Heave away, the Grand Slam of Curling is bound for old St. John’s and the Kioti National — starting Tuesday and running through to Sunday at the Mary Brown’s Centre.
Coverage on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+ begins Thursday.
Here’s a rundown of things to know for the event in Eight Ends.
FIRST END: The Kioti National is the third event and second major of the Grand Slam of Curling season. What makes the Kioti National a major is that it’s one of the four original events in the series dating back to the inaugural 2001-02 season. Glenn Howard captured the first title and is tied with Kevin Martin and Brad Gushue for the most championship wins in the tournament among men’s skips at four apiece.
Originally a men’s invitational, a women’s division was added in 2015 with Rachel Homan claiming the first championship. Homan won the event again in 2018 and Anna Hasselborg is the only other women’s skip with multiple titles, earning back-to-back trophies during the 2019-20 and 2021-22 seasons.
Homan finished runner-up in the event last year to Eun-ji Gim, whose team became the first from South Korea to score a major in the series. Joël Retornaz and his Italian team picked up its second of three consecutive Grand Slam titles after defeating Niklas Edin in the men’s final.
SECOND END: The Kioti National features 16 of the top men’s teams and 16 of the top women’s teams from around the world. Teams were invited based on the World Curling Federation’s rankings as of Oct. 22.
Halifax’s Team Christina Black also received an invitation on the women’s side as the winner of the HearingLife Tour Challenge Tier 2 in October. The champions were slated to earn berths to the WFG Masters in January, however, Team Black has a conflict with provincial playdowns then and joins the field for this Grand Slam instead.
Both divisions are split into four pools of four teams for round-robin play. Teams play three games against the other teams within their pool plus one crossover game based on seeding.
The top eight teams overall advance to Saturday’s quarterfinals. If necessary, one tiebreaker draw will be played Saturday morning to determine the final playoff spots. The semifinals are also scheduled for Saturday with both finals on tap Sunday.
A $400,000 prize purse, distributed equally between the men’s and women’s divisions, is on the line.
THIRD END: It’s no secret who the crowd will be cheering for when St. John’s own Team Brad Gushue hits the ice.
This will be the first time Gushue plays in the building since he captured his first Canadian championship at the 2017 Brier and what an electric moment that was. Gushue, who has now won a record six Brier titles as a skip, was already feeling nervous excitement when asked about the Kioti National as tickets sold out faster than a Taylor Swift concert (which girl dad Gushue also attended).
“Obviously, we’ve played a couple Slams out there in (Conception Bay South) but to be back in the building where we won the Brier seven years ago, almost eight years ago now, it’s going to be exciting,” Gushue said during the Co-op Canadian Open. “It’s sold out, so I know there’s a lot of people really excited to come watch us. We’re pumped. I’m nervous, but I’m pumped.”
Gushue won his 15th Grand Slam title at the Players’ Championship to end last season and has finished runner-up to Scotland’s Team Bruce Mouat in the first two events this fall. Gushue lost 10-3 to Mouat in the HearingLife Tour Challenge Tier 1 men’s final and 6-2 in the Co-op Canadian Open.
FOURTH END: Here comes a new challenger! Gushue’s first game of the Kioti National will be Tuesday against Team Marc Muskatewitz of Germany.
Muskatewitz played in the Tier 2 division of the HearingLife Tour Challenge and this marks his team’s major debut.
Team Muskatewitz shouldn’t be underestimated, especially after upsetting Mouat 9-7 Saturday to take home the gold medal in the European Curling Championships in Lohja, Finland. It was Germany’s first gold medal in the men’s division at the event in 20 years.
FIFTH END: Well, before the Euro final this end was going to ask “Who can stop Mouat?” as his team has been nearly unstoppable this season.
Having said that, the one loss shouldn’t take away the amazing season Team Mouat is already having. Mouat has reached six finals through seven events with two Grand Slam championships plus a pair of title wins elsewhere on tour.
Team Mouat holds a 46-6 record on the season including an undefeated 13-0 run in the Grand Slams.
Mouat now looks to win a third consecutive Grand Slam title, a feat his club accomplished once already in 2021.
SIXTH END: Team Matt Dunstone also enters the Kioti National on a roll after winning the Red Deer Curling Classic.
The Winnipeg club defeated Team John Epping of Sudbury, Ont., 6-0 during the men’s final last Monday.
Dunstone, who won the Masters in 2019, is hungry for another Grand Slam title and you can bet he’ll want to do well in this event in particular as Kioti also sponsors his team.
“They do so much for us and for curling,” Dunstone said during a recent phone interview. “We always get excited for this one because we know how much it means to them and one we want to go out and perform at on their behalf and for us.
“We always have this one marked up and all of our familiar Kioti faces are going to be there watching us and cheering us on and exposing their brand too, so we always get excited for this one.”
SEVENTH END: Ottawa’s Team Rachel Homan reigns supreme in the women’s division. Homan captured a record-extending 16th Grand Slam of Curling women’s title at the Co-op Canadian Open.
Team Homan defeated Switzerland’s Team Silvana Tirinzoni 7-5 in the final to complete an undefeated run through the tournament.
Homan finished runner-up to Team Kerri Einarson in the HearingLife Tour Challenge and holds a 33-2 record on the season with four title wins in five tournaments.
Did we mention Homan is also the world champ and ranked No. 1? The club is playing unreal right now and will be tough to beat.
EIGHTH END: It shouldn’t be overlooked the season Tirinzoni is having, too. Tirinzoni, No. 2 in the world, enters the Kioti National after successfully defending the gold at the European Curling Championships.
Team Tirinzoni topped Hasselborg’s Swedish squad 8-4 in the women’s final and ran the table finishing with an unblemished 11-0 record.
Tirinzoni has made five finals in six tour events with the outlier there being the HearingLife Tour Challenge where her team missed the playoffs. That led to a retooling of the front end with Carole Howald now playing second and Selina Witschonke at lead and the team returned to its winning ways.
EXTRA END: Welcome back Team Hasselborg along with second Agnes Knochenhauer. Team Hasselborg skipped the Co-op Canadian Open to prepare for the Euros while Knochenhauer also missed the HearingLife Tour Challenge to attend her sister’s wedding. … Team Einarson second Shannon Birchard remains out of the lineup as she continues to recover from a knee injury. Brittany Tran, from Saskatoon’s Team Ashley Thevenot, is expected to fill in this time. Dawn McEwen subbed for Birchard at the HearingLife Tour Challenge while Joanne Courtney spared during the Co-op Canadian Open. … Since we last left our heroes, longtime second Derek Samagalski stepped back from Team Reid Carruthers. Although yet to officially announce a replacement, Kyle Doering (formerly of Team Aaron Sluchinski) played second during the Red Deer Curling Classic and is in the lineup here again.
