Shaw Media and the Capital One Grand Slam of Curling announced today that the men’s and women’s finals of the Players’ Championship, taking place in Summerside PEI from April 17-22, will be broadcast live on Global Television, with the women’s final beginning at 1pm Atlantic on Saturday April 21, and the men’s beginning at the same time the following day.
Held annually since 2001-02, the Capital One Grand Slam of Curling is a series of four elite international events with the largest prize purse in curling, totaling $670,000. “The Capital One Grand Slam of Curling is an outstanding addition to our lineup,” said Barbara Williams, Senior Vice President, Content for Shaw Media. “As the crown jewel of the Grand Slam series with an elite field of competitors, it’s the perfect addition to our extensive PGA Tour coverage, adding up to a great weekend for Canadian sports fans.”
The Players’ Championship will see the debut of a new broadcast team with Olympic Silver Medalist Cheryl Bernard teaming up with two-time World champion and veteran CBC and NBC curling commentator Don Duguid. “I’m really excited about this opportunity”, said Bernard, who’s team just failed to qualify for the Players’ Championship, “I have always wanted to try commentating but since I am always playing, there was never a chance. So when this became available, I jumped at it, and then to find out I will be sitting beside the master, Don Duguid, well that’s just icing on the cake.”
“I’m looking forward to being back on Canadian television,” said Duguid, a two time World curling champion and the curling expert for NBC’s Olympic coverage for the past three Olympic Games, who is perhaps best known in Canada as a CBC curling commentator, beginning in 1972 and including Olympic Games coverage in 1992 and 1998. “To be able to team up with a great champion like Cheryl will enable us to provide a new perspective on this event. The Grand Slam fans are going to see a very innovative broadcast as we will be committed to interacting with the fans and also taking them behind the scenes.
Each Slam event boasts a line-up featuring the world’s best teams competing for the Capital One Cup, awarded to the one men’s team and one women’s team that accumulate the most points throughout the season based on their performance in selected Capital One Grand Slam of Curling events.
“We’re excited to announce our partnership today with Shaw Media as it means that our fans will see outstanding national coverage of the brand new format we have introduced for this year’s Players’ Championship,” said Kevin Albrecht, CEO, Grand Slam of Curling “For the first time ever, the top 8 teams on the world rankings will battle it out for the largest prize purse in curling. The combined purse for the men’s and women’s divisions, including the year-end Capital One Cup, will be $370,000.”
Here are the teams that will be competing:
Men’s Teams:
Team Mike McEwen, Manitoba
Team Glenn Howard, Ontario
Team Kevin Martin, Alberta
Team Niklas Edin, Sweden
Team Jeff Stoughton, Manitoba
Team Kevin Koe, Alberta
Team Brad Gushue, Newfoundland/Labrador
Team John Epping, Ontario
Women’s Teams:
Team Jennifer Jones, Manitoba
Team Sherry Middaugh, Ontario
Team Heather Nedohin, Alberta
Team Cathy Overton-Clapham, Manitoba
Team Eve Muirhead, Scotland
Team Silvana Tirinzoni, Switzerland
Team Chelsea Carey, Manitoba
Team Stefanie Lawton, Saskatchewan
Taking place during the Players’ Championship will be the semi-final event for the Capital One Million Dollar Button contest. Seven lucky participants from across Canada will be given one chance to draw to the button, with the participant who’s rock lands closest to the button declared the winner of the semi-final. On Sunday April 22, one finalist will throw one rock in an attempt to draw to the button for a chance at $1 million.
Four of the semifinalists qualify on-site at each the four Capital One Grand Slam of Curling events throughout the season, and an additional three semi-finalists will be randomly selected from online entries submitted between now and March 25, 2012, on the contest website at milliondollarbutton.ca.
For more information about the Capital One Grand Slam of Curling and the Players’ Championship, visit www.grandslamofcurling.com.
For tickets for the Players’ Championship, in Summerside, PEI, visit cupevents.ca