Medicine Hat, Alberta, has been chosen to host the GSOC Masters, the second event of the 2026-27 Grand Slam of Curling season, from November 3 to 8. The tournament will feature 16 men's and 16 women's teams, including Olympians and world champions, at Co-op Place. Organizers expect around 50,000 spectators and a significant economic boost for the city.
The Grand Slam of Curling announced its 2026-27 schedule on March 11, returning to a five-event Canadian tour after the previous season's international stop in Lake Tahoe, Nevada, underperformed at the box office despite solid ratings. The season begins with the GSOC Invitational in Victoria, British Columbia, from October 13 to 18, followed by the Masters in Medicine Hat, the National in Sydney, Nova Scotia, from November 17 to 22, the Open in Thunder Bay, Ontario, from December 1 to 6, and the Players' Cup in Kingston, Ontario, from December 15 to 20.
Medicine Hat's selection marks the city's first time hosting a Grand Slam event since the 2013 Canadian Open at its now-dilapidated downtown arena. The Masters will take place at Co-op Place, a $74 million facility opened in September 2015 to attract major events. The city, with a population of 65,000 southeast of Calgary, narrowly lost a bid for the Canadian Hockey League's Memorial Cup last year to Kelowna, British Columbia.
"This is one of the premier events in the sport, bringing together world-class athletics and a national audience," Medicine Hat Mayor Linnsie Clark said at a news conference. The event, broadcast on Sportsnet, offers part of a $2.1 million prize pool split equally between men's and women's teams across the Canadian series. Teams will compete to qualify for the year-end Players' Cup.
An under-21 junior Grand Slam tournament will run concurrently from November 5 to 8 at the Medicine Hat Curling Club, with finals at Co-op Place, providing young athletes like local curler Emmett Cook a chance to interact with top professionals. "It’s great because those are our heroes," Cook said.
Jace Anderson, head of Medicine Hat's tourism organization, described the economic impact as "substantial," affecting accommodations, food, beverage, and attractions in a city facing slow growth. Two-time Olympic gold medalist John Morris, who competed in Medicine Hat in 2013, emphasized the event's role in bridging gaps for emerging curlers: "What we’re really trying to do... is to really invest more in our grassroots."
Rosters and further details will be released in coming months. Early-bird tickets are on sale.
