(by Allen Cameron) John Epping’s team from Toronto has clinched the final of six direct-entry berths into the Tim Hortons Roar of the Rings Canadian Curling Trials, presented by Monsanto, Dec. 1 to 8 at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg.
Toronto’s John Epping has qualified for the Tim Hortons Roar of the Rings Canadian Curling Trials in Winnipeg. (Photo, CCA/Michael Burns)
Twelve teams — six of each gender — have now qualified for the Roar of the Rings, which will decide Canada’s men’s and women’s teams for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia.
Two more teams of each gender will gain entry to the Trials at the 2013 Capital One Road to the Roar Pre-Trials qualifying event, Nov. 5 to 10 at the Memorial Auditorium Complex in Kitchener, Ont.
Epping’s team qualified for the Trials by virtue of his team’s result at the season-ending Grand Slam Players’ Championship on the weekend in Toronto.
His quarter-final placing in Toronto was good enough to lock up a berth through the Canadian Curling Association’s Canadian Team Ranking System (CTRS). Epping’s team was one of two — Winnipeg’s Mike McEwen was the other — to earn berths through the two-year CTRS standings, which reward teams for consistent play over an extended period of time.
Epping and McEwen join a star-studded men’s field in Winnipeg that qualified through the CTRS or by winning the Capital One Canada Cup (teams qualify for the Canada Cup through the CTRS). Also playing in Winnipeg will be Glenn Howard of Midland, Ont., (2011-12 Canadian Team Ranking System leader), 2010 Olympic gold-medallist Kevin Martin of Edmonton (2011 Capital One Canada Cup champion), Winnipeg’s Jeff Stoughton (2012 Capital One Canada Cup winner) and Calgary’s Kevin Koe (2012-13 CTRS leader).
The women’s field for the Trials is equally stellar. It consists of two hometown teams from Winnipeg: Jennifer Jones (2011 Capital One Canada Cup winner) and Chelsea Carey (CTRS two-year standings). Also competing for a trip to Russia will be Heather Nedohin of Edmonton (2011-12 CTRS leader), Saskatoon’s Stefanie Lawton (2012 Capital One Canada Cup winner), Sherry Middaugh of Victoria Harbour, Ont. (CTRS two-year standings) and Rachel Homan of Ottawa (2012-13 CTRS leader).
The 24 teams (12 male, 12 female) for the 2013 Capital One Road to the Roar Pre-Trials will be announced on May 1.
The official draw for the Trials will be announced on Friday when ticket-buyers will be able to purchase Flex packages based on when their favourite teams are playing. Go to www.curling.ca/tickets/ to purchase tickets.