Tournament favorites, Rachel Homan and Kerri Einarson, had strong starts in the opening matches of the 2025 Montana’s Canadian Curling Trials in Halifax. Homan, the reigning Canadian and world women’s champion, led her team to a convincing 16-5 victory over Kate Cameron of St. Adolphe, Manitoba, with a draw for three in the third end and stealing four more points in the fourth. Homan credited their early lead to precise shots and solid ice understanding, acknowledging that their opponents struggled with the conditions.
Einarson, a four-time Canadian champion from Gimli, Manitoba, also had a successful start, securing a 12-5 win over local favorite Christina Black by taking steals of two in the first end and four in the second. Einarson highlighted the importance of putting pressure on their opponents early in the game to gain an advantage.
In other matches on Saturday afternoon, Kaitlyn Lawes of Winnipeg defeated Corryn Brown of Kamloops, British Columbia, 7-4, while Selena Sturmay of Edmonton triumphed over Kayla Skrlik of Calgary with an 8-2 victory, thanks to steals in the third and seventh ends.
In the men’s division, Mike McEwen’s team from Saskatoon narrowly beat Jordon McDonald from Winnipeg 6-5. McEwen sealed the win with a game-winning deuce in the 10th end, acknowledging missed opportunities earlier in the game but emphasizing the need to stay composed and enjoy the intense competition.
Brad Gushue of St. John’s, Newfoundland, started strong with an 11-5 win against Rylan Kleiter of Saskatoon, while Matt Dunstone of Winnipeg defeated John Epping of Sudbury 6-3, and Kevin Koe of Calgary edged out Brad Jacobs, the defending Canadian men’s champion, with a 6-5 victory.
The champions of the men’s and women’s events at the Canadian Curling Trials will earn the opportunity to represent Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina, Italy.