record. This will be the first Tournament of Hearts for the other three members of Team Duncan. 

 

Team Kerry Galusha (Northwest Territories)

Seed: 10
2021-22 Record: 17-9
Curling Club: Yellowknife Curling Club

Lineup

Fourth: Jo-Ann Rizzo
Third: Sarah Koltun
Second: Margot Flemming
Skip: Kerry Galusha
Alternate: Megan Koehler
Coach: Shona Barbour

Outlook

Thunder Bay will be Scotties No. 19 for Kerry Galusha. The 44-year-old skip will attend her ninth straight Canadian championship and the 19th of her career after being nominated by the Territory following the cancellation of playdowns. Galusha still calls the game for this Yellowknife rink, but now throws lead stones while Jo-Ann Rizzo throws fourth stones. Galusha and her team have played a little more than usual this season, highlighted by a win at the KW Fall Classic. They also went 4-0 at the Pre-Trials Direct Entry Event before going 1-5 at the Pre-Trials. Galusha missed the championship pool at last year’s Scotties with a 4-4 record. With some positive results and a tweaked lineup, will Galusha be in the mix for the six-team playoff? 

 

Team Christina Black (Nova Scotia)

Seed: 11
2021-22 Record: 27-6
Curling Club: Dartmouth Curling Club

Lineup

Skip: Christina Black
Third: Jenn Baxter
Second: Karlee Everist
Lead: Shelley Barker
Alternate: Carole MacLean
Coach: Stuart MacLean

Outlook

Christina Black will make her first Scotties appearance as a skip this year. The 34-year-old from Halifax played third for Mary-Anne Arsenault at three previous national championships, getting as far as the semi-final round in 2018. Team Black went a perfect 7-0 at provincial backs in early December, beating defending champion Jill Brothers three times. Black has led her team to five playoff appearances in all five of their Tour events this season with wins in Lower Sackville and Windsor, N.S. Team Black will face stiffer competition in Thunder Bay so it will be interesting how close they can keep their current .818 winning percentage going. 

 

Team Mary-Anne Arsenault (British Columbia)

Seed: 14
2021-22 Record: 10-7
Curling Club: Kelowna Curling Club

Lineup

Skip: Mary-Anne Arsenault
Third: Jeanna Schraeder
Second: Sasha Carter
Lead: Renee Simons
Alternate: Morgan Muise
Coach: Gerry Richard

Outlook

Scotties Tournament of Hearts veteran Mary-Anne Arsenault returns to the Canadian championship this year wearing new provincial colours. Arsenault, a five-time Scotties champion, represented Nova Scotia for a 14th time in 2020 before moving out west to British Columbia where she took over Kelly Scott’s old team that won back-to-back national titles in 2006 and 2007. Playing in her first B.C. Scotties, Arsenault made it to the final and came back to defeat Kayla MacMillan, 8-6. The rink from Kelowna had a very light schedule ahead of the B.C. Scotties, playing in just a pair of bonspiels with one final appearance. Team Arsenault have a combined 11 Scotties titles and 38 total appearances at the Canadian championship. Arsenault made an impressive run to the semifinals at the 2018 Scotties proving she can still compete at the highest level. They may not be in the prime of their careers anymore, but with this experience, they might be the No. 1 dark horse team at the Thunder Bay Scotties.

 

Team Laurie St-Georges (Quebec)

 

 

 

 

Seed: 15
2021-22 Record: 7-14
Curling Club: Glenmore/Laval-sur-le-Lac

Lineup

Skip: Laurie St-Georges
Third: Hailey Armstrong
Second: Emily Riley
Lead: Cynthia St-Georges
Alternate: Alanna Routledge
Coach: Michel St-Georges

Outlook

The breakout star of the 2021 Canadian championship returns. Laurie St-Georges and her team from Laval, Que., are headed back to the Scotties after they were nominated by Curling Quebec for a second consecutive year. St-Georges, 24, is bringing the same lineup to Thunder Bay that made an impressive 6-2 run in round-robin play to get into the championship pool. Quebec would go 0-4 in the championship pool to finish 6-6. The Quebec foursome made a bunch of new fans in the Calgary bubble thanks to their high-energy play on the ice. It hasn’t been an ideal season on Tour in 2021-222, however, with a record seven games under .500 and no finals appearances. Team St-Georges may have the 15th seed, but don’t be surprised if they finish far higher than that once the dust settles. 

 

Team Hailey Birnie (Yukon)

 

 

 

 

Seed: 18
2021-22 Record: 4-3
Curling Club: Whitehorse Curling Club

Lineup

Skip: Hailey Birnie
Third: Patricia Wallingham
Second: Kerry Campbell
Lead: Kimberly Tuor
Alternate: Stephanie Brown
Coach: Bill Tschirhart

Outlook

Team Hailey Birnie earned the trip to Thunder Bay after defeating 2020 champion Laura Eby 2-0 in a best-of-three series in the Yukon playdowns. This will be Birnie’s third Scotties and second as a skip. Birnie went 0-7 in 2020 and 1-6 in 2019 as a third for Nicole Baldwin.