Some of Canada's best female curlers have gathered in Mississauga for the 2026 Scotties Tournament of Hearts, the national women's curling championship. The event marks the first time it is held in the Greater Toronto Area, at the Paramount Fine Foods Centre. Defending champion Kerri Einarson enters as the favorite, while five-time winner Rachel Homan sits out to prepare for the Olympics.
The 2026 Scotties Tournament of Hearts began with its opening draw on Friday night at the Paramount Fine Foods Centre in Mississauga, Ontario. This year's edition is scheduled earlier than usual to avoid clashing with the women's curling event at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan-Cortina d'Ampezzo, which start on February 12. For the first time, the Canadian national women's curling championship is taking place in the Greater Toronto Area, drawing top teams from provinces and territories.
Eighteen teams are competing, divided into two pools of nine, with each team playing eight round-robin games. The top three from each pool will advance to the playoffs, and the winner will represent Canada at the World Women's Curling Championship in Calgary from March 14 to 22.
Notably absent is five-time champion Rachel Homan of Ottawa, who is focusing on Olympic preparation. Her Team Canada rink is set to face Denmark in their opening Olympic match. Stepping in as Team Canada is Kerri Einarson from Gimli, Manitoba, the 2025 Scotties finalist and four-time consecutive winner (2020 in Moose Jaw, 2021 in Calgary, 2022 in Thunder Bay, and 2023 in Kamloops). Einarson enters as the favorite, though she has faced some struggles in Grand Slam events this season.
Other notable skips include Christina Black of Nova Scotia, Selena Sturmay and Kayla Skrlik of Alberta, Taylor Reese-Hansen of British Columbia, and Hailey Armstrong of Ontario.
Danielle Inglis, a Curling Canada ambassador, expressed excitement about the event. "It is a thrill to be able to compete in the Scotties Tournament of Hearts," she said. "You've got the top teams in Canada competing here and they're on the ice, and to be able to compete in that as an athlete is a dream." Inglis, who was introduced to curling at age seven by her parents, highlighted the sport's welcoming community. "I have not met one person who has tried curling and been in this environment and not said, 'I need to do more of this.' It is such a special group of people."
Inglis also noted the vibrant curling scene in the GTA, with bustling rink memberships and extensive programming.
