Scotties Tournament of Hearts
| Scotties Tournament of Hearts Le Tournoi des Cœurs Scotties | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Established | 1961 |
| 2026 host city | Mississauga, Ontario |
| 2026 arena | Paramount Fine Foods Centre |
| 2026 champion |  Canada (Kerri Einarson) |
| Current edition | |
The Scotties Tournament of Hearts (French: Le Tournoi des Cœurs Scotties; commonly referred to as the Scotties) is the annual Canadian women's curling championship, sanctioned by Curling Canada. The winner goes on to represent Canada at the women's world curling championships. Since 1985, the winner also gets to return to the following year's tournament as "Team Canada". It is formally known as the "Canadian Women's Curling Championship".
Since 1982, the tournament has been sponsored by Kruger Products, which was formerly known as Scott Paper Limited when it was a Canadian subsidiary of Scott Paper Company, therefore, the tournament was formerly known as the Scott Tournament of Hearts. When Kimberly-Clark merged with Scott, the Canadian arm was sold to the Quebec-based Kruger Inc. – while Kruger was granted a licence to use several Scott brands in Canada until June 2007, it was given a long-term licence to the Scotties brand because Kimberly-Clark already owned Kleenex. As such, the tournament was officially renamed the Scotties Tournament of Hearts in 2007.
Until 2018, the format was a round robin of 12 teams. Starting with the 2015 Scotties Tournament of Hearts there have been more than twelve eligible teams; therefore a pre-qualification tournament was held to trim the field to twelve. In 2021, a new 18-team format was introduced, in which all 14 member associations of Curling Canada field a team in a main draw of two pools, alongside the defending champions, and the three highest-ranked teams on the Canadian Team Ranking System standings that did not win their provincial championships. The teams are separated into two pools of nine, each playing a round-robin within their pool, with the top three teams in each pool advancing to a second round to determine the final four teams.
At the end of the second round, playoffs occur to determine the championship winner. The system used is known as the Page playoff system.
History
[edit]Pre-history
[edit]1913 marked a significant point in women's curling when both the Manitoba Bonspiel and the Ontario Curling Association began holding women's curling events. Other provinces would later add provincial women's championships, but it wasn't until the 1950s that a higher level of women's curling began to occur. At this time there was a Western Canada Women's Curling Championship (sponsored by the T. Eaton Company) but no tournament existed for the eastern provinces. By 1959, Eaton's pulled their sponsorship, giving the organizers of the Western championships an initiative to have a national championship.
In 1960, the Canadian Ladies' Curling Association was created with Dominion Stores Ltd. seeking to sponsor a national championship. That year, an eastern championship occurred so that the winner could play the winner of the western championship in an invitational event. In this event, Ruth Smith and her team from Lacolle, Quebec faced off against Joyce McKee's team from Saskatchewan (consisting of Sylvia Fedoruk, Donna Belding and Muriel Coben) with McKee winning the best-of-three series two games to none.[1] The games between the two teams were played in Oshawa, Ontario.[2]
The following year a tournament was organized with the same format as the Brier and was held in Ottawa. McKee won again, with a new front end of Barbara MacNevin and Rosa McFee.
Early history
[edit]In 1967, Dominion Stores were unable to reach a compromise with the organizers of the tournament, and their sponsorship fell. The Canadian Ladies' Curling Association ran the tournament by themselves with no main sponsor.
Sylvia Fedoruk, after assuming the presidency of the Canadian Ladies' Curling Association found a title sponsor in the Macdonald Tobacco Company, the same sponsor as the Brier. Their sponsorship began in 1972 with the tournament being called the "Macdonald Lassie" championship, after the company's trademark.
In 1979, under increasing pressure from the anti-tobacco policies of the Canadian Government, the Macdonald Tobacco Company pulled their sponsorship from both the Brier and the Women's championship. The Canadian Ladies' Curling Association ran the tournament without a main sponsor again for the next couple of years. 1979 also marked the first year of the Women's World Curling Championship, where the national champion would play. Also, the 1979 event was the first tournament to feature a playoff. Before then, the championship team was the one with the best round robin record.
Tournament of Hearts
[edit]Robin Wilson, a member of the 1979 championship team, and a former employee of Scott Paper led an effort to get the company to sponsor the championships.[3] It was successful, and in 1982 the first Scott Tournament of Hearts was held.
The Scott Tournament of Hearts would last 25 years, and saw the likes of many great teams. The first Tournament of Hearts was won by Colleen Jones and her Nova Scotia team. It would take her 17 years to win another, but she would cap it off with another four championships for a grand total of six championships. In 2018, Colleen Jones' feat of six championships was equaled by Manitoba's Jennifer Jones. Other great curlers at the Hearts have been Kerri Einarson and Connie Laliberte of Manitoba, Heather Houston, Marilyn Bodogh and Rachel Homan of Ontario, Vera Pezer and Sandra Schmirler of Saskatchewan, Cathy Borst, Shannon Kleibrink, Heather Nedohin and Chelsea Carey of Alberta and Lindsay Sparkes and Kelly Scott of British Columbia.
The new sponsorship made the tournament popular when it began to be televised. Today, TSN covers the entire tournament. CBC had covered the semi-finals and the finals up until the 2007–08 season. In 2013, Sportsnet and Citytv began to offer coverage of the finals of the provincial playdowns in Manitoba, Ontario, and Alberta as well.
As a Tournament of Hearts tradition, the members of the winning team receive gold rings in the four-heart design of the Tournament of Hearts logo, set with a .25-carat diamond. The runners-up receive the same rings, with rubies instead of diamonds, and the third-place team receives gold rings set with emeralds.[4]
Starting with the 2024 tournament, the first all-star team was entitled the Robin Wilson First All-Star Team.[5]
In 2025, Scotties ceased their sponsorship of the provincial playdowns and stopped awarding jewellery to participants, but continued to award jewellery for teams that reach the podium. At the same time, Red Rose Tea began its status as a "prestige sponsor" of the event.[6]
Past champions
[edit]Diamond D Championship
[edit]Canadian Ladies Curling Association Championship
[edit]| Tournament | Winning Locale | Winning Team | Host |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | Alberta | Hazel Jamison, Gail Lee, Jackie Spencer, June Coyle | St. James, Manitoba |
| 1969 | Saskatchewan | Joyce McKee, Vera Pezer, Lenore Morrison, Jennifer Falk | Fort William, Ontario |
| 1970 |  Saskatchewan |
Dorenda Schoenhals, Cheryl Stirton, Linda Burnham, Joan Andersen | Calgary, Alberta |
| 1971 | Saskatchewan |
Vera Pezer, Sheila Rowan, Joyce McKee, Lenore Morrison | St. John's, Newfoundland |
Macdonald Lassies Championship
[edit]| Tournament | Winning Locale | Winning Team | Finalist Locale | Finalist Team | Host |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 |  British Columbia |
Lindsay Sparkes, Dawn Knowles, Robin Wilson, Lorraine Bowles |  Manitoba |
Chris Pidzarko, Rose Tanasichuk, Iris Armstrong, Patti Vande | Mount Royal, Quebec |
Canadian Ladies Curling Association Championship
[edit]| Tournament | Winning Locale | Winning Team | Finalist Locale | Finalist Team | Host |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Saskatchewan |
Marj Mitchell, Nancy Kerr, Shirley McKendry, Wendy Leach |  Nova Scotia |
Colleen Jones, Sally Jane Saunders, Margaret Knickle, Barbara Jones | Edmonton, Alberta |
| 1981 |  Alberta |
Susan Seitz, Judy Erickson, Myrna McKay, Betty McCracken |  Newfoundland |
Sue Anne Bartlett, Patricia Dwyer, Joyce Narduzzi, Jo Ann Bepperling | St. John's, Newfoundland |
Scott Tournament of Hearts
[edit]Scotties Tournament of Hearts
[edit]Top 3 finishes table
[edit]As of the 2026 Scotties Tournament of Hearts Finals[a]
| Province / Locale | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | 14 | 7 | 7 | 28 |
| Manitoba | 11 | 16 | 9 | 36 |
| Saskatchewan | 11 | 6 | 8 | 25 |
| British Columbia | 9 | 8 | 10 | 27 |
| Alberta | 8 | 10 | 6 | 24 |
 Ontario | 7 | 9 | 13 | 29 |
| Nova Scotia | 4 | 3 | 7 | 14 |
 Quebec | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 |
 New Brunswick | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 0 | 3 | 3 | 6 |
 Prince Edward Island | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
 Northern Ontario | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Wild Card | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
 Yukon/Northwest Territories | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
 Northwest Territories | ||||
 Nunavut | ||||
| Yukon |
Award winners
[edit]Sandra Schmirler Most Valuable Player Award
[edit]The Sandra Schmirler Most Valuable Player Award is awarded by the media to the most valuable player during the playoffs at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts. The 2025 winner was Rachel Homan of Team Canada.[15]
Shot of the Week Award
[edit]The Shot of the Week Award is presented by the organizing committee to the player who makes the most outstanding shot during the tournament. The award has not been presented since 2013.
Marj Mitchell Sportsmanship Award
[edit]The Marj Mitchell Sportsmanship Award is awarded annually to the most sportsmanlike curler at the Tournament of Hearts every year. The award has been presented since 1982, and has been named in Mitchell's honour since 1998. In 2025, the Marj Mitchell Sportsmanship Award was presented to Nancy Martin of Saskatchewan.[15]
Joan Mead Builder Award
[edit]The Joan Mead Builder Award, named after CBC producer Joan Mead,[16][17] goes to someone in the curling community that significantly contributes to the growth and development of women's curling in Canada. It has been awarded annually since 2001.
Winners
- 2001: Lloyd Stansell
- 2002: Warren Hansen
- 2003: Vic Rauter
- 2004: Vera Pezer
- 2005: Shirley Morash
- 2006: Robin Wilson
- 2007: Muriel Fage
- 2008: Don Wittman
- 2009: Linda Bolton
- 2010: Anne Merklinger
- 2011: Elaine Dagg-Jackson, Canadian Curling Association National Team Coach[18]
- 2012: Cheryl Bernard, four-time Scotties Tournament of Hearts participant, Olympic silver medalist[19]
- 2013: Andrew Klaver, Scotties Tournament of Hearts photographer[20]
- 2014: Linda Moore[21]
- 2015: Bernadette McIntyre
- 2016: Renée Sonnenberg[22]
- 2017: Wendy Morgan, both Program Manager and national team leader of Curling Canada's wheelchair curling program[23]
- 2018: Melissa Soligo[24]
- 2019: Leslie Ann Walsh[25]
- 2020: Deanna Rindal, umpire at provincial and national curling tournaments[26]
- 2021: Shannon Kleibrink, five-time Scotties Tournament of Hearts participant, Olympic bronze medalist[27]
- 2022: Leslie Kerr, inaugural Executive Director of the Northern Ontario Curling Association from 2007 to 2020, after guiding the amalgamation of 5 regional curling associations into the NOCA.[16]
- 2023: Dianne Barker, umpire at provincial, national, World, and three Olympic curling tournaments, board member of Curl BC and Curling Canada[17]
- 2024: Brenda Rogers, Chief Umpire for the 2024 Scotties Tournament of Hearts, officiated at over 55 National and World Championships since 1995, 20 years experience as Head Official for either Curling Alberta or the Southern Alberta Curling Association[5]
- 2025: Andrea Ronnebeck, a life-long resident of Northern Ontario (Kenora) who has coached athletes of all levels for more than 40 years; including as a team coach at five Scotties Tournaments of Hearts, and serving as Team Leader for Curling Canada's Junior Teams at World Championships.[15]
All-Star teams
[edit]- 2026
Robin Wilson First Team
- Skip: Kelsey Calvert, Manitoba (Peterson)
- Third: Selena Njegovan, Manitoba (Lawes)
- Second: Michaela Robert, Ontario
- Lead: Karlee Burgess, Canada
Second Team
- Skip: Kerri Einarson, Canada
- Third: Danielle Schmiemann, Alberta (Sturmay)
- Second: Laura Walker, Manitoba (Lawes)
- Lead: Sarah Potts, Northern Ontario
- 2025[15]
Robin Wilson First Team
- Skip: Rachel Homan, Team Canada
- Third: Tracy Fleury, Team Canada
- Second: Sarah Koltun, British Columbia
- Lead: Samantha Fisher, British Columbia
Second Team
- Skip: Laurie St-Georges, Quebec
- Third: Val Sweeting, Manitoba (Einarson)
- Second: Jocelyn Peterman, Manitoba (Lawes)
- Lead: Krysten Karwacki, Manitoba (Einarson)
- 2024[5]
Robin Wilson First Team[5]
- Skip: Rachel Homan, Ontario (Homan)
- Third: Tracy Fleury, Ontario (Homan)
- Second: Emma Miskew, Ontario (Homan)
- Lead: Krysten Karwacki, Team Canada
Second Team
- Skip: Kerri Einarson, Team Canada
- Third: Karlee Burgess, Manitoba (Jones)
- Second: Shannon Birchard, Team Canada
- Lead: Sarah Wilkes, Ontario (Homan)
- 2023[28]
First Team
- Skip: Kerri Einarson, Team Canada
- Third: Val Sweeting, Team Canada
- Second: Shannon Birchard, Team Canada
- Lead: Sarah Potts, Northern Ontario
Second Team
- Skip: Rachel Homan, Ontario
- Third: Laura Walker, Wild Card 1
- Second: Emma Miskew, Ontario
- Lead: Briane Harris, Team Canada
- 2022
First Team[29]
- Skip: Kerri Einarson, Team Canada
- Third: Val Sweeting, Team Canada
- Second: Shannon Birchard, Team Canada
- Lead: Briane Meilleur, Team Canada
Second Team[16]
- Skip: Selena Njegovan, Wild Card 1
- Third: Sarah Wilkes, Wild Card 3
- Second: Ashley Sippala, Northern Ontario
- Lead: Kerry Galusha, Northwest Territories (skip; threw lead stones)
- 2021[27]
First Team
- Skip: Kerri Einarson, Team Canada
- Third: