(CCA) The Canadian Curling Association’s Season of Champions officially gets underway with the Capital One Canada Cup of Curling, November 30-December 4 at the Recreation Complex in Cranbrook, British Columbia.
Team McEwen at the 2010 Canada Cup of Curling
The Capital One Canada Cup winners (men’s and women’s) will become the first two teams to qualify directly into the 2013 Tim Hortons Roar of the Rings (Canadian Curling Trials), December 1-8 in Winnipeg. The winners of the Trials, of course, will then represent Canada at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia.
The women’s field includes reigning Scotties Tournament of Hearts champion Amber Holland of Kronau, SK; defending champion and two-time Canada Cup winner Stefanie Lawton of Saskatoon; four-time Canadian and former world champion and Cup winner Jennifer Jones of Winnipeg and 2006 Olympic bronze medallist and two-time Cup winner Shannon Kleibrink of Calgary. They are joined by Chelsea Carey of Morden, Manitoba, Rachel Homan of Ottawa and Heather Nedohin of Edmonton.
The men’s field is headed by the reigning Tim Hortons Brier and Ford World champion Jeff Stoughton of Winnipeg; defending Canada Cup champion and three-time world champion Glenn Howard of Coldwater, ON; 2010 Olympic gold medallist, four-time Brier, former world champion and three-time Cup winner Kevin Martin of Edmonton and former world champion and Cup winner Kevin Koe. Challenging them will be Brad Jacobs of Sault Ste. Marie, Steve Laycock of Saskatoon and Mike McEwen of Winnipeg, the World Curling Tour’s leading money winner last year and this year.
TSN (RDS in Quebec) will provide live coverage of the women’s and men’s semi-final games on Saturday, December 3 and both finals on Sunday, December 4.