Key Takeaways
- Kerri Einarson has won her fifth Scotties Tournament of Hearts title, defeating Kaitlyn Lawes 4-3 in the final.
- Einarson’s win marks her first title since 2023, and she has now been a finalist at the Tournament of Hearts for 10 years, along with Rachel Homan.
- Lawes had not reached the final of the Canadian women’s curling championship since winning the 2015 title as the third on Jennifer Jones’s Manitoba rink.
- Einarson’s team had to take the long way to the final, beating Alberta’s Selena Sturmay 12-5 in the semifinal after losing to Lawes in the 1/2 Page playoff.
- Sturmay won the bronze medal, her first podium finish at the Tournament of Hearts, and praised her team’s performance despite being seven months pregnant.
Introduction to the Tournament
The Scotties Tournament of Hearts is one of the most prestigious events in Canadian women’s curling, and this year’s edition saw Kerri Einarson emerge victorious, winning her fifth title in a thrilling final against Kaitlyn Lawes. The tournament, which took place at the Paramount Fine Foods Centre, saw Einarson’s team face off against Lawes’s in a closely contested match that went to 11 ends. In the end, Einarson’s team came out on top, winning 4-3 and securing their fifth title.
The Final Match
The final match between Einarson and Lawes was a nail-biter, with both teams playing at a high level. Lawes, who had not reached the final of the Canadian women’s curling championship since winning the 2015 title, started strong, but Einarson’s team eventually took the lead. Lawes’s final stone in the second end was light, allowing Einarson to pick up an easy steal for the first point of the game. A second Lawes error helped Einarson earn another point, and the Manitoba skip tried a short-angle runback in the fourth end but her stone failed to roll deep enough into the house, leading to another Einarson steal for a 2-0 Canada lead.
The Turning Point
The turning point of the game came in the seventh end, when Einarson’s double takeout to try and clear the house was nearly successful, but one of Lawes’s rocks barely held on to the red ring for a single and Manitoba’s first lead of the game. After two blank ends, Lawes had four rocks in the house, but Einarson raised her own team’s stone to force the extra end. In the end, it was Einarson’s team that emerged victorious, winning 4-3 and securing their fifth title.
The Road to the Final
Einarson’s team had to take the long way to the final, beating Alberta’s Selena Sturmay 12-5 in the semifinal after losing to Lawes in the 1/2 Page playoff. Sturmay, who is seven months pregnant, praised her team’s performance, saying that she was proud of the way they played all week. "I’m just really proud of the girls for showing up all week," said Sturmay. "You don’t come to this event to lose and I just want to say thank you to the girls for playing as well as they did." Sturmay’s bronze medal was her first podium finish at the Tournament of Hearts.
Reflection and Next Steps
Einarson’s win marks her first title since 2023, and she has now been a finalist at the Tournament of Hearts for 10 years, along with Rachel Homan. Homan, the reigning national champion, is missing this year’s event because she’s representing Canada at the Milan Cortina Olympics. Canada’s first game of the Olympics tournament is against Denmark on Feb. 12. As for Einarson’s team, they will be looking to build on their success and continue to dominate the Canadian women’s curling scene. With their fifth title under their belt, they will be a team to watch in the future.
