Fan-free hub eyed for Brier, Scotties
Curling Canada will likely have to follow the lead of hockey and basketball by using a fan-less hub city approach in order to salvage showcase events like the Scotties Tournament of Hearts and Tim Hortons Brier this season.
Original plans to hold the Scotties in Thunder Bay, Ont., in February and the Brier in Kelowna, B.C, in March have been all but dashed due to the pandemic.
Gerry Peckham, Curling Canada’s high-performance director, said the federation is “definitely getting into the deep end of the pool” regarding the possibility of a hub city concept.
“In all honesty, I think that is arguably our final card to play as it relates to our more major events,” he said.
Curling is slowly starting to return with elite domestic teams primarily turning to regional bonspiels due to travel restrictions. Many clubs have yet to reopen and several highprofile events — including four Grand Slams — were cancelled earlier this year.
The Continental Cup was one of six competitions cancelled last month by Curling Canada due to COVID-19.
The Canada Cup, originally set for next month in Fredericton, has been postponed indefinitely. The world men’s championship, a World Curling Federation event operated by Curling Canada, is still set for early April in Ottawa.
The NHL successfully completed its post-season with fanless hubs in Toronto and Edmonton while the NBA used a bubble for its games near Orlando, Fla. Edmonton will also host the 2021 world junior hockey championship starting this December with no fans in attendance.
There was no immediate word on which cities Curling Canada may be considering or when the championships might be held. A spokesman said the federation is working on a number of different options and hopes to announce something soon.
A spokesperson for the Public Health Agency of Canada, which was involved in other sport hubs during the pandemic, said that Canadian Heritage was the likely lead on curling.
A spokesman for that department did not have specifics available on potential plans.
There are several hurdles to be cleared for a curling hub to work. In addition to firming up things like testing plans, lodging and travel arrangements, it’s uncertain whether the traditional qualification route for the national championships will be functional.
Provincial and territorial playdowns to earn berths in the Scotties and Brier are usually held a few weeks before the national championships. Those qualifiers remain on the calendar but their status is uncertain.
Making things more difficult is the limited playing schedule for elite teams over the next few months.
“(There’s) not much elite competition being staged, say in advance of a Brier or Scotties, should they go ahead,” Peckham said in a phone interview.
“So yeah, it’s pretty much straight uphill.”
Peckham added that officials from other sports have been very forthcoming with information on the unprecedented challenge of hub arrangements and operations.
“Right now when we think in terms of the possibility of hosting a Brier or a Scotties or a world championship, the NHL’s model is probably the gold standard,” he said.