2026 Scotties Tournament of Hearts Kicks Off in Mississauga with Fresh Faces
The 2026 Scotties Tournament of Hearts, Canada's premier national women's curling championship, opens this Friday at the Paramount Fine Foods Centre in Mississauga, Ontario. This year's edition promises a significant shift in the competitive landscape, as only half of the 18 rinks from last year's tournament are returning to vie for the coveted title.
New Leadership Emerges Across the Field
One of the most striking developments is the emergence of nine athletes who will be skipping for the first time at a Scotties event. Among these newcomers is Kelsey Calvert, a three-time Scotties participant who now leads the Manitoba champion team for skip Beth Peterson. This influx of fresh leadership signals a changing of the guard in Canadian women's curling.
The absence of two-time defending champion Rachel Homan, who is focusing on the 2026 Winter Olympics, has created an opportunity for other teams to claim the national crown. Saskatchewan's Jolene Campbell returns as the only curler who has previously skipped at the Scotties but wasn't part of last year's competition in Thunder Bay.
Youth Movement Takes Center Stage
This year's tournament features an exceptionally young field, with several teams boasting remarkably youthful rosters:
- Quebec's rink is led by 20-year-old Jolianne Fortin, who is actually the oldest player on her team
- New Brunswick's Mélodie Forsythe foursome has no player older than 22
- The Northwest Territories' Nicky Kaufman team includes 16-year-old Sydney Galusha, 17-year-old Ella Skauge, and 16-year-old Brynn Chorostkowski
- Yukon's Bayly Scoffin and Nova Scotia's Taylour Stevens also field teams with considerable youth
Experienced Contenders Ready for Championship Run
Despite the youth movement, several experienced teams enter as strong title contenders. The clear front-runner is Kerri Einarson's rink from Gimli, Manitoba, which captured four consecutive Scotties titles from 2020 to 2023. With superstar second Shannon Birchard returning to full health, Einarson's team enters with championship expectations.
"Every year, you want to go out there and win it, and then you want to perform at the worlds," Einarson stated, referencing the opportunity for the Scotties champion to represent Canada at the World Women's Curling Championship in Calgary from March 14-22.
Strong Challengers in the Mix
Nova Scotia's Christina Black represents another formidable contender, having won bronze at last year's Scotties in Thunder Bay and silver at the Olympic trials in November. Her Halifax-based team brings both experience and recent competitive success to the Mississauga event.
The tournament format ensures ten days of intense competition, with the eventual champion earning not only national bragging rights but also the opportunity to represent Canada on the international stage at the world championships. This combination of established veterans, promising newcomers, and youthful talent creates what promises to be one of the most unpredictable and exciting Scotties tournaments in recent memory.
