Pro Curling Thread - 2026; Olympics, Brier, Scotties

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used to have something like this on the old site. Not everyone’s cup of tea but I grew up in Curling, even broadcast Briers and various provincials on radio for several years. I admit to missing that.

As far as this year in Canada - only 2 words - RACHEL HOMAN.

Homan looked like an unbeatable superwoman most of the year, losing only a handful of games which is totally unheard of. Even Jennifer Jones & Sandra Schmirler didn’t achieve that level of invulnerability.

In Canada, only a smattering of teams near Homan - but not at Homan’s level. Kerri Einarson, former 4 time Scotties champion is often nerve-wracked and erratic. But she’s prolly the best team to challenge Homan, even beating Homan in a nail-biter this weekend at a Grand Slam semi-final in Steinbach, Manitoba.

Kaitlyn Lawes, the cute-as-pie former Jennifer Jones 3rd has never caught fire as a skip. Good little group of smurfs but can’t hang with Homan, Einarson or the top internationals.

Homan now the strong favourite for Olympic silver. Reason? Alaina Paetz, the Swiss super-woman who appears to shoot with her eyes closed. Paetz and her rock general, Silvana Tirinzoni are so clinical they have to be heavy favorites for Gold in Italy. Sweden’s Hasselborg team, the 3rd team should be in the medal chase.

As for Homan, she appeared visibly distressed this weekend in Steinbach, looking as if she was ready to puke every time the camera panned her normally stern-looking face.

Einarson now won’t have the looming presence of Homan to fear in next month’s Scotties. Homan won’t play the national championship due to repping Canada at Olympics. Einarson will be slotted as slight favorites but I really don’t see her winning anything more than silver (if she’s lucky) or finishing off the podium.

Team Einarson’s main problems are: 1) Einarson herself - too often nerve-wracked, she doesn’t make exacting shots like Homan, often missing easy shots out of the blue, 2) Team Strategy - coach Reid Carruthers, a failed Manitoba men’s skip coaches Einarson the wrong way imho.

Einarson does have the best front end in the women’s game (other than the Swiss) in Birchard & Karlee Burgess. Val Sweeting is a great person but not a picture of excellence at third. Again, too many misses in key situations. Sweeting does well against mediocre thirds but shrivels vs. top lady thirds - ie. Homan’s Tracy Fleury & Silvana Tirinzoni of Team Suisse.

Manitoba will have a new face at the Scotties in Peterson, a herky-jerky on-ice presence. Krista Scharf (formerly McCarville) will be back repping N. Ontario for the umpteenth time. Could easily be the year for the morbid-looking Krista. Only see Einarson and the Alberta ladies as her primary threats - perhaps Christina Black out of the Maritimes.

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Glad to see this thread back. Just in time for the Olympics

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On Friday is the start of the Tournament of Hearts :two_hearts:

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Einarson should be the prohibitive favorite for this year’s event . . . . but she’ll only be slight favorites, and on paper only.

Just too many goof and slip ups during an average Einarson game. Einarson, her 3rd Val Sweeting and coach Red Carruthers always seem at odds.

Einarson is a notorious hitter but too imprecise now on draws and intricate shots.

Plus, she’s only the favorite because Rachel Homan was prohibited from playing this year - as she’s our Olympic rep. The Homan Empire was Einarson’s main tormentor last 3 years.

Einarson will attract new tormentors!

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Einarson is +150

Lawes +550

Black/Scarf +750

This field is so weak Einarson should have little trouble disposing of it.

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Even though Bob Weekes and the TSN curling gods are trying to pump up this so-called weak field, I do see a couple of standouts. New entry, Taylor Reese of British Columbia could be Einarson’s major tormentor both during round-robin and then in the playoff round.

Krista Scharf (formerly McCarville) is always tough, a lifelong defensive curler, almost as good defensively as Colleen “Coco” Jones. Scharf’s main problem is generating offense. Christina Black from N.S. a legit gamer, she could upset Einarson’s applecart.

I’d almost totally rule out Kaitlyn Lawes. Just can’t make enough key shots.

Finally, Einarson’s biggest opponent will no doubt be EINARSON.

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Kaitlyn Lawes was a great 3rd, not so much a skip, some can’t make the switch seamlessly.

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Einarson’s biggest issue is getting inside her own head, when the pressure mounts cracks start to show. I wouldn’t be surprised in the least if she got upset, not one bit.

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My pick-em for the 2026 Scott Final,

Canada - Kerri Eirnarson

Northern Ontario - Krista Scharf

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The other teams are thankful for the Olympics this year

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Kaitlyn was one of the best ever junior curlers (skipping) when she was plucked by Jennifer Jones to replace the sour-faced Cathy Overton-Clapham as Jones’ 3rd stone. Essentially, Jones was an infamous last rock shooter who also deployed some pretty diabolical (highly offensive) strategies the women’s game had never seen. Basically, Kaitlyn rode shotgun - Jones did the majority of the thinking and when she required a consult she brought in long time 2nd Jill Officer.

Supposedly, Kaitlyn should have learned much by assimilation but judging from her game she not only lacks the pistol-packing exhibited by Jones, she also doesn’t have the greatest curling brain.

Similar problem has beset Kerri Einarson. While she’s a slightly better shooter (hitting) than Jen Jones and almost as sharp as Rachel Homan, her skipping prowess is a bit sluggish. At one point Einarson sported 4 skips on her roster but when their long-time lead was banned last season, Einarson picked up a young up ‘n coming buck. Einarson usually down to the wire in time usage - especially in complicated games where confusion often reigns.

Scotties Final: I’ll go out on a limb and say Taylor Reese-Hansen from BC reaches the final and plays either Einarson or Krista Scharf. If Christina Black gets hot - she may very well replace one of my 3 picks.

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It would be great for Scharf to break through and win. She’s a throwback to teams that didn’t have to bend or recreate rules to put a team together

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not into curling much. only into it at all because of my wife watching it. I do cheer for Lawes ever since she won the Gold in mixed curling at the Olympics.

So far so good at this years Scotties

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Appears Kaitlyn Lawes layin’ a lickin’ on Einarson. Very, very unexpected but Lawes has been playing lights out - and who knows, without The Homan Empire around, Lawes may have a chance to win the event.

As for Einarson, obviously my premonitions about her being a nervous wreck who goes to pot when the pressure is on has come to fruition.

Or she was due for a letdown and tonite was the nite.

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I noticed a montage of all teams wishing the Olympians best of luck… except Einarson.

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This morning’s feature TSN match should be a gooder.

Krista Scharf (aka McCarville) vs. Christina Black. If Scharf bites the bullet her playoff hopes may evaporate.

A Black loss and she could still nail down a lower-tier playoff berth within her pool.

All the years watching McCarville/Scharf I don’t think I’ve ever seen her this discombobulated. She’s even showing the odd (very odd) burst of emotion - something rare for this stoic and staid performer.

Also don’t think moving Ash Sippala up to 3rd has born fruit. Sippala is a nervous curler paired with a super-stoic skip. Doesn’t add up.

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As much as i’ve seen Lawes not rise to the occasion in the past maybe this years Scotties will be her time, she made some clutch shots against Einarson that she hasn’t been able to do with consistency in the past, good for her. She likely has a playoff spot nailed down so it will be interesting to see how she handles everything when the knockout round begins, ways to go yet.

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I’ve been impressed with the Peterson rink as well, didn’t realize Kelsey Calvert (nee Rogue) was the skip, she has experience after having skipped teams in Alberta for quite a few years.

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While Lawes is throwing Skip’s stones, has Selena Njegovan mot taken over calling the game … perhaps Kaitlyn can now throw her stones without the distraction of the added strategic stress and in a role more similar to when she had her greatest success.

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I’m not sure, you could be right, i’ll keep an eye out for that next time they play.

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