Here is the broadcast schedule for the Tim Hortons Roar of the Rings Olympic Curling Trials. All times Atlantic.

Source: www.curling.ca/championships/television-and-webcast-schedule/

(by Allen Cameron)

A trip to Sochi, Russia, and the right to wear the Maple Leaf in curling’s most important event will be on the line when the 2013 Tim Hortons Roar of the Rings Canadian Curling Trials, presented by Monsanto, get underway on Sunday at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg.

All four members of the 2009 Tim Hortons Roar of the Rings champs, from left, Kevin Martin, John Morris, Marc Kennedy and Ben Hebert, will be in Winnipeg for the 2013 Roar. (Photo, CCA/Michael Burns)

In addition to the curling that will be on display in Sunday’s opening draw at  3 p.m. (all times Atlantic), there will be a special visitor on hand as the legendary Anchorman, Ron Burgundy himself, will be appearing at the MTS Centre with an on-ice appearance before the first draw, and some work in the booth with the TSN commentating crew.

But for the rest of the week, the focus will be on curling as eight men’s and eight women’s teams battle it out to chase Olympic gold in Sochi.

The Trials competition format is a round robin, with the first-place teams advancing to their respective finals, while the second- and third-place teams meet in a semifinal to determine the other finalist. TSN/TSN2 and RDS2 will televise all draws, leading to the women’s final on Saturday evening, Dec. 7 at 8:30 p.m., and the men’s final Sunday afternoon, Dec. 8 at 4 p.m.

Ron Burgundy will be in the house for the opening draw on Sunday.

After the opening women’s draw, men’s play gets underway Sunday at 8:30 p.m., and round-robin play continues Monday through Thursday with draws at 10:30 a.m., 3:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. each day, with the exception of Thursday when there is no morning draw.

The final round-robin draw is Friday at 10:30 a.m., with potential tiebreakers Friday at 3:30 p.m. and the women’s semifinal Friday at 8:30 p.m.

The eight-team women’s field is led by four-time Scotties Tournament of Hearts champion and former world champion Jennifer Jones, who’ll be playing in front of her hometown friends and family in Winnipeg. She’ll be challenged by reigning Scotties champion Rachel Homan of Ottawa; Homan defeated Jones in the 2013 Scotties final last February in Kingston, Ont.

Also in the field are 2012 Scotties champion and world championship bronze-medallist Heather Nedohin of Edmonton, along with another hometown hopeful Chelsea Carey of Winnipeg. Rounding out the field are Stefanie Lawton of Saskatoon, Sherry Middaugh of Coldwater, Ont., Renée Sonnenberg of Grande Prairie, Alta., and Val Sweeting of Edmonton — the latter two having qualified for the Trials via the Capital One Road to the Roar Pre-Trials, presented by Monsanto, which concluded earlier this month in Kitchener, Ont.

Only two players in the women’s field — alternates Amy Nixon (bronze medal in 2006 playing third for Shannon Kleibrink) for Team Nedohin and Cori Morris (silver medal in 2010 playing lead for Cheryl Bernard) for Team Lawton have previous Olympic experience.

The men’s field, meanwhile, has plenty of past Olympic experience, with medallists from all four previous Canadian Olympic men’s teams in the field. Leading the way is reigning gold-medallist Kevin Martin of Edmonton, who also won silver in 2002 at Salt Lake City. Martin still has lead Ben Hebert and second Marc Kennedy with him from the 2010 squad, while his 2010 vice-skip, John Morris, will skip his own team (based in Vernon/Kelowna, B.C.) in the 2013 Tim Hortons Roar of the Rings. As well, Carter Rycroft, who threw second rocks for Martin in 2002, will handle the same position in Winnipeg for Calgary’s Kevin Koe.

From the 1998 Games in Nagano, Japan, where curling made its debut as a medal sport for both genders, is Collin Mitchell, the second for Team John Epping from Toronto; he played the same position for Mike Harris’s silver-medal winning team in ’98.

As well, two members of the 2006 Canadian gold-medal men’s team will be at the 2013 Tim Hortons Roar of the Rings: Mark Nichols, who now plays lead for Winnipeg’s Jeff Stoughton, and Brad Gushue, who threw fourth stones in 2006 and will be the alternate for Martin’s team.

In addition to the past Olympians, the field includes some of the biggest names in the sport’s history, including three-time Brier and two-time world champion Stoughton of Winnipeg, and four-time Brier and world champion Glenn Howard of Penetanguishene, Ont., not to mention reigning Tim Hortons Brier champion Brad Jacobs of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., who along with Morris qualified for the Trials out of the Capital One Road to the Roar Pre-Trials, presented by Monsanto, in Kitchener.

Another hometown favourite, Mike McEwen of Winnipeg, rounds out the field — one of the toughest ever assembled.

Draw results will be instantly available at www.curling.ca. For ticket information, go to www.curling.ca/tickets.

For rosters of the Tim Hortons Roar of the Rings teams, click here for the men and click here for the women.

For the complete Trials draw, click here.

Prior to Sunday’s opening draw will be two significant events.

On Saturday — practice day for the 16 teams — Fanfest will offer up curling’s version of a tailgate party. There will be prizes (including a trip to the 2014 WFG Continental Cup in Las Vegas), face-painting for the kids as well as the popular Street Curling game, where participants can throw rocks on synthetic ice.

On Sunday, the Opening Ceremonies will kick off the 2013 Tim Hortons Roar of the Rings. The ceremonies will get underway at 11 a.m. at the MTS Centre. Admission is free with a Draw 1 ticket.

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

In 1987, the Labatt National Curling Trials were held in Calgary and won by Vancouver’s Linda Moore and Calgary’s Ed Lukowich. Moore would go on to win a gold medal while Lukowich received a bronze medal at the 1988 Olympic Winter Games in Calgary, when curling was a demonstration sport.

Jennifer Jones will have plenty of hometown fans for the 2013 Tim Hortons Roar of the Rings. (Photo, CCA/Andrew Klaver)

For the 1992 Olympics in Albertville, France, rather than conduct a Trials competition, the CCA decided in advance that the winners of the 1991 Labatt Brier and Scotties Tournament of Hearts, ultimately Martin and Victoria’s Julie Sutton, would represent Canada. Martin finished fourth while Sutton won a bronze medal, when curling was still a demonstration sport.

In 1997, the Trials were held in Brandon, Man., and won by Harris and Regina’s Sandra Schmirler. Schmirler went on to capture the first official gold medal for women at the 1998 Olympic Winter Games in Nagano (Karuizawa), Japan while Harris earned a silver medal.

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

At the 2005 Tim Hortons Canadian Curling Trials in Halifax, the Gushue team of St. John’s, which was being skipped by Russ Howard, and Kleibrink emerged victorious. Gushue’s team won a gold medal at the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Turin (Pinerolo), Italy, while Kleibrink earned a bronze medal.

Four years ago at the Tim Hortons Roar of the Rings in Edmonton, Martin earned his third trip to the Olympics, while Bernard won the women’s title. They would earn gold and silver respectively at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

Click to read this story at the CCA website.

RBC Sports Day in Canada, presented by ParticipACTION, CBC and True Sport, will be held this year on Saturday, November 30 in communities from coast to coast to coast. This national celebration of sport, from grassroots to high-performance, is an opportunity for all Canadians to celebrate the power of sport, build community and national spirit and facilitate healthy, active living.

All seven PEI full-time curling facilities are offering FREE “Try Curling” sessions on November 30th. There will also be a drawing the following Monday for a $100 gift certificate, good at your local curling club.

Here are the times at each facility:

Montague Curling Club,  Charlottetown Curling Complex, and

Western Community Curling Club (Alberton): 10 am to 1 pm

Cornwall Curling Club: 1:30 to 3:30 pm

Silver Fox Curling & Yacht Club: 1-4 pm

Crapaud Community Curling Club: 2-5 pm

Maple Leaf Curling Club (O’Leary) 4-6 pm

Attendees are asked to dress warmly (in layers), with loose or stretchy pants, and bring a pair of clean sneakers.

Come out and Give Curling a Shot!

(by Peter Ruicci)

With the Olympic trials straight ahead, Sault Ste. Marie’s Brad Jacobs called his rink’s weekend victory in Clermont, Que., “the perfect tune-up.”

Northern Ontario skip Brad Jacobs reacts to his shot during play against Newfoundland at the Canadian Men’s Curling Championships in Edmonton, Alberta March 4, 2013. REUTERS/Andy Clark (SaultStar.com)

Jacobs, third Ryan Fry, second E.J. Harnden and lead Ryan Harnden defeated Martin Ferland of Drummondville, Que., 4-3 in Sunday’s final of the World Curling Tour’s 2013 Challenge Casino de Charlevoix.

Jacobs stole one in the eighth-and-final end, and victory was worth $12,000 in prize money to the defending Tim Horton’s Brier champions.

With a perfect 6-0 record over the three-day, 20-team event, the Jacobs hopes to take some momentum into the 2013 Roar of the Rings, the Canadian Olympic trials, scheduled to begin this Sunday in Winnipeg.

Click for full story at SaultStar.com

(by Jason Simmonds)

Photo: Blair Jay © Jason Simmonds/Journal Pioneer

Blair Jay of the host Silver Fox and Robert Campbell of the Charlottetown Curling Complex will clash for the winner’s share of  $1,800 at 1:30 p.m. The runner-up team will take home $1,200.

In Sunday morning’s semifinals, Campbell defeated the Suzanne Birt rink from the Charlottetown Curling Complex 9-4, and Jay needed an extra end to edge Kevin Saccary of the Dartmouth Curling Club. The final score was 6-5.

Click for full story in the Journal Pioneer.

Birt, third stone Shelly Bradley, second stone Michelle McQuaid and coach Peter Gallant defeated Anthony Purcell of the Mayflower Curling Club in Halifax 8-3 to improve to 3-1 (won-lost) in the Journal Pioneer and Quality Inn-sponsored cashspiel. Gallant is filling in for regular lead Susan McInnis, who is out of province.

Blair Jay of the host Silver Fox improved to 2-1 with a 7-4 victory over Lee Buott in other Draw 5 action.

Click for full story, video, photo in the Journal Pioneer

Click for latest results

Manitoba wins women’s title

It was a dream come true for Manitoba’s Stacey Fordcyce rink as they claimed the Canadian women’s title at the Dominion Curling Club Championships wrapping six days of competion at the Fort William Curling Club rink Saturday afternoon. Fordyce and and her Brandon Curling Club rink of Christy Erickson, Stacey Irwin and Pam Gouldie defeated Ssakatchewan’s Heather Burnett 6-4 in the championship game that saw Manitoba in a comfortable spot three up coming home without hammer. “This is huge, it’s a Canadian title,” said Fordyce to finish the The Dominion championship with a perfect 8-0 record, a sweet win for a team who has been chasing The Dominion dream for four years with a nucleus that has been together since losing the semi-finals at the Dominions in Prince Edward Island in 2010. In 2012, the team lost the provincial semi-finals in Manitoba.

Manitoba skip Stacey Fordyce during Final action at The Dominion Curling Club Championship (Photo no longer available)

The Brandon rink took control of the championship game in the sixth end when the Manitoba skip executed a quiet weight tap for a deuce to go up 5-3. Saskatchewan was set up for a steal in the end with rocks in the four foot and guards out front but Burnett throwing a guard with her last stone came heavy opening the door for Manitoba who had been chasing the whole end. In the seventh end, the Martensville Curling Club squad found themselves in trouble again, with Burnett forced into another difficult shot. A missed line call proved costly as Burnett facing three Manitoba counters threw perfect weight on a quiet weight tap but her punched stone slid wide of the Manitoba shot rock stopping in the four foot to cut Manitoba down to one. The stolen point gave Fordyce a three point edge coming home. Saskatchewan was left with a tough long split for three to tie the game, but it was not to be as Fordyce and her Brandon rink celebrated a Canadian title. “Absolutely mission accomplished but it was a battle out there. It was a great game game but we finished with our goal, so we are happy about that,” said Fordyce who will also be looking at making a run at Scotties playdowns in Manitoba skipping her other Brandon team. It was disappointing loss Burnett and her Martensville rink of Melissa Surkan, Samantha Yachiw and Joanne Wood who had to once again come from behind like they had in their semi-final with the Yukon winning an extra end win over the Yukon Friday night. Saskatchewan found themselves down 3-0 after three ends to Manitoba but battled back to tie the game after five ends. The tears from the Saskatchewan third Melissa Surkan said it all, but Burnett put the loss in a positive perspective. “There are 12 other teams that would have liked to be in the final and we were one of them, so we have to very proud of that,” said Burnett reflecting on their week at the national championships.

Alberta Men Defend their title

A repeat is hard to do, but Dan Sherrard’s Alberta rink defended their national men’s title for club curlers as the Dominion Curling Club Championships wrapped with an exciting men’s final at the Fort William Curling Club Saturday afternoon. 

Team Alberta celebrates after defending their title at The Dominion Curling Club Championship (Photo no longer available)

Sherrard and his Crestwood Curling Club rink of Brandon Klassen, Scott McClements and Todd Kaasten made the most of a draw for three in a decisive seventh end to post a 5-2 victory over Corey Marten’s Saskatchewan rink raising the championship trophy to the rafters of the historic Thunder Bay curling club for a second straight Canadian title. “This is unbelievable. We certainly did not see this happening a few years ago when we battling in our club loosing as many games as we were winning,” said the Alberta skip pointing out The Dominion is growing in popularity for club curlers. Martens and his Martensville Curling Club rink of Leo Perrin, Kevin Fehr and Chad Krikau proved a worthy opponent for Alberta as the two teams had finished first in their respective pools with 5-1 records and both came through the semi-finals with convincing wins. The three ender in the seventh end was generated by relentless pressure from the Edmonton rink who went into the seventh end tied at two knowing that they didn’t want to get forced to one. “Our plan was to load em up in the top of the house and probably leave myself a tough shot for two or at worst give them a steal of one with us having the hammer coming home,” said the 28-year-old Alberta skip showing great respect for Martens and his squad. The Saskatchewan skip knew he was in trouble when he came to throw his final stone without hammer as Alberta was lying four with 13 of the 16 rocks in play. Martens made the most of what he had running one of his front guards into the pile of Alberta yellow to cut them down to two. Sherrard going to the open side made good on a draw to the four foot and Alberta was three up coming home. Martens pointed out that their management of time clock played a factor in the big end. “We were running a little low on time and that contributed to us not being able to look at all our options and think our shots through properly. But give them credit, they made four great shots that end showing why they are a good curling team,” said the 35-year-old skip who lives in a hot bed of curling around Saskatoon. The tightly played game started with a blank and the teams trading singles before Alberta stole one in the fourth end to go up 2-1. Alberta was lying three in that end but Martens made the most of hammer making a hit to hold Alberta to a single. Martins and his third Perrin made back to back doubles to get Saskatchewan out of trouble blanking the fifth end and then had a shot for a deuce in the sixth end. However, his raise attempt of rock Martens lying one in the four foot surround by three Alberta counter tried to execute a raise of his stone outside the rings but only came way with a single that tied the game at two heading to eventful seven end where Alberta would end it. About The Dominion Curling Club Championship: The Dominion Curling Club Championship is an annual event for men’s and women’s curling teams who have won their respective local club championships. Winning teams from each club play down to produce a provincial/territorial champion from all ten provinces and three territories, plus a separate entry for Northern Ontario, who will then compete at the national level. The event raises funds in support of Spinal Cord Injury (SCI). Their mission is to assist persons with spinal cord injuries and other physical disabilities achieve independence, self-reliance and full community participation. Over the past four years, the event has raised over $300,000 for SCI chapters across Canada and wheelchair curling. To learn more, visit thedominioncurls.ca (by The Dominion Curling Club Championship)