OTTAWA, April 22, 2009 (CCA)… The Canadian Curling Association today confirmed the 16 men’s and 16 women’s teams which have qualified for either the Tim Hortons ‘Roar of the Rings’ Canadian Curling Trials in Edmonton, Alberta or the pre-Trials ‘Road to the Roar’ event in Prince George, British Columbia.

Four men’s and four women’s teams have earned berths directly into the Tim Hortons Roar of the Rings, presented by Monsanto, December 6-13, 2009 at the 15,000-seat Rexall Place. They will be joined by four other men’s and four other women’s teams who will participate in the 12-team (men and women) pre-Trials competition at the 6,000-seat CN Centre, November 10-14.

Advancing directly to the Trials are teams skipped by Kevin Martin, Kevin Koe and Randy Ferbey, all of Edmonton, Glenn Howard of Coldwater, Ontario, Jennifer Jones of Winnipeg, Shannon Kleibrink and Cheryl Bernard of Calgary and Stefanie Lawton of Saskatoon.

The teams qualified by winning three specific events over a three-season period (2006-2009) or by their cumulative points total on the Canadian Team Ranking System (CTRS) during that time.

Martin, a four-time Brier winner, 2008 world champion and 2002 Olympic silver medallist, won the 2007 Players’ Championship, 2008 Tim Hortons Brier and world men’s title, while Howard, a three-time world champion, captured the 2007 Brier and Ford world men’s and 2008 Players’ Championship.

Koe, winner of the 2008 Canada Cup, and Ferbey, a six-time Brier and four-time world champion, both qualified via their CTRS points total during the last three seasons. Ferbey clinched his spot by winning last weekend’s Players’ Championship in Grande Prairie, Alberta.

The Jones team was the first to qualify directly for the Trials, after taking the 2007 Canada Cup and Players’ Championship and 2008 Scotties Tournament of Hearts, prior to winning a 2008 world title as well. Kleibrink, winner of this year’s Canada Cup, Bernard and Lawton, the 2008 Canada Cup winner, all qualified via their CTRS points total during the last three seasons.

The Tim Hortons Roar of the Rings will be an eight-team round robin competition, with the first place finishers advancing to their respective finals, while the second and third place teams meet in semi-finals. TSN will provide complete event coverage. For ticket information, visit www.seasonofchampions.ca.

The winners will, of course, then represent Canada at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, where the curling competition takes place February 16-27 at the Vancouver Olympic Centre.

The women’s teams at the pre-Trials Road to the Roar event, a triple knockout format, include 2007 world champion Kelly Scott of Kelowna, former Canadian junior champion Marie-France Larouche of St-Romuald, Quebec, 1998 Canadian champion Cathy King of Edmonton, 2008 Players’ champion Amber Holland of Kronau, Saskatchewan, 2001 Trials runner-up Sherry Anderson of Saskatoon and Ottawa’s 20-year-old Rachel Homan, the youngest skip in the group, who was the runner-up at the 2009 M&M Meat Shops Canadian Juniors in Salmon Arm, British Columbia.

The men’s field includes reigning Olympic gold medallist Brad Gushue of St. John’s, two-time Brier and one-time world champions Jeff Stoughton and Kerry Burtnyk, both of Winnipeg, two-time world champion Wayne Middaugh of Toronto, 2006 Brier winner Jean-Michel Ménard of St-Romuald, 2000 world champion Greg McAulay of Richmond, British Columbia and former world junior champion Bob Ursel of Kelowna.

For ticket information, visit www.seasonofchampions.ca. TSN will also provide coverage of the pre-Trials, televising the A, B and C finals.

A complete list of all teams, including seeding for the Trials and pre-Trials, is attached. A breakdown of
the 32 teams shows nine from Alberta (five women’s, four men’s), six from Saskatchewan (four women’s, two men’s), five from Manitoba (one women’s, four men’s), five from Ontario (three women’s, two men’s), three from British Columbia (one women’s, two men’s), three from Quebec (two women’s, one men’s) and one men’s team from Newfoundland/Labrador. More information is available at www.curling.ca.

The Trials will be the fifth such competition to determine Canada’s representatives at the Winter Olympics.

In 1987, the Trials were held in Calgary and won by Vancouver’s Linda Moore and Calgary’s Ed Lukowich. The following year, at the 1988 Olympic Winter Games in Calgary, when curling was a demonstration sport, Moore won a gold medal while Lukowich received a bronze medal.

In 1997, the Trials were staged in Brandon, Manitoba and won by Toronto’s Mike Harris and Regina’s Sandra Schmirler. Schmirler went on to win a gold medal at the 1998 Olympic Winter Games in Nagano (Karuizawa), Japan, while Harris earned a silver medal, as curling became an official medal sport.

In 2001 in Regina, the Trials were captured by Edmonton’s Kevin Martin and New Westminster’s Kelley Law. Martin then earned a silver medal at the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City (Ogden), Utah, while Law took home a bronze medal.

At the 2005 Tim Hortons Canadian Curling Trials in Halifax, Brad Gushue of St. John’s and Shannon Kleibrink of Calgary emerged victorious. Gushue went on to win a gold medal at the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Turin (Pinerolo), Italy, the first time Canada had won the men’s competition, while Kleibrink earned a bronze medal.

TEAMS FOR THE 2009 TIM HORTONS CANADIAN CURLING TRIALS, DECEMBER 6-13 IN EDMONTON AND THE 2009 PRE-TRIALS, NOVEMBER 10-14 IN PRINCE GEORGE, BC

2009 Tim Hortons Roar of the Rings
# denotes seed for Trials

Women

1. Jennifer Jones (Winnipeg, MB)
2. Shannon Kleibrink (Calgary, AB)
3. Cheryl Bernard (Calgary, AB)
4. Stefanie Lawton (Saskatoon, SK)

Men

1. Kevin Martin (Edmonton, AB)
2. Glenn Howard (Coldwater, ON)
3. Kevin Koe (Edmonton, AB)
4. Randy Ferbey (Edmonton, AB)

2009 Road to the Roar (Pre-Trials)
# denotes seed for Pre-Trials

Women

1. Kelly Scott (Kelowna, BC)
2. Sherry Middaugh (Coldwater, ON)
3. Marie-France Larouche (St-Romuald, QC)
4. Michelle Englot (Regina, SK)
5. Heather Rankin (Calgary, AB)
6. Rachel Homan (Ottawa, ON)
7. Crystal Webster (Calgary, AB)
8. Cathy King (Edmonton, AB)
9. Krista McCarville (Thunder Bay, ON)
10. Amber Holland (Kronau, SK)
11. Eve Bélisle (Montreal, QC)
12. Sherry Anderson (Saskatoon, SK)

Men

1. Jeff Stoughton (Winnipeg, MB)
2. Wayne Middaugh (Toronto, ON)
3. Brad Gushue (St. John’s, NL)
4. Mike McEwen (Winnipeg, MB)
5. Kerry Burtnyk (Winnipeg, MB)
6. Joel Jordison (Moose Jaw, SK)
7. Jean-Michel Ménard (St-Romuald, QC)
8. Ted Appelman (Edmonton, AB)
9. Bob Ursel (Kelowna, BC)
10. Pat Simmons (Davidson, SK)
11. Greg McAulay (Richmond, BC)
12. Jason Gunnlaugson (Beausejour, MB)

Note: Four women’s and four men’s teams will qualify from the Pre-Trials and advance to the 2009 Tim Hortons Roar of the Rings.

GRANDE PRAIRIE, ALTA., April 18, 2009 – Jennifer Jones (Winnipeg, Man.) captured her third career Grey Power Players’ Championship title in the tournament’s four year history today after sliding past Shannon Kleibrink (Calgary, Alta.) 9-7 in the championship game of the season’s final Capital One Grand Slam of Curling event, taking place at the Crystal Centre in Grande Prairie, Alta.

The championship was Jones’ fifth career Capital One Grand Slam of Curling event title. As tournament champions, Jones, who finished with a record of 6-1, won $25,000 (CDN) and earned 40.000 Canadian Team Ranking System (CTRS) points.

The reigning Canadian champion also won the season’s Capital One Cup title, earning a $50,000 (CDN) bonus. The $75,000 (CDN) in total prize money was most the team’s ever earned in one day.

“It’s definitely a big pay day,” said Jones. “It’s pretty exciting. It was a great game.”

Trailing 2-1 after two ends, Jones grabs her first lead of the game in the third after Kleibrink couldn’t tap her own rock into the eight-foot, resulting in two-point steal.

Another steal of one in the fourth, extended Jones’ lead to 4-2.

Kleibrink reclaimed the lead in the fifth after capitalizing on a pair of Team Jones miscues to set up a nose hit for three points.

Jones surged ahead to a 6-5 lead in the sixth after making an open draw for two points.

“It was big to get the two in six,” added Jones. “That was probably the turning point. And obviously we played a really good last end.”

After Kleibrink bounced back in the seventh, with an open hit for two points and a 7-6 lead, Jones won the championship in the eighth end after making a takeout on the game’s final shot to score three points.

“We just weren’t sharp,” said Kleibrink. “The ice was a bit different. We didn’t pick up on it early and we just missed a couple of key shots here and there.”

By finishing second with a record of 5-1, Kleibrink’s squad took home $16,000 (CDN) along with 30.000 CTRS points. The Calgary-based squad also finished third in the Capital One Cup standings, earning an additional $10,000 (CDN).

In this morning’s semi-final matches, Jones advanced to the final with an 8-4 victory over Cheryl Bernard (Calgary, Alta.) while Kleibrink moved into the championship game with an 8-3 win over Kelly Scott (Kelowna, B.C.).

After defeating Bernard, Jones mathematically clinched first place in the Capital One Cup.

“You could see how close the points were coming into the Players’ Championship,” said Jones. “All the teams are so close and even. To come out and be the winners of the Capital One Cup, we’re pretty excited about it.”

Team Bernard earned a bonus of $25,000 (CDN) after finishing second in the Capital One Cup standings with 37 points, 10 points behind Jones. Kleibrink finished with 34 points.

Featuring a total purse of $170,000, the Capital One Cup is a points-based competition that awards each women’s and men’s curling team a point value based on their performance during each Capital One Grand Slam of Curling event.

In the men’s draw, Kevin Koe (Edmonton, Alta.), Jeff Stoughton (Winnipeg, Man.) and Ted Appelman (Edmonton, Alta.) secured the final three quarterfinal berths at the Grey Power Players’ Championship after each won their respective “C” bracket final.

Koe powered past Wayne Middaugh (Midland, Ont.) 6-1 while Stoughton doubled up Dale Matchett (Churchill, Ont.) 6-3. Appelman grabbed the final playoff berth with a 6-4 win over Joel Jordison (Moose Jaw, Sask.).

The men’s quarterfinals are set for this afternoon at 4:30 p.m. MT. The playoff match-ups feature Glenn Howard (Coldwater, Ont.) vs. Appelman, Brad Gushue (St. John’s, Nfld.) vs. Mike McEwen (Winnipeg, Man.), Randy Ferbey (Edmonton, Alta.) vs. Koe and Kevin Martin (Edmonton, Alta.) vs. Stoughton.

Earlier today, Stefanie Lawton (Saskatoon, Sask.) secured the fourth and final direct berth to the 2009 Canadian Trials after Kleibrink eliminated Scott in the semi-finals. Scott needed to win the Grey Power Players’ Championship in order to move ahead of Lawton in the race for the final direct Trials berth.

The Grey Power Players’ Championship represents the final opportunity for teams to earn points towards securing a direct berth into the 2009 Canadian Olympic Trials event or a spot into the 2009 Canadian Olympic Pre-Trials tournament.

As the official television broadcaster of the Capital One Grand Slam of Curling, CBC Television will air the men’s final on Sunday, April 19 at 10:00 a.m. MT. Additionally, on Saturday, April 18, CBC’s digital channel bold will present live coverage of the men’s quarterfinals at 4:30 p.m. MT and live coverage of the men’s semi-finals at 8:00 p.m. MT.

Held annually since 2001-02, the Capital One Grand Slam of Curling is a series of eight premier men’s and women’s events that boast Canada’s deepest and strongest curling fields.

The Capital One Grand Slam of Curling is one of a select few events that are tied to the Canadian Curling Association’s qualifying process for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver. Through their performance in the Capital One Grand Slam of Curling events, rinks can earn points towards securing a berth at the 2009 Canadian Trials or the 2009 Canadian Pre-Trials event.

(http://www.childrenswish.ca)

MARIO ANNICCHIARICO
Canwest News Service
EDMONTON — Randy Ferbey knows his rink is between a curling rock and a hard place.
When the 2009 Grey Power Players’ Championship begins Tuesday in Grande Prairie, Alta., it will mark Ferbey’s last chance to earn a pass directly to a Canadian Olympic Trials spot.
Click to read this Canwest News Service story in today`s Guardian.

DAN BARNES –Canwest News Service

EDMONTON — So technically proficient, so consistently sharp and unbeaten for long stretches, only Kevin Martin could beat Kevin Martin.

At least, that was the suggestion before the Ford men’s world curling championship began and it gained reinforcement as he romped to a 10-0 record in the round-robin, rarely having to bother playing all 10 ends.

That line of thinking had always been an obvious denigration of the better competition in Moncton, N.B., where so many Olympics-bound teams were tuning up against one another, and that was hardly fair to them. But nobody actually imagined the old bear and his boys would go out and do exactly that anyway. Certainly not in the final.

Click to read this Canwest News Service story in The Guardian

The Cornwall Curling Club foursome of skip Sarah Fullerton, third Michelle McQuaid, second Alexis Wright, and lead Sara MacRae, with coach Brenda MacMillan, went undefeated this weekend to repeat as junior women’s winners at the Atlantic 17 and Under Curling Championships, which took place  in Corner Brook, Newfoundland and Labrador. In the Sunday afternoon final, they shut out the Erica Trickett team from the host province by an 8-0 score, scoring a triple in the opening end, and then stealing singles in ends two through four and a deuce in the fifth to bring the game to a speedy conclusion.

The PEI junior men’s team, from the Montague Curling Club, was  skipped by Kevin Rice, and finished round robin play with a 1-3 win-loss record. Other members of the Rice rink are Matthew Nabuurs at third, second stone Mark Nabuurs, and lead Keaghan Matheson, with coach Arny Nabuurs. In the junior men’s final, the Josh Barry rink of New Brunswick edged the the Kyle Bonia team from  Newfoundland and Labrador by a 6-5 score.

MONCTON, N.B. April 12, 2009 (CCA) — Norway’s Thomas Ulsrud has won his third bronze medal at the 2009 Ford world men’s curling championship, and his first outside the United States.

Ulsrud’s team from the Snarøen Curling Club in Oslo — third Torger Nergård, second Christoffer Svae, lead Håvard Vad Petersson, alternate Thomas Løvold, coach Ole Ingvaldsen — defeated Markus Eggler of Switzerland 6-4 in the bronze-medal game on a snowy Sunday afternoon at the Moncton Coliseum.

The Norwegians, who also finished third in 2006 at Lowell, Mass., and two years later at Grand Forks, N.D., found themselves down 4-3 through seven ends, but Ulsrud took out a Swiss counter to put a go-ahead deuce on the board in the eighth.

And in the ninth, Norway stole an insurance point when Ulsrud made a perfect hit-and-roll behind a centre guard, and Switzerland’s last-rock thrower Ralph Stoeckli couldn’t execute an in-off for a point.

“People back home are going to be really happy now with us coming home with a medal,” said Ulsrud. “As long as you play the bronze-medal game, I hate to lose it. It’s a big boost for us; we can leave here and be happy and start working for next season, which is a big season.”