Kerri Einarson's Team Canada defeated Beth Peterson's Manitoba squad 8-5 in a Page 1-2 qualifier at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts 2026. Kaitlyn Lawes's Manitoba team edged Christina Black's Nova Scotia rink 8-6 in the other qualifier. The winners will face off Saturday for a direct path to the final.
The playoffs at the 2026 Scotties Tournament of Hearts intensified on Friday, January 30, at the Paramount Fine Foods Centre in Mississauga, Ontario. After a dominant round-robin phase where Manitoba's teams led with perfect 8-0 records, the knockout rounds began with high stakes for the women's national curling championship.
In the Page 1-2 qualifiers, Team Canada, skipped by Kerri Einarson, secured an 8-5 victory over the undefeated Team Beth Peterson of Manitoba. Einarson, seeking her fifth Scotties title after four straight wins from 2020 to 2023, overcame Peterson's strong run. Peterson's team had switched skip duties to Kelsey Calvert in November, leading to their Manitoba provincial win and perfect pool play, but they fell short here.
On the adjacent sheet, Team Kaitlyn Lawes of Manitoba advanced with an 8-6 win against Team Christina Black of Nova Scotia. Lawes sealed the victory with a precise final shot in the 10th end, removing Black's stone from the button. Lawes's team, shooting 86 percent overall and replacing second Jocelyn Peterman with Laura Walker for the Olympics, has been dominant, winning most games by five or more points.
Meanwhile, the Page 3-4 qualifiers saw Nova Scotia's Team Christina Black rebound with an 11-6 win over provincial rival Team Taylour Stevens. Alberta's Team Selena Sturmay also advanced, defeating the eliminated Team Peterson 10-4. Black, who reached last year's semifinal and the Canadian Trials final, reflected on the dream of competing: “It’s what we grew up all wanting to play in, the Olympics wasn’t really a goal. Back when we were kids, it was about getting to a Scotties. So it’s always kind of been the big dream for all of us.”
Upcoming, Black faces Sturmay in Saturday's Page 3-4 game at 1 p.m. ET, while Einarson meets Lawes at 7 p.m. ET for the Page 1-2 showdown. The Page 1-2 winner advances directly to Sunday's 7 p.m. final, with the loser facing the Page 3-4 winner in the 1 p.m. semifinal. The champion will represent Canada at the world championships in Calgary this March. Games air on TSN networks and stream on TSN.ca and the app.
Defending champions Team Rachel Homan are absent, preparing for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.
