Sportsnet trims Grand Slam events

Sportsnet is trimming its sixstop Grand Slam of Curling circuit to just two events next season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The network, which owns and operates the top-flight curling series, said Wednesday that three Canadian stops will not be held this fall as scheduled. The circuit’s American debut in January was also scrubbed.

Instead the first Grand Slam of the campaign won’t come until the April 13-18 Players’ Championship in Toronto, followed by the season finale two weeks later at the April 27-May 2 Champions Cup in Olds.

“The safety and well-being of curlers, volunteers, fans, partners and employees is of the utmost importance to

Sportsnet,” Rob Corte, vicepresident of Sportsnet and NHL Production, said in a release.

“Following careful thought and deliberation, we made the decision to postpone the season until we could safely deliver the world-class competition and intimate fan experience the Grand Slam series is known for.”

The 2020-21 schedule was originally set to kick off at the Oct. 20-25 Masters in Sarnia,

Ont. The Tour Challenge was to be held Nov. 3-8 in Grande Prairie, and the Dec. 8-13 National was set for Chestermere.

Those three cities will host the same Slam events in the 2021-22 season, Sportsnet said, with the Tour Challenge to open the campaign in late September 2021. The Masters will follow a month later and the National will be played in November 2021.

Plans for the Meridian Open, originally set for Jan. 12-17, 2021, in Las Vegas, have yet to be determined. The second half of the 2021-22 Slam calendar will be released at a later date.

Sportsnet said it “remains committed to growing the sport of curling outside of Canada” and will continue to work closely with local organizers in the Nevada city to reschedule the competition.