Manitoba's Kaitlyn Lawes began the Scotties Tournament of Hearts with a dominant 10-4 victory over British Columbia's Taylor Reese-Hansen on Friday night. The two-time Olympic champion controlled the game from the start at the Paramount Fine Foods Centre in Mississauga, Ontario. Canada's Kerri Einarson also secured a decisive 13-4 win against Yukon's Bayly Scoffin.
The opening night of round-robin play at the national women's curling championship featured several lopsided results. Lawes, ranked fourth, opened with a three-point end, setting the tone against Reese-Hansen, the 28-year-old skip of the third-ranked British Columbia team making her Scotties debut. Reese-Hansen faced challenges with draw weight, conceding a steal in the second end. She managed a deuce in the third after Lawes missed a cross-house double takeout, but the teams then traded single points. Lawes extended her lead with another deuce in the sixth end and sealed the match with a three-ender in the eighth.
Einarson, aiming for a fifth national title, overwhelmed Scoffin early, leading to the lopsided scoreline. In other action, Ontario's Hailey Armstrong prevailed 9-5 over Nicky Kaufman's Northwest Territories squad, while Nova Scotia's Taylour Stevens edged Quebec's Jolianne Fortin 10-7.
Lawes' team is without Jocelyn Peterman, who is preparing for mixed doubles at the Milan Cortina Olympics alongside Brett Gallant. Laura Walker, a frequent substitute, fills in at second. Defending champion Rachel Homan, who won in 2024 and 2025, is absent this year to focus on leading Canada's Olympic women's team.
The 18-team event divides into two pools of nine, with the top three from each advancing to playoffs next weekend. The first-place team from Pool A faces the second from Pool B in the opening round, leading to a structured path to the final on February 1. The champion will represent Canada at the world women's curling championship in Calgary from March 14 to 22.