OUT OF THE HACK: National Scotties filled with unknowns

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 28/01/2016 (3719 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Karla Thompson, Jenn Hanna, Chelsea Carey and Jill Brothers did what many who follow the Canadian curling scene didn’t expect them to do. They won their respective provincial women’s curling championships last weekend and advanced to the Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Grande Prairie, Alta., which will be held from Feb. 20 to 28.

Thompson, a 31-year-old teacher from Kamloops shocked two-time Canadian champion Kelly Scott with an 11-3 romp in the British Columbia final. She also rallied from an early 7-0 deficit for a dramatic 11-10 victory over Scott in the 1-vs.-2 Page playoff game.

This will be Thompson’s second Scotties appearance as she threw third stones for Allison McInnes in 2008, but she will have to come out of the pre-qualifying competition, against Yukon and the Northwest Territories, to advance to the main draw.

Jenn Hanna recorded the most impressive and unexpected victory, a 10-8 decision over Rachel Homan, who captured the national crown in 2013 and 2014. Hanna stole two in seven and three more eight in recording the biggest upset of the season.

Like Thomspon, Hanna isn’t a stranger to the Scotties but it’s been 11 years since the 36-year-old’s last appearance. That year she eked through two tiebreakers before falling to Jennifer Jones in the final.

Chelsea Carey’s 8-5 win over two-time defending Alberta champion Val Sweeting in the final was almost as unthinkable as Hanna’s upset over Homan, but let’s remember Carey was at the Scotties two years ago as the skip for Manitoba.

Brothers will be making her third trip to the Scotties after she dispatched favourite Mary-Anne Arsenault in the Nova Scotia final. Brothers is back two years after her last appearance when she played third for Heather Smith, but Grande Prairie will mark the second time she’s skipped at nationals, which also came in the Wild Rose province — Lethbridge in 2007.

Throw in Kerri Einarson’s 7-4 victory over Kristy McDonald in the Manitoba Scotties final Sunday in Beausejour and you’ve got another relatively unknown team that will be in Grande Prairie.

In addition to Einarson, Thompson, Hanna, Carey and Brothers, nine-time Prince Edward Island champion Suzanne Birt and nine-time Quebec representative Marie-France Larouche will also be in the Scotties field. So too will Thunder Bay’s Krista McCarville, who will be making her fifth Scotties appearance but first as the Northern Ontario representative. Oh yeah, Jones will also be there as the defending champion.

So, do the results of this year’s provincial women’s curling championships, at least so far, signal a changing of the guard?

While it’s great to think that there’s more parity across the board in Canadian women’s curling, I believe the surprising list of provincial champions is more of a blip on the radar than the new normal. Both Homan and Sweeting will be back and they will win multiple Canadian titles, and probably a world championship here or there.

With that said, I do believe Einarson, who had lost the two previous Manitoba finals, is in a position to challenge Jones annually at Manitoba playdowns should either fall short of triumphing at nationals. Moreover, seeing different teams win their respective provincial or territorial playdowns is a big positive for a sport that has struggled in recent years to attract a younger audience. It gives them and the game greater exposure.

Take, for instance, Yukon’s Sarah Koltun. Her foursome failed to advance out of the pre-qualifying competition in Moose Jaw last year, but she was also at the 2014 Scotties. Now 22 years old, Koltun didn’t earn a third straight trip to nationals, but her appearances at nationals captured the attention of so many young curling fans and I was privileged to see her bubbly personality on display last year in the Friendly City.

So while I’d like to see the best of the best battle it out in the playoffs, a new best of the best will rise to the occasion in Grande Prairie. Maybe even Einarson.

UNDER-18: Wawanesa is playing host to the Westman under-18 men’s, women’s and mixed doubles regionals Friday through Sunday. Jenna Rystephanuk of Hamiota, Camryn McMillan of Carberry and Grace Lukaschuk of Rivers are vying for the lone berth in the women’s draw. Rystephanuk and Brandon’s Chase Dusessoy will face one another for the mixed doubles berth.

In the Parkland regional at Winnipegosis Curling Club, Dauphin’s Nolan Hadway seeks the men’s berth, while four Dauphin teams skipped by Emma and Hanne Jensen, Makenna Hadway and Gracey Gulak are among eight teams vying for three spots at provincials. The under-18 men’s and women’s provincial championships take place March 3-6 in East St. Paul.

MIXED DOUBLES: Mark Anderson of the Riverview Curling Club as well as Dauphin skips Lisa Menard and Justin Reischek are among 10 teams competing at the Manitoba mixed doubles trials this weekend at the Rossmere club in Winnipeg. Mixed doubles provincials will also be held in East St. Paul from March 3 to 6.

EXTRA ENDS: The Binscarth Curling Club is hosting a mixed senior bonspiel from Feb. 1 to 5. The cost is $100 and the deadline to register is Jan. 30. Contact Cliff at 204-532-2514 or Phil at 204-821-5422.