The 2026 Scotties Tournament of Hearts begins Friday in Mississauga, Ontario, featuring an open field without defending champion Rachel Homan, who advances to the Olympics after winning the Canadian Curling Trials. Teams like British Columbia's rookie squad led by Taylor Reese-Hansen and the Northwest Territories' youthful rink with three teenagers highlight the competition. Four-time champion Kerri Einarson enters as a favorite in the women's national curling championship running through February 1.
The Scotties Tournament of Hearts, Canada's premier women's curling event, kicks off on January 23, 2026, at Mississauga's Paramount Fine Foods Centre, drawing 18 teams from across the country. Absent is Ottawa's Team Homan, who secured an Olympic berth by sweeping the November Canadian Curling Trials final against Nova Scotia's Christina Black. This leaves a wide-open field, with Gimli, Manitoba's Team Kerri Einarson—four-time winners from 2020 to 2023—positioned as the team to beat, ranked second in Canada with a 30-14 season record.
Einarson's squad, featuring a healthy Shannon Birchard returning after knee surgery and maternity leave, includes third Val Sweeting, lead Karlee Burgess, alternate Krysten Karwacki, and coach Reid Carruthers. Birchard, attending her seventh Scotties, noted the event's prestige: "The Scotties holds a pretty special place in my heart." Last season's chaos, marked by injuries and lineup changes, contrasts with their steady 2025-26 campaign, including a Players' Championship final loss to Switzerland's Silvana Tirinzoni.
Nova Scotia's Christina Black, who upset Einarson in the Trials semifinal before falling to Homan, enters via pre-qualification with vice Jill Brothers, front end Karlee Everist, Jennifer Baxter, and Marlee Powers. Black emphasized their ambition: "We want to find our way back into a major final and then turn these gold jerseys into red ones."
British Columbia's Team Taylor Reese-Hansen, all Scotties rookies from the Victoria Curling Club, has impressed with consistency, reaching finals in six of 10 events and winning three, including the provincial title over Corryn Brown. Ranked third nationally, they face Manitoba's Kaitlyn Lawes in their Pool A opener. Skip Reese-Hansen, fulfilling a high school dream, said: "It’s really cool that it’s finally happening."
The Northwest Territories' Team Kaufman stands out for youth, with 16-year-olds Sydney Galusha and Brynn Chorostkowski, 17-year-old Ella Skauge, veteran Megan Koehler on her 11th Scotties, and Edmonton skip Nicky Kaufman in her debut. Coach Kerry Galusha, Sydney's mother and a 20-plus Scotties veteran, described the challenge: "I’m managing five girls and three of them are teenagers."
Other notables include Alberta's Selena Sturmay in her third appearance, Prince Edward Island's Amanda Power with second Emily Best—whose premature son James adds emotional depth tied to the Sandra Schmirler Foundation telethon—and Newfoundland and Labrador's Mackenzie Mitchell with second Kristina Brauch. Round-robin play determines playoff spots, with the winner representing Canada at the March world championship in Calgary.
