Curling – Winnipeg Free Press

Matt Packwood / The Brandon Sun Files
Skip Jordon McDonald said Friday he appreciates playing some of the country’s best teams because it’s a learning experience for his young team.

A young Team McDonald look to the future with changing of old guard

Taylor Allen 5 minute read Friday, Oct. 3, 2025

The door is wide open for the next great men’s curling team to emerge out of Manitoba.

With Matt Dunstone pre-qualifying for the Brier on an annual basis, and Reid Carruthers gradually shifting his focus to coaching, the opportunity is there for a rising star out of the Keystone Province.

Enter Jordon McDonald.

Despite being just 22 and fresh out of junior ranks, McDonald and his Assiniboine Memorial Curling Club foursome are ranked ninth in the country.

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Team Einarson intact and aiming to bring their best

Taylor Allen 6 minute read Preview

Team Einarson intact and aiming to bring their best

Taylor Allen 6 minute read Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2025

Kerri Einarson describes last season as the most stressful of her career.

The team that made history with four consecutive Scotties Tournament of Hearts crowns (2020-23) was no longer intact. Second Shannon Birchard was sidelined with a knee injury, and the group parted ways with former lead Briane Harris shortly after her provisional anti-doping ban was lifted. After rotating through several subs throughout the year, Einarson managed to add Karlee Burgess to the lineup which led to Harris joining forces with another national contender out of Manitoba in Kate Cameron.

Despite all the twists and turns, Einarson, Burgess, Val Sweeting and Krysten Karwacki rallied their way to the Scotties final where they were overmatched by Rachel Homan.

“I sure hope no other team has to go through the things we went through because it was so hard on us,” Einarson told the Free Press on Wednesday.

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Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2025

JEFF MCINTOSH / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES
Shannon Birchard is back on the sheet with Team Einarson after being sidelined by chronic inflammation in her sliding knee.

Team Dunstone off to a strong start with AMJ Masters win

Taylor Allen 6 minute read Preview

Team Dunstone off to a strong start with AMJ Masters win

Taylor Allen 6 minute read Tuesday, Sep. 30, 2025

You don’t have to remind Matt Dunstone how long his Grand Slam drought was.

“It was five years and 11 months,” said the skip in a chat with the Free Press on Monday.

“So, it’s been a long time coming, for sure.”

Dunstone managed to get the monkey off his back Sunday in London, Ont., with his Winnipeg-based team — third Colton Lott, second E.J. Harnden, and lead Ryan Harnden — by outlasting Scotland’s Ross Whyte 6-4 in extra ends to capture the AMJ Masters title.

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Tuesday, Sep. 30, 2025

Darryl Dyck / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES
Skip Matt Dunstone is thrilled his Grand Slam drought ended Sunday with an AMJ Masters title as his team prepares to capture an Olympic berth.

Jones details highs and lows, on and off the ice, in inspiring new memoir

Reviewed by Dave Williamson 6 minute read Preview

Jones details highs and lows, on and off the ice, in inspiring new memoir

Reviewed by Dave Williamson 6 minute read Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025

One of Canada’s most famous and most successful curlers, Jennifer Jones reflects on her action-packed life in the utterly readable and inspiring memoir Rock Star, with an assist by veteran Toronto journalist Bob Weeks, who helped her “shape the manuscript.”

The Winnipeg-born Jones, now 51, dominated the curling scene for many years, winning the national women’s title six times and the world championship twice. She credits her father Larry with teaching her the fundamentals of the game at an early age. Her mother Carol was always solidly behind Jennifer, and her older sister Heather became her No. 1 fan.

At age 12, Jones was already perfecting her game in late-night junior bonspiels. She was eventually asked to play third on Jill Staub’s rink, and the team went on to win the Manitoba junior championship in 1991, but were beaten in the Canadian final by New Brunswick. That caused Jones to break down crying, a reaction that became a lasting memory — it was an indication that showed not a weakness, but how deeply she felt about the sport of curling.

She vowed that, in the future, “I would certainly try my best to win, but I wouldn’t be scared to lose.”

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Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025

Andrew Vaughan / Canadian Press files
Jennifer Jones delivers a skip’s stone for Team Canada at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Sydney, N.S., in 2019.

Curling Grand Slam will be ‘Neil Armstrong moment’ for SEC

Cassidy Dankochik 4 minute read Preview

Curling Grand Slam will be ‘Neil Armstrong moment’ for SEC

Cassidy Dankochik 4 minute read Wednesday, May. 14, 2025

The countdown is officially on for Steinbach to host the Grand Slam of Curling’s Players’ Championship.

Organizers, politicians and curling stars were in attendance at the newly built Southeast Event Centre (SEC) in downtown Steinbach May 13 to promote and officially kick off the event, which will take place Jan. 6-11 in 2026.

Manitoba hasn’t hosted a Grand Slam since 2018.

The Centre’s general manager, Jeff Bannon, said the Players’ Championship will be the SEC’s chance to make a strong first impression on the national stage.

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Wednesday, May. 14, 2025

Cassidy Dankochik / The Carillon
Jennifer Jones speaks with young curlers following a promotional event for the 2026 Players’ Championship. Jones credited the Grand Slam for powering the growth of women’s curling around the globe.

Canada’s Rachel Homan on a roll as she looks to defend world women’s curling title

Tim Wharnsby, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Preview

Canada’s Rachel Homan on a roll as she looks to defend world women’s curling title

Tim Wharnsby, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Thursday, Mar. 13, 2025

Rachel Homan and her juggernaut Canadian championship team know their No. 1 world ranking doesn't guarantee success at the 2025 world women's curling championship.

But that doesn't mean Homan, vice-skip Tracy Fleury, second Emma Miskew and lead Sarah Wilkes won't be full of confidence when they begin their title defence when the 13-country championship begins Saturday in Uijeongbu, South Korea.

The Homan team has been together for three years and has been dominant over the past 18 months, winning back-to-back Scotties Tournament of Hearts titles and the 2024 world championship in Sydney, N.S.

"We find the more experience we get playing together, the stronger we get," Fleury said. "We're all really comfortable with one another now."

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Thursday, Mar. 13, 2025

Team Canada skip Rachel Homan delivers a rock against Manitoba in her teams quarter final victory during the Scotties Tournament of Hearts action in Thunder Bay, Ont., Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/David Jackson

Neufeld rides roaring-game roller-coaster to Brier

Joshua Frey-Sam 7 minute read Preview

Neufeld rides roaring-game roller-coaster to Brier

Joshua Frey-Sam 7 minute read Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025

BJ Neufeld might be the newest member of his squad, but when it comes to this week’s Brier, he was always way ahead of his teammates.

When Reid Carruthers won the Manitoba men’s curling championship earlier this month, a scramble to reserve flights and hotels for the national championship ensued.

Everyone except the team’s third. Neufeld’s wife, Sarah, booked their trip last May.

Neufeld was playing for Matt Dunstone at the time, and their team had pre-qualified for the tournament owing to its standing in the Canadian Team Rankings System. In December, however, Team Dunstone parted ways with Neufeld, leaving his trip to a 10th Brier in doubt.

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Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025

JOHN WOODS / FREE PRESS files
BJ Neufeld will be playing in his 10th Brier.

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Einarson to face Nova Scotia in Scotties semifinal after loss to Homan

Joshua Frey-Sam 4 minute read Preview

Einarson to face Nova Scotia in Scotties semifinal after loss to Homan

Joshua Frey-Sam 4 minute read Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025

It will be Rachel Homan against whoever dares to challenge her.

The superstar skip from Ontario, representing Team Canada, secured a spot in Sunday’s final at the national curling championship after a sensational effort on Saturday evening as she downed Manitoba’s Kerri Einarson 8-4 in nine ends in the 1-2 page playoff.

Homan has won 21 straight at the event, dating back to 2023.

Her foursome out of the Ottawa Curling Club, including third Tracy Fleury, second Emma Miskew and lead Sarah Wilkes, collectively shot at a 90 per cent efficiency as they made life difficult on Einarson with and without the hammer.

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Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025

DAVID JACKSON / THE CANADIAN PRESS
Team Manitoba skip Kerri Einarson reacts in her team quarter-final loss to Team Canada during Scotties Tournament of Hearts action in Thunder Bay, Ont., Saturday.

Experienced Einarson thrives under pressure on the pebble

Joshua Frey-Sam 6 minute read Preview

Experienced Einarson thrives under pressure on the pebble

Joshua Frey-Sam 6 minute read Friday, Feb. 21, 2025

Kerri Einarson was 28 years old and had no idea what to expect as she debuted on championship weekend at the 2016 national women’s curling championship.

It was the Gimli skip’s first appearance at the event and she qualified for the playoffs with a solid 7-4 record. Her next opponent, in the 3-4 page playoff: Northern Ontario’s Krista McCarville, a veteran skip in her fifth appearance at the tournament.

“I was nervous and butterflies but excited,” said Einarson, who lost a 7-5 decision that day. “I remember this game… it was tough and then after losing that game I was so upset, but with the more experience you get in those types of situations, the easier it gets.”

As far as success goes among the skips in this year’s Canadian championship, only Team Canada’s Rachel Homan, a four-time winner and eight-time medallist, has Einarson beat.

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Friday, Feb. 21, 2025

FRANK GUNN / THE CANADIAN PRESS
Manitoba’s Val Sweeting (left) and Kerri Einarson have the kind of experience that comes in handy in high-stakes events such as the Scotties.

Einarson ‘gets hot at right time’, tops Pool B at Scotties

Joshua Frey-Sam 4 minute read Preview

Einarson ‘gets hot at right time’, tops Pool B at Scotties

Joshua Frey-Sam 4 minute read Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025

Kerri Einarson is in. Kate Cameron and Kaitlyn Lawes are out.

All three Manitoba teams were in the hunt for a playoff spot entering the final draw of round-robin play at the national women’s curling championship in Thunder Bay, Ont., Thursday evening.

In the end, it was the skip from Gimli — along with third Val Sweeting, second Karlee Burgess and lead Krysten Karwacki — who clawed her way in after defeating provincial counterpart Lawes 9-6 at Fort William Gardens.

Einarson finished 6-2 at the top of a muddy Pool B. Christina Black of Nova Scotia and Danielle Inglis of Ontario also qualified for the playoffs with 6-2 records. In Pool A, Rachel Homan, representing Team Canada, led the group at 8-0. Kayla Skrlik of Alberta and Corryn Brown of British Columbia also qualified for playoffs at 6-2.

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Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025

Frank Gunn / THE CANADIAN PRESS
Kerri Einarson’s Manitoba team overcame a slow start to win Pool B at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts and qualify for the playoffs.

Team Einarson storms back from five-point deficit to defeat fellow Manitoban

Joshua Frey-Sam 5 minute read Preview

Team Einarson storms back from five-point deficit to defeat fellow Manitoban

Joshua Frey-Sam 5 minute read Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025

Everything seemed to be going against Kerri Einarson.

For the second game in a row, the Gimli skip couldn’t get it going and the possibility of an early exit from the national women’s curling championship looked entirely possible as she fell into a near-insurmountable 7-2 hole after five ends against fellow Manitoban Kate Cameron.

There were some unlucky breaks that led to the deficit, then other shots — like a routine in-turn draw in the fifth that Einarson left well short to concede a steal of two — that were uncharacteristic for the four-time Canadian champion. It also didn’t help that Cameron was nearly untouchable, firing at a 94 per cent efficiency in the first half.

Then Einarson began to string it together. A score of three in the sixth end, another three in the eighth and a deuce with the hammer in the 10th capped what might have been a tournament-saving 10-9 victory for Einarson over Cameron at Fort William Gardens in Thunder Bay, Ont., on Tuesday evening.

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Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025

Frank Gunn/ THE CANADIAN PRESS
Kerri Einarson celebrates Tuesday after her comeback win over Kate Cameron during Scotties action in Thunder Bay, Ont.

Team Einarson finding its form

Joshua Frey-Sam 7 minute read Preview

Team Einarson finding its form

Joshua Frey-Sam 7 minute read Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025

In a season that change has been the only constant for Kerri Einarson, the stability she’s longed for may have come at a perfect time.

The Gimli skip will lead a lineup missing some of its regular players into the Canadian women’s curling championship for the second year in a row, beginning Friday at Fort William Gardens in Thunder Bay, Ont.

Einarson, who won four consecutive titles from 2020-2023 and lost in a playoff qualifier last year, still has third Val Sweeting by her side but will look to return to the top of the podium with a modified front-end, with recently acquired Karlee Burgess throwing second and Krysten Karwacki at lead.

Karwacki has played at her spot since last year’s Canadian championship when she was called in to replace Briane Harris at the last minute and later named a First-Team All-Star. Meanwhile, Burgess joined the team last month after Einarson recruited her from Chelsea Carey’s struggling squad.

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Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025

Jeff McIntosh / THE CANADIAN PRESS files
Kerri Einarson’s No. 2 ranked team will be playing for its fifth Scotties title after making a pair of lineup changes.

Team Carruthers holds on to win championship

Joshua Frey-Sam 6 minute read Preview

Team Carruthers holds on to win championship

Joshua Frey-Sam 6 minute read Monday, Feb. 10, 2025

PORTAGE LA PRAIRIE — Reid Carruthers let out a large exhale as Braden Calvert’s double-takeout in the 10th end narrowly missed.

What appeared like a runaway victory at one point for Carruthers, who built a 6-1 lead through four ends, slowly dwindled to a one-point lead by the final frame of the Manitoba men’s curling championship.

In the end, it was the veteran skip from Winnipeg who hung on to successfully defend his provincial crown with a 9-7 victory over Calvert at Stride Place in Portage la Prairie on Sunday.

With recently acquired third BJ Neufeld, second Catlin Schneider and lead Connor Njegovan by his side, Carruthers will wear the Buffalo jacket for the ninth time at the Brier in Kelowna, B.C. (Feb. 28 - March 9).

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Monday, Feb. 10, 2025

JOHN WOODS / FREE PRESS
Reid Carruthers throws in the Manitoba curling championship game in Portage la Prairie on Sunday. Team Carruthers beat Team Calvert 9-7 in the 10th end.

Calvert holds off McDonald to remain perfect at men’s curling championship

Joshua Frey-Sam 2 minute read Preview

Calvert holds off McDonald to remain perfect at men’s curling championship

Joshua Frey-Sam 2 minute read Friday, Feb. 7, 2025

Braden Calvert executed a routine takeout in the 10th end to stave off Jordon McDonald’s late comeback attempt with a single point and slide away with an 8-6 victory in the opening playoff round of the Manitoba men’s provincial curling championship at Stride Place in Portage la Prairie on Friday evening.

Calvert’s team out of Fort Rouge, the third seed in the tournament, remained perfect at 4-0 and will play Sean Grassie of Deer Lodge this morning with a spot in the championship bracket on the line.

Eight teams remain in the Manitoba playdowns through three days, and each proved how difficult it will be to win through the weekend as four hotly contested games went down to the wire in the first round of the playoff bracket.

Grassie scored two to outlast Brandon’s Steve Irwin 6-4. Irwin will face the second-seed McDonald this morning. The winner will live to play another game and the loser goes home.

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Friday, Feb. 7, 2025

Matt Packwood / The Brandon Sun
Braden Calvert defeated Jordon McDonald 8-6 Friday night in Portage la Prairie.

Team McDonald comfortable in spotlight on curling’s big stage

Joshua Frey-Sam 5 minute read Preview

Team McDonald comfortable in spotlight on curling’s big stage

Joshua Frey-Sam 5 minute read Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025

Jordon McDonald is comfortable with a target on his back.

It’s something the 21-year-old Winnipeg skip had to deal with constantly during his last two years in the junior curling ranks, as he won the 2022 Manitoba under-18 and the 2023 provincial junior championships.

Now McDonald and his young team from Assiniboine — 20-year-old third Dallas Burgess, 20-year-old second Elias Huminicki and 21-year-old lead Cam Olafson — are experiencing it at the Manitoba men’s provincial curling championship.

Expectations for Team McDonald are high as the tournament’s second seed, coming off a season in which they rose to No. 6 nationally on the strength of two wins and seven top-three finishes in their first full campaign against men.

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Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025

Matt Packwood / The Brandon Sun
Jordon McDonald instructs his sweepers Thursday at the 2025 Viterra Championship in Portage la Prairie.

Brandon’s Dunbar comes from behind to edge Forrester at Viterra

Matt Packwood 7 minute read Preview

Brandon’s Dunbar comes from behind to edge Forrester at Viterra

Matt Packwood 7 minute read Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025

PORTAGE LA PRAIRIE — With such an emphasis on how teams start, Day 1 of the 2025 Viterra men’s provincial curling championship proved to be an eventful opener.

Brandon’s Cale Dunbar and team of Chris Campbell, Kyle Sambrook and Shayne MacGranachan had a tall task as the centre-ice game in the 12:15 p.m. draw and had a mountain to climb in order to win but did so, defeating Hayden Forrester 9-7.

After falling to an early 3-0 deficit, the team out of the Brandon Curling Club trailed 6-2 in the sixth before a massive turn of events opened the door for Dunbar to creep back in.

Needing to make some magic in the seventh, Dunbar did exactly that.

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Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025

October 12, 2025

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