The 2026 Scotties Tournament of Hearts kicks off Friday in Mississauga, Ontario, without Canada's top-ranked Team Homan, who are preparing for the Winter Olympics in Italy. Kerri Einarson's Manitoba squad will represent Team Canada as last year's runners-up, headlining a field of 18 teams featuring a mix of veterans and rookies. A new champion will be crowned after the event concludes on February 1.
The Scotties Tournament of Hearts, Canada's premier women's curling championship, gets underway this Friday in Mississauga, Ontario, marking a significant shift from recent years. Top-seeded Team Homan, led by skip Rachel Homan and the two-time defending champions, will skip the event to focus on the upcoming Winter Olympics in Italy next month. This absence opens the door for a fresh winner among the 18 competing rinks.
Four-time Scotties champion Kerri Einarson and her Manitoba team will don the Team Canada jackets, having finished as runners-up in last year's final. Einarson's squad headlines Pool A, which includes debutants and experienced players alike. Among them is Team Saskatchewan, skipped by Jolene Campbell from the Highland Curling Club in Regina. Campbell, returning as Saskatchewan's skip for the first time since 2016, recently won the provincial title in Melville by defeating Jana Tisdale's rink. Her team features third Robyn Silvernagle, who has skipped Saskatchewan at three prior Scotties (2019, 2020, 2023); second Rachel Big Eagle, on her third national appearance but first in the active lineup; lead Dayna Demmans, making her debut; alternate Callan Hamon; and coach Ben Gamble. Ranked ninth overall, the Regina-based team aims for a playoff spot.
The tournament features 20 first-time national competitors across the pools. Pool A also includes teams from British Columbia (skip Taylor Reese-Hansen), Manitoba (skip Selena Njegovan with Kaitlyn Lawes throwing fourth), Ontario (skip Hailey Armstrong), Nova Scotia (skip Taylour Stevens), Northwest Territories (skip Nicky Kaufman), Quebec (skip Jolianne Fortin), and Yukon (skip Bayly Scoffin).
Pool B comprises pre-qualified teams like Alberta's Kayla Skrlik and Nova Scotia's Christina Black, alongside newcomers such as New Brunswick's Mélodie Forsythe and Prince Edward Island's Amanda Power. The format involves an eight-game round-robin in two pools, with the top three from each advancing to playoffs. Tiebreakers use head-to-head results and last-shot draw rankings. Qualifier games lead to page playoffs, a semifinal, and the final on February 1 at 6 p.m. Saskatchewan time, broadcast on TSN. The victor will represent Canada at the 2026 World Women's Curling Championship in Calgary from March 14-22.
Team Saskatchewan's schedule starts Saturday with a 6 p.m. draw against Nova Scotia's Stevens rink, followed by matches against B.C., Northwest Territories, Quebec, Canada, Yukon, Ontario, and Manitoba through January 29.
