By John Hodge
The 2025 Canadian Olympic Curling Pre-Trials are set for Andrew H. McCain Arena in Wolfville, N.S., from Oct. 20-26, where one women’s team and one men’s team will qualify for the two last spots in next month’s Canadian Olympic Curling Trials in Halifax.
This event has a slightly different format from the last time it was held in 2021, as four squads advanced to round out two nine-team fields at the Canadian Olympic Curling Trials in Saskatoon. Krista Scharf (then-McCarville) and Jacqueline Harrison qualified on the women’s side, while Jason Gunnlaugson and Tanner Horgan advanced among the men.
The two men’s teams didn’t have much success, combining for only three total wins, though the women fared considerably better. Harrison went 3-5 to finish one win back of a tiebreaker, while Scharf reached the semifinal, where she lost to eventual champion Jennifer Jones by a score of 8-3.
This event is perhaps best remembered for producing both of the men’s teams that made the championship game of the 2013 Canadian Olympic Curling Trials in Winnipeg: John Morris and Brad Jacobs, the latter of whom went on to win gold in Sochi. Though this occurred 12 years ago, it still goes to show that any squad can come out victorious if they get hot at the right time.
The format for this year’s event will include a full round-robin on the women’s and men’s sides, with the top three teams advancing to the playoffs. There will be no tiebreakers with positioning instead being decided by head-to-head record, then, if necessary, distance on draws for the hammer.
The second and third seeds will meet in the semifinal, with the winner advancing to take on the first seed in the final, which will be a three-game series.
WOMEN'S DIVISION
1. Beth Peterson
Assiniboine Memorial Curling Club in Winnipeg.
Peterson has one Scotties appearance under her belt and went 1-3 at the AMJ Masters Tier 2 last month, though she performed better at the recent PointsBet Invitational, going 2-2 with wins over Kaitlyn Lawes and fellow pre-trials entrant Myla Plett. Two-time world junior champion Kelsey Calvert (née Rocque) is in her third season as Peterson’s third and will look to help elevate the squad after a 1-5 finish at the pre-trials in 2021. This team will be coached by two-time Scotties champion Chelsea Carey.
2. Kayla MacMillan
Victoria Curling Club in Victoria.
MacMillan made two recent Scotties appearances under Clancy Grandy before returning to the skipping position last season. New to this team this year are third Brittany Tran, who made her most recent of three Scotties appearances with Kayla Skrlik in 2023, and alternate Lauren Lenentine, who won back-to-back Scotties silver medals with Jennifer Jones in 2023 and 2024. This team is coached by seven-time world champion and reigning Olympic gold medallist Niklas Edin, who is also MacMillan’s partner.
3. Danielle Inglis
Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club in Ottawa.
This rink is in its third year together and saw growth in a second-straight Scotties appearance last season, going 6-2 during the round-robin before a tight loss to Skrlik in the qualifier round. Inglis struggled in the recent AMJ Masters Tier 2, finishing fourth in Pool D with their lone win coming against reigning world junior champion Bo-bae Kang out of South Korea. Regardless, nobody would be surprised to see this squad earn a playoff berth in this event or win the whole thing.
4. Selena Sturmay
Saville Community Sports Centre in Edmonton.
The lineup of Sturmay, third Danielle Schmiemann, second Dezaray Hawes, and lead Paige Papley is in its third season together, earning two Scotties appearances with a fourth-place finish in 2024. Sturmay went 2-2 at the recent PointsBet Invitational with wins over Kate Cameron and Skrlik, both of whom have already qualified for the Olympic Trials in Halifax. For a team that was ranked No. 5 in the country as recently as two seasons ago, this squad has a lot of experience playing against top competition.
5. Ashley Thevenot
Martensville Curling Club in Martensville, Sask.
Thevenot took over this team from Skylar Ackerman last season and wasn’t able to lead it back to the Scotties, finishing third in the Saskatchewan provincials behind Jolene Campbell and fellow pre-trials entrant Nancy Martin. Stephanie Schmidt is new to the team this year at third after recent stints with Michelle Englot and Chelsea Carey, providing some veteran savvy to an otherwise young team.
6. Krista Scharf
Fort William Curling Club in Thunder Bay, Ont.
The 12-time Scotties participant and two-time silver medallist is often underpositioned on the Canadian Team Ranking System (CTRS) given how little her team travels, though the squad is coming off a relatively poor season. Kendra Lilly has moved back to the third position following the departure of Andrea Kelly this off-season, giving the team the same lineup it had when it last medalled at the Scotties in 2022. After advancing from this event in 2017 and 2021, Scharf will be looking to make it three in a row.
7. Myla Plett
Saville Community Sports Centre in Edmonton.
This is the youngest team in the field as Plett and third Alyssa Nedohin are 20, second Chloe Fediuk is 19, and lead Allie Iskiw is 18. This squad, which won Canadian U-20 championships together in 2023 and 2025, went 1-3 at the recent PointsBet Invitational, though its lone win came against reigning Scotties bronze medallist Christina Black. Team Plett is coached by four-time Brier champion and three-time world champion David Nedohin, who is also Alyssa’s father.
8. Nancy Martin
Martensville Curling Club in Martensville, Sask.
The oldest player in the field rounds out the women’s side as Martin, 52, totes a rink that features two-time Scotties competitor Chaelynn Stewart at third, two-time reigning Canadian mixed doubles champion Kadriana Lott at second, and Christie Gamble at lead, who is a new addition this season after recent stints with Penny Barker and Jenna Enge. Martin qualified for her first Scotties as a skip last season and finished one win shy of the championship round with a record of 5-3, earning wins over fellow pre-trials entrants Scharf and Sturmay.
MEN'S DIVISION
1. Jordon McDonald
Assiniboine Memorial Curling Club in Winnipeg.
This squad added two-time world junior gold medallist and three-time Brier participant Jacques Gauthier at third this season, bringing some veteran experience to what is otherwise the youngest team in the men’s field. The move yielded quick results as McDonald had a strong performance at the recent PointsBet Invitational, posting a 3-1 record with a win over eventual winner Matt Dunstone, and went 2-2 at the AMJ Masters Tier 2 last month, where they beat 2018 Olympic gold medallist John Shuster.
2. Sam Mooibroek
Whitby Curling Club in Whitby, Ont.
The team finished first in its pool at last month’s AMJ Masters Tier 2, earning wins over Reid Carruthers and three-time Japanese champion Riku Yanaguisawa, but lost in the first round of the playoffs to Kevin Koe. Mooibroek, a former U Sports champion at Wilfrid Laurier University, had a poor performance at the recent PointsBet Invitational, finishing 0-4 with none of the losses being by particularly close margins. As such, it stands to reason this squad will be looking to bounce back at the pre-trials.
3. Scott Howard
Navan Curling Club in Navan, Ont.
Howard has made six Brier appearances in various capacities but did so most recently as a skip in 2024, posting a 3-5 record as Team Ontario. This is the second year the 35-year-old has had brothers Mat and Jason Camm at third and second, respectively, after they spent the previous season playing under John Epping. Glenn Howard, who won four Briers and four world championships and is also Scott’s father, serves as the coach for this team.
4. Braden Calvert
Fort Rouge Curling Club in Winnipeg.
The native of Carberry, Man., won the world juniors in 2015 but has yet to make much noise at the next level aside from spot appearances at the PointsBet Invitational and a handful of Grand Slams. With the squad of Calvert, third Corey Chambers, second Kyle Kurz, and lead Brendan Bilawka now in its third year together, they’re looking to take the next step and prove they can compete with the best of the best.
5. Mark Kean
Woodstock Curling Centre in Woodstock, Ont.
The veteran skip has one Brier appearance under his belt and has twice qualified for playoff berths at Grand Slams, though those accomplishments are a decade old. After finishing third in last season’s Ontario Tankard behind pre-trials competitors Sam Mooibroek and Scott Howard, Kean and his rink will be looking to bounce back and show they’re still relevant among the top men’s teams in the country.
6. Owen Purcell
Halifax Curling Club in Halifax.
This rink made noise at the Brier earlier this year, becoming the first Nova Scotia team to earn a playoff berth since 2006. The success didn’t prevent a personnel change during the off-season, however, as Gavin Lydiate took over at second for Scott Saccary. This squad is coached by six-time Scotties winner and three-time world gold medallist Colleen Jones, who is the mother of third Luke Saunders.
7. Jean-Michel Ménard
Glenmore, Des Collines, Etchemin, Valleyfield Curling Clubs in Quebec.
Ménard, a one-time Brier champion, world silver medallist, and Quebec curling legend, skips and throws third stones for this rink that also includes fourth Félix Asselin, who won a gold medal at the Canadian Mixed Curling Championship in 2022, second Martin Crête, and lead Jean-François Trépanier, the latter two of whom have a combined 17 Brier appearances. If this team makes as much noise in the standings as they do on the ice, they’ll be a shoo-in for the playoffs.
8. Jayden King
London Curling Club in London, Ont.
This team received the final bid for the pre-trials after 2011 Brier and world champion Reid Carruthers declined a berth. Made up of skip Jayden King and third Dylan Niepage out of the University of Guelph and second Owen Henry and lead Victor Pietrangelo out of Brock University, this team is one of the youngest in the field with strong ties to the collegiate level. They’ll be looking to avoid getting taken to school by squads with more experience at this event.
