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Banner Season: Provincial bonspiel bringing conference curlers to championship stage
Burlington, Ont. – After the women’s finale hit the ice last week, the OUA’s men’s contingent are on deck for their banner season bonspiel. Wilfrid Laurier has claimed the last two titles, but the remaining 15 competitors heading to Peterborough, Ont. are hungry to see a new conference champion crowned at the 2023 OUA Men’s Curling Championship. Draws will run from Friday, February 10th to Sunday, February 12th, with round robin play set to kick off the event this weekend at the Peterborough Curling Club. Championship Details
When: Friday, February 10 to Sunday, February 12 Where: Peterborough Curling Club Participating Schools (16): Algoma Thunderbirds, Brock Badgers, Carleton Ravens, Guelph Gryphons, Laurentian Voyageurs, McMaster Marauders, Ontario Tech Ridgebacks, Queen’s Gaels, Toronto Varsity Blues, TMU Bold, Trent Excalibur (host), Waterloo Warriors, Western Mustangs, Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks, Windsor Lancers, York Lions Defending Champions: Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks Student-Athletes to Watch:
Treyton Cowell, Ontario Tech Ridgebacks | A third-year member of the Ontario Tech rink, Cowell was instrumental in the Ridgebacks’ strong run a season ago. Back for another year with the team as second, the Craighurst, Ont. native is hoping to bring leadership at the front end and build on his previous banner season outing that saw him become the first Ridgeback in program history to be named an OUA curling all-star. Matteo Desando, Windsor Lancers | Desando took the reins last year after the team’s skip stepped down unexpectedly and performed well for the Lancers at the 2022 provincial finale. The LaSalle, Ont. curler impressed with his ability to lead and perform under pressure, assets that will come in handy once again when taking on the upcoming conference competition. Chris Inglis, Trent Excalibur | Originating from Prince Edward County, Ont., Inglis has curled for over 18 years. The sociology student brings a multitude of experience to the Trent squad, even in his first year with the team, as he has previously appeared in 11 provincial finals, won 11 OJCT championships, and became a U18 men’s national champion in 2019. Josh Landry, McMaster Marauders | Landy will compete in his first ever OUA Championship this weekend and is one of multiple such members of the McMaster rink. In his inaugural year with the maroon machine, the New Liskard, Ont. local is bringing many years of competitive curling to the table, not the least of which includes appearances in provincial championships in Northern Ontario. Derek Leung, Laurentian Voyageurs | Leung is a long-time member of the Laurentian rink, now in his fifth year with the team, and the sport is something that has meant a lot to him both on the ice and in the classroom. Not only is the Toronto, Ont. curler proficient with the rock, having represented Team Hong Kong at the 2018 Asia-Pacific Curling Championships, but he also studied the evolution stones for his Masters. Sam Mooibroek, Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks | The second-year arts student is looking forward to building off the golden showing at the 2022 OUA championship. Finishing runner-up at the FISU qualifier in September and winning the Canadian U25 Next Gen event have motivated the Kitchener, Ont. local to reach higher levels and strive for excellence this year. The 2020 Ontario Winter Games champion is looking to find the same groove the team found last year in route to winning the 2022 OUA title. Dylan Niepage, Guelph Gryphons | Niepage, a third-year accounting major, has skipped both for the university and for his competitive U21/men’s teams. The Oro Medonte, Ont. native will be competing at the U21 Provincials in Ottawa next month, but before he does so, the former junior champion that represented Ontario at last year’s U21 national competition will look to put his best foot forward against the rest of the varsity contingent this weekend. Alexander Rumble, Western Mustangs | Rumble started curling when he was 12, but only began competing during his high school years. Throughout that stretch, he competed in several events, but came short of competing at OFSAA due to COVID-19 cancellations. The second-year biology student from Toronto, Ont. has also participated in provincial events such as the Ontario School Curling Provincial Championships. Victor Pietrangelo, Brock Badgers | The Niagara Falls, Ont. product has had an exciting season, with victories in the Next Generation U25 mixed doubles event in Edmonton, Alta. in September and also a win at the Ontario Mixed Doubles Tour Championship in January. Pietrangelo and his partner are now ranked in the top five mixed doubles teams in Ontario and is continuing to become one of the top double players in the province with next generation funding. The accounting major continues to bring his wealth of experience and skill to the Badgers varsity team for his second season of varsity competition. Owen Purdy, Queen’s Gaels | A fifth-year senior, Purdy has had a strong run of success with the Gaels during his tenure. The 2018-19 Queen’s rookie of the year was an OUA first team all-star lead that year and he’ll look to bookend his varsity tenure with a similar outing this weekend, as he helps the team continue their recent string of success and bounce back from what was a slow start to the year. Landan Rooney, Toronto Varsity Blues | 2021-22 all-star Rooney will serve as skip for the young Blues squad vying for their first banner since 2014. Rooney is coming off a tremendous season, winning both the Ontario and Canadian U21 Championships, and is preparing for the upcoming 2023 World Junior Championships at the end of the month in Germany. Hunter Schumacher, Algoma Thunderbirds | Schumacher is the veteran of the young Thunderbirds squad and his experience will be invaluable to the team’s performance. The Wawa, Ont. curler was a member of the Algoma men’s curling team that competed in the 2021 Everest Canadian Curling Club Championships in Ottawa, Ont., while also bringing a bevy of banner season appearances to this weekend’s latest bonspiel. Storylines to Keep an Eye On:
Brock is set with a new skip joining four returning players. Owen Henry, a first-year statistics student at Brock, was named skip and brings some Canadian curling experience to the team from his time with Team Ontario at last year’s U18 Championships. Henry, alongside returning vice Pietrangelo, have been steadily building their chemistry on the ice and have made vast improvements during the season. They are looking forward to continuing those positive strides to better the team’s performance from a year ago and make the playoff rounds at the 2023 OUA Championship. After falling in the quarterfinals at last year’s finale, Laurentian is looking to avenge that loss this time around and advance past their previous finish. As host of this year’s U SPORTS Curling Championships, the Voyageurs already know they will be competing next month against the nation’s best, but like the Voyageurs women’s team did to open up the OUA’s winter banner season slate, the men’s rink isn’t looking to simply rely on the ‘host’ entry to punch their ticket to the national showcase. In addition to the season’s varsity invitationals, the Marauders have been busy practicing and playing weekly in the Dundas Valley’s Competitive Open League. The team has continually put on strong performances in the league’s ‘A’ Division and McMaster is currently a top-five team in the league. With half of the Marauders’ roster comprised of rookies, the maroon and grey are looking to build experience at the OUA Championship and make a run for the playoffs in the process. After advancing to the OUA quarterfinals in 2022, the Ridgebacks are hoping to go a step further into the medal round this season. Last year was only the second time the Ontario Tech program had advanced past the round robin, but with some returning players and some young additions with experience, the team is hopeful that they have enough to push them over the top this time around and into a medal game. After getting so close last year and having a good run at U SPORTS, the TMU Bold know that they are capable of bringing home a title. With the experience that the group has, they are aware that they’ll need strong games in the round robin play to advance to the playoffs, but being able to rely on their previous responses to these pressure situations will be extremely valuable and could be the difference between moving on in the playoffs or going home. The Excalibur squad offers up a mixture of veteran and rookie talent that will look to capture their second OUA men’s curling title in program history. As the host team, Trent is excited to welcome their fellow conference competitors to Peterborough and have the hometown support behind them to buoy their championship aspirations this weekend. After Western’s previous skip graduated last year, the Mustangs were left without a leader for the upcoming season. Rookies Wyatt Savage and Aiden Gallagher joined the team with great potential to become the next skip and vice for the future. Alongside the additions, the purple and white’s returning players, including Henry Cheng, have made significant strides to improve their skills in anticipation for the bonspiel in Peterborough. And based on his many years of curling experience and recent success on Team Chinese Taipei, Cheng has been named skip for this year’s OUAs with hopes of improving on the team’s ninth-place finish in 2022. With a mixture of success and close calls over the last year, the Golden Hawks are looking to put it all together at the 2023 OUA Championship and find some similar success to 2022. Much of the team is made up of returning the players and the mindset remains similar, but with every team bringing their A-game at OUAs, each game will be a tough matchup and nothing is a given. The purple and gold are hoping past experience can lead the team back atop the podium. What They’re Saying:
“We have a new curling team who is looking to gain experience at these championships. We really do not have any expectations, but want to compete at every end.” – Tom Coulterman, Head Coach, Algoma Thunderbirds “With the addition of national level experience to the skip role that Owen Henry brings to the team, the Brock men are excited to improve upon last year’s showing and have the belief that they will medal at provincials this year.” – Jordan Thin, Coach, Brock Badgers “We are all very excited to be representing our Marauder community, and McMaster as a whole, this upcoming weekend at the 2023 OUA Championship. We’ve put in the time and work and are ready to play as a team. We’re looking forward to having a successful weekend.” – Daniel Van Veghel, Student-Athlete, McMaster Marauders “The guys are ready to compete. After early season competitions, they are ready to get at it and take on the best in the OUA.” – Mike Stauffer, Head Coach, Ontario Tech Ridgebacks “I was not confident in the team until a couple weeks ago. We had a few good practices to iron out some issues and have been performing well in local tournaments. Looking forward to winning the OUA championship this week.” – Colin Schnurr, Student-Athlete, Queen’s Gaels “I’m going to go out on a limb and say this is the most talent we’ve ever had in the program. Landon, Daniel, and Matthew are all accomplished skips at the U21 level. We’re very hopeful about our chances. The competition is very high and half the field have very strong teams. It’s going to be a very difficult championship, but we like our chances.” – Guy Yerama, Head Coach, Toronto Varsity Blues “OUAs are what we’ve been working towards all season and this team has all the tools to win. We’ve had some setbacks this season, but the way that this team has worked to learn and improve from some setbacks has been impressive. I know that if they go out and play to the level that they’re capable of, then they’ll be in the running at the end of the weekend.” – Stuart Leslie, Head Coach, TMU Bold “Playing host to Ontario’s top young curlers is a great honour and we are very excited that we get to compete against them in our home town. Any time that you have 16 university level teams playing in one location is pretty special and I think it is a unique opportunity for Trent and the Peterborough community to play host. The curling community in Peterborough and the surrounding area has always been strong and we look forward to having their hometown support throughout the event.” – Brad Robinson, Head Coach, Trent Excalibur “I’m proud of the work the boys have put in this year and the strides they’ve made as both curlers and human beings. This is a talented, fun, and exciting group to watch, and I look forward to following and mentoring their development in the coming years. Go Stangs!” – Shane Latimer, Head Coach, Western Mustangs “I have encouraged the team to be relaxed heading into the weekend. I think a number of teams will look beyond us, and that can often backfire, and it is inspiring our players. We are ready to compete.” – Mike McKay, Head Coach, Windsor Lancers
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- Winter Sports
Grand Slam of Curling series acquired by new sports business venture group
Jennifer jones, john morris, ex nfl star jared allen among names attached to project.
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The Grand Slam of Curling, the tour elite series featuring the best men's and women's teams from across Canada and around the world, has been purchased by a new sports business venture group.
The Curling Group, led by chief executive officer Nic Sulsky, has purchased ownership and operations of the Grand Slam of Curling from Rogers Sportsnet. The network will continue to be the exclusive Canadian broadcast rights holder.
"Being able to continue this legacy alongside Sportsnet is paramount to what we're going to start trying to build together. It's vital for the curling community, both the athlete and the fan," Sulsky told CBC Sports.
"The Curling Group's intentions are true. We will give the fan and curler a level of trust that we are going to do this with the right spirit and motivation in mind. We have a love of the game and [both] the curlers and fans that have made the sport what it is today."
WATCH | Acquisition of Grand Slam of Curling about to 'blow up the roaring game':
Acquisition of Grand Slam of Curling is about to 'blow up the roaring game'
The new venture has some big names attached to it, including two-time Olympic champion John Morris and Olympic champion Jennifer Jones, who is retiring at the end of this season from the four-person game.
Former NFL star Jared Allen is also part of the group. They will all be part of helping shape what the Slams look like moving forward.
"We want the growth of the game to be so successful. We want to be successful. I think the curlers are going to embrace this and be very excited about the opportunities," Jones said. "Our sport has so much potential and it's just so exciting to be a part of this and hopefully we can have a great impact."
- Homan dethrones Switzerland's Tirinzoni to win Canada's 1st curling world title since 2018
Rob Corte, VP of production at Sportsnet, said staying on as the official broadcaster of the Grand Slam of Curling was a non-negotiable, adding it's been a key property to their programming plans for years.
"It's been a fantastic property for us and what we're really excited about is how the future is going to play out," Corte said. "Just to be clear, the Grand Slam of Curling wasn't for sale but over the last while through conversations with Nic, and his listening to his vision, we started to see what the future of the Grand Slam of Curling could be and it was something Sportsnet wanted to be part of.
"This partnership will help grow the sport while allowing Sportsnet to do what we do best – provide fans a world-class broadcast and the most in-depth curling coverage."
WATCH | Canada's Homan collects 2nd women's world curling title:
Canada's Homan defeats Switzerland's Tirinzoni for 2nd title at women's curling worlds
Providing a platform for curlers.
Sulsky said the athlete's voice is going to be a critical piece in how they shape the Slams moving forward, that's why curling legends like Morris and Jones have been brought in from the beginning.
"We need to provide a platform for curlers to take their position alongside the rest of the international sporting elite because they belong there. They are an incredible, engaging, fun, funny group of folks. It's about time the spotlight shines on them," Sulsky said.
"We are going to blow up the roaring game all around the world, and I could not be more excited to start on this journey alongside literally the two biggest legends that the sport has ever had."
WATCH | Gushue's Canadian side settles for silver at world championship:
Gushue's Canadian rink settles for 3rd straight world silver medal as Sweden's Edin claims 7th world title
Morris said for as much change will be coming in the future, it'll be important to also stay true to many of the traditional aspects of the sport that draws fans to the game.
- Gushue, Canadian curling teammates collect 3rd straight world silver medal
Corte said the audience numbers remain strong on Sportsnet as this season's final event, the Players Championship in Toronto, begins Tuesday.
He said Grand Slam of Curling numbers on Sportsnet are up 16 per cent compared to last season, with the 18-34 age demographic showing a 44 per cent increase. Corte said female audience numbers are up 14 per cent this season as well.
"Part of the reason we've been so successful over the years is because it has been done with the curlers. They are the backbone of the sport. We made sure we talked to them to understand things that might make the game better," Corte said.
"It all starts with respect – respect for the sport, curlers and fans. When you keep them in mind as you move forward, and the right intentions, in the end it always works out."
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
CBC reporter
Devin Heroux reports for CBC News and Sports. He is now based in Toronto, after working first for the CBC in Calgary and Saskatoon.
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Ontario Curling Tour Developing Competitive Curling ONTARIO CURLING NEWS : Champ wins Stu Sells Cookstown Classic Alex Champ (Kitchener-Waterloo, ON) wins the Stu Sells Cookstown Classic, defeating Pat Ferris (Grimsby, ON) 5-1 on Sunday. Epping Debuts New Squad this Weekend in Alberta
Ontario Curling Tour Developing Competitive Curling : 2023-24 Tour Schedule: Please click on the Event Name to enter event's main page. From there, you'll be able to navigate through team, draw, scores, stats, and other related info. ... Sask Curling Tour Mixed Doubles Midweek Kick-off: Saskatoon, SK: Sep 17 - 21: Purse: $4,000 (CDN) Format ...
The Ontario Curling Tour is a group of curling bonspiels, which takes places in Ontario, Canada and attracts some of the top male and female curlers in the province, and from across the country and world. The OCT was designed to promote competitive curling from a grass root level.
The Ontario Curling Council (OCC) is the Provincial Sport Organization for amateur curling in Ontario. The OCC works collaboratively with its members CurlON and the Northern Ontario Curling Association to deliver programs, services and competitions ... Read More →.
Ontario Curling Tour, London, Ontario. 2,118 likes. To promote curling events in Ontario that reward curlers, and clubs to build an environment that fosters the growth of the game..more curlers..more...
The Ontario Curling Council is the Provincial Sport Organization for curling in Ontario. The OCC's vision is to be a world leader in developing athletes, programs and services in the sport of curling.
Newfoundland and Labrador's Brad Gushue won the 2022 KIOTI Tractor Champions Cup with an 8-5 victory over Kevin Koe, adding another championship title to a truly remarkable season for the rink.
The Stu Sells Oakville Tankard (also known as the OCT Championships) is an annual bonspiel on the men's and women's Ontario Curling Tour.Except for in 2020, the event has been held at the Oakville Curling Club in Oakville, Ontario.The event was formerly just on the Ontario Curling Tour, but it was promoted as a World Curling Tour event in 2013 when Stu Sells became the sponsor.
Burlington, Ont. - After the women's finale hit the ice last week, the OUA's men's contingent are on deck for their banner season bonspiel.Wilfrid Laurier has claimed the last two titles, but the remaining 15 competitors heading to Peterborough, Ont. are hungry to see a new conference champion crowned at the 2023 OUA Men's Curling Championship.
Junior Curling Tour of Ontario; Ontario Curling Tour; World Curling Tour; Junior Slam Series; Grand Slam of Curling; Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport; Navigation. Sitemap; Staff Login; Resources. Curling Basics; Official Rules of Curling; Sport Information Resource Centre; The Locker; Contact us. OCC (905) 831-1757 x207; [email protected]; CurlON
Try Curling Now; CurlON TV; U-18 CurlON 50-50; U-18 5050 Rules; Rocks to Riches 5050 - Rules of Play; Rocks To Riches 5050; Webinars; Safe Sport at CurlON; Award Nominations; ... We recognize that our work takes place on traditional Indigenous territories across Ontario. We value the contributions that Inuit, Métis and other Indigenous Peoples ...
Try Curling Now; CurlON TV; U-18 CurlON 50-50; U-18 5050 Rules; Rocks to Riches 5050 - Rules of Play; Rocks To Riches 5050; Webinars; Safe Sport at CurlON; Award Nominations; ONTARIO CLUB BONSPIELS Click on the Event link below for details! Add your event by clicking here. You can also find bonspiels on our partner website with the OCC! (Click ...
The Oakville Fall Classic (formerly the Cameron's Brewing Oakville Fall Classic and the Biosteel Oakville Fall Classic) is an annual bonspiel on the men's and women's World Curling Tour and Ontario Curling Tour. It is held annually in September at the Oakville Curling Club in Oakville, Ontario.
Try Curling Now; CurlON TV; U-18 CurlON 50-50; U-18 5050 Rules; Rocks to Riches 5050 - Rules of Play; Rocks To Riches 5050; Webinars; Safe Sport at CurlON; Award Nominations; ... Ontario Tournament of Hearts (Women's Championship) Ontario Tankard (Men's Championship) Wheelchair Championship;
The Ontario Curling Council (formerly Curl Ontario), a non-profit organization incorporated in 1981, is the provincial sport organization for the sport of curling in Ontario. Its membership includes the Northern Ontario Curling Association (NOCA) and CurlON. The Ontario Curling Council was formed to act in a coordinating role between its member ...
The Junior Curling Tour of Ontario. Introducing the Junior Curling Tour for Ontario junior curlers. The JCTO's mission is to provide meaningful development for Ontario curlers in the U15, U18 & U20 age categories. To achieve this goal, the JCTO works with event organizers to help ensure that events are scheduled to avoid conflicts, and ...
Welcome to the Junior Curling Tour of Ontario. The JCTO is a collection of Ontario's U15, U18 and U20 junior curling events, working with our host partners to create the best possible experience for junior teams. We attract teams from across Ontario and out of province / country teams are always welcome.
Try Curling Now; CurlON TV; U-18 CurlON 50-50; U-18 5050 Rules; Rocks to Riches 5050 - Rules of Play; Rocks To Riches 5050; Webinars; Safe Sport at CurlON; Award Nominations; CURLERS. COMPETITIONS. All information related to Ontario competitions. TRAINING. Camps, clinics, courses and information for new and experienced curlers. ATHLETES ...
As an organization dedicated to excellence, accountability, progressiveness, and in providing the best possible experience for our curlers and fans, we believe it is crucial to take a step back and thoroughly review our future of streaming Provincial curling events in Ontario. After careful consideration and assessment of our current ...
Ontario Curling Council youth competitions. On behalf of its member associations, the Ontario Curling Council operates several developmental, parasport and/or province wide competitions. These include: Ontario Winter Games. Provincial qualifiers. Four disciplines - U18 Boys, U18 Girls, U20 Mixed Doubles and Wheelchair.
The Grand Slam of Curling, the tour elite series featuring the best men's and women's teams from across Canada and around the world, has been purchased by a new sports business venture group.
Discover the sport that over 1.4 million Canadians enjoy playing each year! Curling is a sport where all members of the community are welcome, regardless of age, gender, ability, race, creed or religion - there are nearly 240 curling facilities in urban, rural and suburban Ontario ready to help you get involved today! Play Video.
Try Curling Now; CurlON TV; U-18 CurlON 50-50; U-18 5050 Rules; Rocks to Riches 5050 - Rules of Play; Rocks To Riches 5050; Webinars; Safe Sport at CurlON; Award Nominations; Webinar Recordings; PO Box 14527 Bayly Street Ajax, ON L1S 7L4. 905-831-1757. [email protected].