National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation / Home Alone
The first major event of the Canadian Curling Association's Season of Champions comes from Camrose, Alberta with the Canada Cup of Curling.
The top seven men's and women's rinks from across Canada will battle each other from December 3-7 with $140, 000 in prize money on the line. Along with the cash, winners will be granted spots in the 2017 Olympic Pre-Trials Road to the Roar, the 2015 Continental Cup and next year's Canada Cup.
The tournament is making its return to the curling circuit after taking a year off last season due to the Sochi Olympics. In 2012, Stefanie Lawton won in her home province of Saskatchewan while Manitoba's Jeff Stoughton took the men's crown. Stoughton will not be back this time around. The Canada Cup has a round robin format with a semi-final and final round in the playoffs.
All the action can be seen on TSN throughout the week.
Both the men's and women's side are stacked with notable names that have had success in the past. Let's take a look at which rinks you should keep an eye on.
Men's Preview
Team Jacobs (Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.)
Lead: Ryan Harnden Second: E.J. Harnden Third: Ryan Fry Skip: Brad Jacobs
Olympic champion Brad Jacobs and his talented rink won the country over last February in Sochi with their hard effort and infectious team personality. The 29-year-old Jacobs has won one tournament so far this year on the World Curling Tour - the AMJ Campbell Shorty Jenkins Classic in September - and sits second on the Money List. Last week, the Jacobs rink lost to Mike McEwen's Manitoba foursome in the final of The National in their hometown. The Canada Cup will be a key tournament for Jacobs' squad as they begin the defence of their Olympic title.
Team Morris (Calgary, AB.)
Lead: Nolan Thiessen Second: Carter Rycroft Third: Pat Simmons Skip: John Morris
John Morris has played a very limited schedule with his new rink this season, only appearing in the two Grand Slam events. The former Olympic gold medal-winning vice will skip Team Canada at the Brier this year after Kevin Koe left to join a new team. This is the second year in a row that the 35-year-old is in charge of an entirely new rink and has proven he can create chemistry fairly quickly. Morris was able to lead Jim Cotter's rink to the Brier final as well as the Canadian Curling Trials final in 2013-14. The Canada Cup could be this team's coming out party.
Team Koe (Calgary, AB.)
Lead: Ben Hebert Second: Brent Laing Third: Marc Kennedy Skip: Kevin Koe
Kevin Koe left his Brier-winning rink in the off-season and assembled an entirely new one with the hopes it would give him the best chance at Olympic glory in 2018. The foursome has already won a tournament together, taking the Direct Horizontal Drilling Fall Classic in October and are sixth on the WCT Money List. Like any sport, it takes time for a new group of players to become comfortable together, but with the experience of these rock throwers, they might be able to figure things out quicker than most.
Team McEwen (Winnipeg, MB.)
Lead: Denni Neufeld Second: Matt Wozniak Third: B.J. Neufeld Skip: Mike McEwen
Mike McEwen has been on fire this season. The 34-year has already won five tournaments, including The National, and is number one by a large margin on the Money List. Coming off a solid 2013-14 campaign, many thought McEwen could break out this season and so far he's lived up to that expectation and then some. His Winnipeg rink has been together since 2007 and they could be ready to join the elite echelon of curlers on the circuit. Winning the Canada Cup would most definitely put them there if they aren't there already.
Team Gushue (St. John's N.L.)
Lead: Geoff Walker Second: Brett Gallant Third: Mark Nichols Skip: Brad Gushue
Brad Gushue's reunion with his former Olympic-winning vice has already paid dividends in 2014-15. Gushue and Mark Nichols, who won Olympic gold back in 2006 in Turin, joined forces once again this season after Nichols left Jeff Stoughton's team in the summer. Alongside a young, powerful sweeping tandem of Geoff Walker and Brett Gallant, the pair won the first Grand Slam of the season, The Masters in Abbotsford, BC and sit in third place on the Money List. The 34-year-old Gushue and his East-coast rink could once again be considered one of the best in the game with the return of his old buddy.
Team Howard (Penetanguishene, Ont.)
Lead: Craig Savill Second: Jon Mead Third: Richard Hart Skip: Glenn Howard
Fifty-two-year-old Glenn Howard has had a so-so season to this point. The Beer Store manager brought back Richard Hart out of retirement hoping it could rekindle past success. So far he has yet to make it past a semi-final and sits in 11th place on the Money List this season. Despite being one of the oldest skips in curling, it appears Howard may attempt another run at an Olympic Games and winning the Canada Cup would get the ball rolling in that direction.
Team Cotter (Vernon, B.C.)
Lead: Rich Sawatsky Second: Tyrel Griffith Third: Ryan Kuhn Skip: Jim Cotter
Jim Cotter had a solid year in 2013-14 thanks in large part to John Morris joining the squad as a skip. Morris has now moved on and Cotter is back to throwing fourth stones. The West-coast rink has struggled so far this season, sitting 68th on the Money List. They also went winless at The Masters.
Women's Preview
Team Jones (Winnipeg, MB.)
Lead: Dawn McEwen Second: Jill Officer Third: Kaitlyn Lawes Skip: Jennifer Jones
There has been no Olympic hangover for Jennifer Jones and her Manitoba rink. The Jones foursome struck gold in Sochi last winter and they haven't missed a beat this season as they lead the WCT Money List with three victories already under their belt. The group has said they will commit four years for a shot at a second appearance at the Games and are plenty good enough to make it happen. Jones should be the favourite at the Canada Cup on the women's side.
Team Homan (Ottawa, Ont.)
Lead: Lisa Weagle Second: Joanne Courtney Third: Emma Miskew Skip: Rachel Homan
Twenty-five-year-old Rachel Homan is already a household name in the curling world and should continue to be one for years to come. Homan has won back-to-back Canadian championships and will look to continue her ascent up the ladder at the Canada Cup. The Ottawa rink could be even better this year with their new second, Joanne Courtney, who is one of the better sweepers in the game. They have yet to win a tournament this year, but sit fourth on the Money List.
Team Sweeting (Edmonton, AB)
Lead: Rachelle Brown Second: Dana Ferguson Third: Lori Olson-Johns Skip: Val Sweeting
Last season, Val Sweeting surprised many people with her success. This season, it might be expected. Despite losing Joanne Courtney in the offseason to Team Homan, Sweeting hasn't missed a step, already winning The Masters and earning enough cash to rank second on the Money List. The 27-year-old almost won the Scotties last season and should continue to be a thorn in the sides of Homan and Jones at the Canada Cup.
Team Nedohin (Sherwood Park, AB.)
Lead: Laine Peters Second: Jessica Mair Third: Amy Nixon Skip: Heather Nedohin
Heather Nedohin has struggled a little this year, as she's reached only one final on the World Curling Tour, but will still be in the mix at the Canada Cup. The 39-year-old has a new third this season as Amy Nixon has replaced longtime vice Beth Iskiw. Nedohin sits 19th on the Money List.
Team Middaugh (Coldwater, Ont.)
Lead: Leigh Armstrong Second: Lee Merklinger Third: Jo-Ann Rizzo Skip: Sherry Middaugh
Sherry Middaugh has won one event on Tour this season, the AMJ Campbell Shorty Jenkins Classic in September, and sits a very respectable sixth on the Money List. The 48-year-old won the Canada Cup back in 2003 and almost represented Canada at the Olympic Games in 2014, but lost to Jones in the finals of the Canadian Curling Trials.
Team Anderson (Saskatoon, SK.)
Lead: Stephanie Schmidt Second: Marliese Kasner Third: Sherri Singler Skip: Sherry Anderson
Sherry Anderson, who usually plays third, will be calling the shots for this Saskatoon rink at this event. Stefanie Lawton, the team's regular skip, had a baby boy in October and won't rejoin the team until the New Year. The 50-year-old will need a lot to go right in order to win the Canada Cup, but her years of experience should keep them competitive throughout the week. The rink sits 65th on the Money List.
Team Flaxey (Listowel, Ont.)
Lead: Morgan Court Second: Kristen Foster Third: Katie Cottrill Skip: Allison Flaxey
Allison Flaxey, from the small town of Listowel, Ont., will replace Renee Sonnenberg after the Alberta skip declined the invitation to the tournament. The 29-year-old has played in five events this season, but has yet to advance to a playoff round. Flaxey sits 56th on the Money List.
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation / Home Alone 2
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