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Feb 10, 2017

Meet the rinks that will compete for this year's Scotties title

This year's Scotties Tournament of Hearts field is wide open. With only five teams returning from last year's Canadian championship, it will be anybody's game in St. Catharines. Check out TSN.ca's preview of the 2017 Scotties.

Chelsea Carey

 

By Ryan Horne, TSN.ca Staff

It will be anybody's game in St. Catharines.

For a second year in a row, the Scotties Tournament of Hearts will be missing one of the sport's biggest names. After Rachel Homan's upset defeat in the 2016 Ontario Scotties, it was Jennifer Jones and her Winnipeg rink's turn to cause shock waves through the curling world. The foursome lost in the Manitoba semifinals, marking the first time since 2004 that Jones failed to win the provincial title.

The surprise result opens the door to a plethora of different outcomes for this year's Canadian championship in St. Catharines from Feb 18-26.  

Chelsea Carey returns as Team Canada in attempt to reenact their memorable run in Grande Prairie while Alberta's Shannon Kleibrink and Michelle Englot of Manitoba make their return to the Scotties for the first time since 2011 and 2012, respectively.

However, Team Homan will be the favourites as the 27-year-old skip will be going for her third career Scotties.

Out of the 15-team field, just five rinks are returning from last year's championship.

Aside from the prestige of winning a Canadian title, a win in St. Catharines gets you a ticket to the women's world championship in Beijing, China and an Olympics Trials spot in 2017 (contingent on finishing on the podium at worlds). 

It should be an excellent week of curling and it all kicks off on Saturday, February 18 at 2:30pm ET/11:30am PT on TSN

 

Top Contenders

Team Homan
Team Rachel Homan (Ontario)

Skip: Rachel Homan Third: Emma Miskew Second: Joanne Courtney Lead: Lisa Weagle

2016-17 Stats

  • Scotties #
    5
  • Events Won
    3
  • CTRS
    349.603 (2nd)
  • WCT
    $80,500 (2nd)

Need To Know

- The Ottawa rink will make their return to the Scotties Tournament of Hearts after being upset by Jenn Hanna in the Ontario Scotties last year. They topped Jacqueline Harrison in the Ontario final this year. 

 

- Aside from their two wins on the World Curling Tour this season, Team Homan lost to Allison Flaxey in the Masters final on the Grand Slam circuit as well as the Canada Cup final to Jennifer Jones. 

 

- Homan, 27, will be going for her third Canadian championship in St. Catharines.

 

FINAL WORD: With no Team Jones in the field, Homan's crew will be the outright favourites at the national championship. They should be extra motivated to reach the top of the podium after watching the tournament on TV last year.  

Team Chelsea Carey
Team Chelsea Carey (Canada)

Skip: Chelsea Carey Third: Amy Nixon Second: Jocelyn Peterman Lead: Laine Peters

2016-17 Stats

  • Scotties #
    3
  • Events Won
    1
  • CTRS
    155.356 (13th)
  • WCT
    $38,039 (10th)

Need To Know

- The defending champs are looking to get their Olympic Trials spot back after losing it at the worlds. 

 

- The Calgary foursome is having a down year as they've failed to advance to the quarter-final stage at any event except their season opening victory in Japan.

 

- Finished with a 2-4 record at the Canada Cup and lost to Jones in the semi-final of the Pinty's All-Star Curling Skins Game. 

 

FINAL WORD: Last season, Team Carey played their best curling of the year at the Scotties in Grande Prairie. They'll need to get to that level once again if they plan on making the playoffs. 

Team Shannon Kleibrink
Team Shannon Kleibrink (Alberta)

Skip: Shannon Kleibrink Third: Lisa Eyamie Second: Sarah Wilkes Lead: Alison Thiessen

2016-17 Stats

  • Scotties #
    5
  • Events Won
    1
  • CTRS
    150.770 (15th)
  • WCT
    $15,950 (28th)

Need To Know

- Shannon Kleibrink is heading back to the Scotties Tournament of Hearts for the first time since 2011 after upsetting Val Sweeting in the Alberta provincials. Kleibrink, who dealt with a bad back during provincials, will share skip duties at the Scotties with Heather Nedohin. 

 

- This is just the second year Kleibrink, 48, has been in charge of this foursome. Aside from their provincial win, the Okotoks rink has made just one final in eight events played, losing to Karla Thompson in the King Cash Spiel. 

 

- Kleibrink won silver at the 2008 Scotties in Regina and bronze at the 2006 Olympics in Turin. 

 

FINAL WORD: Team Kleibrink should be able to finish with a winning record and even a playoff spot if they can continue their sharp play. 

Team Michelle Englot
Team Michelle Englot (Manitoba)

Skip: Michelle Englot Third: Kate Cameron Second: Leslie Wilson Lead: Raunora Westcott

2016-17 Stats

  • Scotties #
    9
  • Events Won
    2
  • CTRS
    223.268 (6th)
  • WCT
    $32,300 (13th)

Need To Know

- Michelle Englot played out of Saskatchewan from 2004 to 2016 before joining forces with her current rink in Winnipeg. This rink was skipped by Kristy McDonald for the previous two seasons. 

 

- Englot last appeared in the Scotties in 2012, finishing with a 5-6 record. 

 

- In addition to their win in Manitoba over Jones and Darcy Robertson, Team Englot won the Mother Club Fall Curling Classic in September. 

 

Final Word: A lot has gone right for Englot in her first year skipping this rink. A Scotties championship seems like a real possibility without Jones in the field. 

Team Krista McCarville
Team Krista McCarville (Northern Ontario)

Skip: Krista McCarville Third: Kendra Lilly Second: Ashley Sippala Lead: Sarah Potts

2016-17 Stats

  • Scotties #
    6
  • Events Won
    1
  • CTRS
    132.405 (17th)
  • WCT
    $23,266 (18th)

Need To Know

- The Thunder Bay rink will make their second consecutive appearance at the Scotties after losing to Chelsea Carey in the final last year.

 

- Team McCarville have played only five WCT events this season, getting as far as the Grand Slam's Tour Challenge Tier 2 final where they lost to Jacqueline Harrison.

 

FINAL WORD: It will be interesting to see if Team McCarville's light schedule will affect their play at the Scotties one way or another. They finished with a 7-4 round robin record at last year's event and will likely be in a battle once again to qualify for the playoffs.  

Dark Horses

Team Marla Mallett
Team Marla Mallett (British Columbia)

Skip: Marla Mallett Third: Shannon Aleksic Second: Brette Richards Lead: Blaine de Jager

2016-17 Stats

  • Scotties #
    4
  • Events Won
    2
  • CTRS
    81.443 (28th)
  • WCT
    $11,900 (33rd)

Need To Know

- Marla Mallett is returning to the Scotties for the first time since 2009 when she fell to Jones in the championship game after finishing first in the round robin. 

 

- This is the first season of play for this foursome from Walnut Grove, BC which includes Kelly Scott's former vice Shannon Aleksic. They won a WCT event in early October and then beat Diane Gushulak in the BC Scotties final. 

 

- Mallett took two years off from competitive curling following the 2013-14 season before forming a new squad this season. 

 

Final Word: Mallett hasn't appeared on the national curling stage in eight years. It's anybody's guess what she will bring to the table in 2017, but has proven in the past she's capable of going deep in the week.

Team Eve Bélisle
Team Eve Belisle (Quebec)

Skip: Eve Belisle Third: Lauren Mann Second: Trish Hill Lead: Brittany O’Rourke

2016-17 Stats

  • Scotties #
    3
  • Events Won
    1
  • CTRS
    43.513 (52nd)
  • WCT
    $2,316 (80th)

Need To Know

- This will be the first Scotties appearance for Eve Belisle since 2010 when she finished with a 5-6 record. Third Lauren Mann, who is new to the team this season, skipped a Quebec team at the Scotties two years ago, but finished with a 3-8 record, just missing relegation. 

 

- Team Belisle upset Team Marie-France Larouche in the Quebec final, 7-4. Aside from provincials, Belisle have played in only three events on the WCT, getting as far as the quarter-final stage twice. 

 

FINAL WORD: Belisle will be in tough to make the playoffs at the national championship. Finishing with a .500 or better record should be seen as a successful week.

Team Robyn MacPhee
Team Robyn MacPhee (Prince Edward Island)

Skip: Robyn MacPhee Third: Sarah Fullerton Second: Meaghan Hughes Lead: Michelle McQuaid

2016-17 Stats

  • Scotties #
    8
  • Events Won
    2
  • CTRS
    80.505 (29th)
  • WCT
    $8,450 (42nd)

Need To Know

- Robyn MacPhee, 33, has made many appearances at the Canadian championship, but only one as a skip in 2009 when she finished with a 7-4 record, narrowly missing the playoff round. 

 

- MacPhee played in a handful of Scotties as a member of Suzanne Birt's rink, getting as far as the semifinals in 2003. The pair also won gold at both the Canadian and world juniors in 2001.

 

- In 2016-17, MacPhee's foursome won the Royal LePage OVCA Women's Fall Classic in November. 

 

FINAL WORD: MacPhee has plenty of Scotties experience and knows what it takes to get through the week with your head above water. This team could find themselves in the playoffs if one of the "Top Contenders" has a down week.

 

The Field

Team Penny Barker
Team Penny Barker (Saskatchewan)

Skip: Penny Barker Third: Deanne Doig Second: Lorraine Schneider Lead: Danielle Sicinski

2016-17 Stats

  • Scotties #
    1
  • Events Won
    1
  • CTRS
    52.567 (44th)
  • WCT
    NA

Need To Know

- Team Penny Barker were the surprise winners in Saskatchewan after beating Robyn Silvernagle in the final, 10-7. The skip will make her first Scotties appearance in St. Catharines. 

 

- Former Scotties champion Amber Holland will be the alternate for this rink. 

 

FINAL WORD: Not a whole lot is known about this Moose Jaw rink, and as a result, they'll have no pressure on them in St. Catharines. It will be interesting to see what this team is capable of on the national stage.

Team Stacie Curtis
Team Stacie Curtis (Newfoundland and Labrador)

Skip: Stacie Curtis Third: Erin Porter Second: Julie Devereaux Lead: Erica Trickett

2016-17 Stats

  • Scotties #
    4
  • Events Won
    2
  • CTRS
    3.859 (123rd)
  • WCT
    NA

Need To Know

- Stacie Curtis topped Shelley Hardy in the provincial final and will compete in her second consecutive national championship. Team Curtis finished third-last at the 2016 tournament with a 3-8 record.

 

- The rink from St. John's won the Bally Haly Cashspiel in late November on the World Curling Tour.

 

FINAL WORD: Curtis has improved slightly at every Scotties she's been in and will look to do the same in St. Catharines. Racking up four or five wins will be seen as a successful week for this squad. 

Team Mary Mattatall
Team Mary Mattatall (Nova Scotia)

Skip: Mary Mattatall Third: Margaret Cutcliffe Second: Jill Alcoe-Holland Lead: Andrea Saulnier

2016-17 Stats

  • Scotties #
    6
  • Events Won
    1
  • CTRS
    46.037 (50th)
  • WCT
    $2,500 (76th)

Need To Know

- Mary Mattatall defeated defending champ Jill Brothers in the Nova Scotia final to punch her first ticket to the national championship since 2005 when she was a vice for Kay Zinck. 

 

- Third Margaret Cutcliffe competed at the 1985 and 1987 Scotties and is also a two-time Nova Scotia senior champion. 

 

FINAL WORD: Team Mattatall will be in tough to stay about the .500 mark in St. Catharines.

 

Pre-Qualifying Round

Team Melissa Adams
Team Melissa Adams (New Brunswick)

Skip: Melissa Adams Third: Jennifer Armstrong Second: Cathlia Ward Lead: Katie Forward

2016-17 Stats

  • Scotties #
    1
  • Events Won
    1
  • CTRS
    16.916 (85th)
  • WCT
    NA

Need To Know

- Melissa Adams defeated Sarah Mallais in the New Brunswick final to qualify for her first career Scotties. However, since Sylvie Robichaud finished last at the 2016 Scotties, Team Adams will have to win the pre-qualifying tournament in order to make it to the main draw during the week.

 

-  Aside from provincials, Adam's foursome has played in four WCT events, failing to make it into the playoff round each time.

 

FINAL WORD: Team Adams' goal will be to win the pre-qualifier and do their best in the main draw. 

Team Kerry Galusha
Team Kerry Galusha (Northwest Territories)

Skip: Kerry Galusha Third: Meagan Koehler Second: Danielle Derry Lead: Sharon Cormier

2016-17 Stats

  • Scotties #
    14
  • Events Won
    1
  • CTRS
    1.934 (129th)
  • WCT
    $1,000 (115th)

Need To Know

- Team Galusha is headed to the Scotties for a third straight year after they were the only team to sign up for their playdowns. They lost to Karla Thompson's BC squad in the pre-qualifier final and failed to make the main draw last year. 

 

- Galusha and company have played in just two events on the WCT this season. 

 

FINAL WORD: Team Galusha will be determined to get back to the main draw in St. Catharines and should be the slight favourites to do so.

Team Sarah Koltun
Team Sarah Koltun (Yukon)

Skip: Sarah Koltun Third: Chelsea Duncan Second: Patty Wallingham Lead: Jenna Duncan

2016-17 Stats

  • Scotties #
    3
  • Events Won
    1
  • CTRS
    20.958 (77th)
  • WCT
    $2,500 (75th)

Need To Know

- Sarah Koltun is back at the national championship after missing out last year due to school commitments. 

 

- Koltun, 23, won the consolation round at the King Cash Spiel in Maple Ridge earlier this season.  

 

FINAL WORD: Team Koltun will be in the thick of things with New Brunswick and the Northwest Territories in the pre-qualifier. They've played in more events this season compared to the other Territorial rinks which may give them a leg up.

Team Geneva Chislett
Team Geneva Chislett (Nunavut)

Skip: Geneva Chislett Third: Denise Hutchings Second: Robyn Mackey Lead: Jenine Bodner

2016-17 Stats

  • Scotties #
    2
  • Events Won
    1
  • CTRS
    0
  • WCT
    0

Need To Know

- Team Geneva Chislett will represent Nunavut at the Scotties for a second straight year. 

 

- Chislett won one game last year, an 8-7 triumph over BC in the pre-qualifier.

 

FINAL WORD: Picking up a victory in the pre-qualifier will be seen as a success for this squad.

 

Pick Your Winner

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Who will win the 2017 Scotties Tournament of Hearts?