Meet the Scotties teams
GRANDE PRAIRIE, ALTA .• Round robin play at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts commences Saturday at Revolution Place. The Page playoffs are to begin Feb. 26, with the final set for Feb. 28.
Here is a look at the teams that are vying for the Canadian women’s curling championship:
TEAM CANADA
Jennifer Jones of Winnipeg is at her 12th Scotties. Another title would be Jones’s sixth and put her in a tie with Colleen Jones for first all- time among skips. Team Canada’s second, Jill Officer, is also shooting for her sixth Canadian title.
ALBERTA
The Calgary-based foursome is skipped by Chelsea Carey, who was t he Manitoba women’s champion in 2014. Carey defeated Edmonton’s Val Sweeting, who was the Scotties silver medallist in 2014 and 2015, to win this year’s Alberta championship.
MANITOBA
Kerri Einarson of the East St. Paul Curling Club is skipping at her first Scotties. She is third among money winners on the Grand Slam circuit, behind Jennifer Jones and Carey.
NEW BRUNSWICK
Moncton’s Sylvie Robichaud is representing New Brunswick for the third time, having previously won provincial titles in 2008 and 2015. She was 1- 10 at the 2008 Scotties and 4-7 last year.
NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR:
Stacie Curtis of St. John’s previously skipped at the Scotties in 2011 ( posting a 1-10 record) and 2013 (2-9).
NORTHERN ONTARIO
Krista McCarville’s Fort William Curling Club foursome has made the Scotties in its first year together as a team. McCarville was Ontario’s skip at four Scotties ( 2006, 2007, 2009 and 2010), winning a bronze medal in 2010.
NOVA SCOTIA
Halifax-based skip Jill Brothers has previously competed in the Scotties as a skip (2007) and a third (2014). In the Nova Scotia final, Brothers defeated Mary- Anne Arseneault, who was pursuing her 13th provincial title.
ONTARIO
Jenn Hanna is making her first appearance at the Scotties since 2005 after upending two- time national champion Rachel Homan, also of Ottawa, in the provincial final. In 2005, Hanna advanced to the final before losing a heartbreaker to Jones, who won her first Canadian title.
PRINCE EDWARD
ISLAND
Suzanne Birt of Charlottetown is leading a team into the Scotties for the ninth time. Her best finish was a bronze medal in 2003.
QUEBEC
Marie- France Larouche of the Etchemin Curling Club is back at the Scotties with a first- year team. Larouche, who has returned to competitive curling after a two- year hiatus, is skipping at her seventh national women’s c hampionship — her best finish being a silver medal in 2004. She also reached the podium in 2009, earning a bronze medal.
SASKATCHEWAN
Regina’s Jolene Campbell advanced to the Scotties by defeating Stefanie Lawton, who was gunning for her third consecutive provincial title and her fifth overall. Campbell is skipping a team for the first time at the Scotties after making three appearances as an alternate with Amber Holland.
QUALIFICATION
ROUND
The teams are skipped by Karla Thompson ( B. C.), Kerry Galusha ( Northwest Territories), Geneva Chislett ( Nunavut) and Nicole Baldwin ( Yukon). One of the four teams will advance to the round robin portion.