By Jonathan Brazeau

The Euro Super Series, taking place this weekend in Stirling, Scotland, kicks off a new era on the curling tour as the first in the GSOC Satellite Events series.

The Grand Slam of Curling has partnered with established tour events to provide new avenues for teams to qualify for entry into the top-flight circuit.

Winners of GSOC Satellite Events are guaranteed spots in future Grand Slam of Curling tournaments, with the Euro Super Series champions receiving berths to the GSOC Invitational, Oct. 13-18, at Victoria’s Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre.

The GSOC competition committee selected 12 men’s and 12 women’s teams for the Invitational, with the Euro Super Series offering the first chance for those on the outside to earn their way in to help complete the 16-team fields.

AMJ Shorty Jenkins Classic, Karuizawa International and Prestige Hotels & Resorts Curling Classic champions will also qualify for the GSOC Invitational in the coming weeks.

If the winning team already has a spot in the GSOC Invitational, the berth will then go to the runner-up or the highest-placed semifinalist. If all finalists and semifinalists are already qualified, the invitation will be offered to the highest-placed quarterfinalist, provided the team holds a world ranking of No. 32 or higher after points gained from the event are added.

That’s not all, as playoff teams at the Euro Super Series will also receive points that count toward qualifying for the GSOC Players’ Cup, the fifth and final Grand Slam of Curling event of the season, running Dec. 15-20 in Kingston, Ontario. A team's best six event results will count, regardless of the combination of Grand Slams and Satellite Events (e.g., five Satellite Events and one Grand Slam, four Grand Slams and two Satellite Events).

Here’s what else you need to know for the Euro Super Series and which teams to keep a close eye on in Eight Ends.

FIRST END: The Euro Super Series features round-robin play with six teams in each division qualifying for the playoffs. Round-robin play runs through Saturday, with all three playoff rounds (quarterfinals, semifinals and finals) taking place Sunday. You can watch all the action live at Curling Stadium Europe.

The event has adopted a couple of rules that were introduced in the Grand Slam of Curling series last season.

Draw-to-the-button shootouts have replaced extra ends for round-robin play, with teams receiving three points for a regulation win, two points for a shootout win and one point for a shootout loss. Extra ends will return for the playoffs.

Also, teams can blank an end only once per game. A second blank will result in a loss of the hammer.

We’ve seen the impact of these rules in the Grand Slam of Curling, but it’ll be interesting to see how they play out in a Satellite Event and whether or not more tournaments will follow suit.

SECOND END: There’s an air of intrigue surrounding the Euro Super Series as it’ll be the first opportunity to see some new-look lineups this season.

Topping that list are the retooled Team Mouat and Team Hardie following the shocking summer shakeup in Scotland. Grant Hardie has moved on to skip and throw third stones for Ross Whyte’s crew, with third Robin Brydone heading in the opposite direction to play alongside Bruce Mouat.

Mouat enters as the three-time defending champion, with a 20-1 record and a 17-game winning streak in the event over that stretch. Can the world No. 1 team pull off a four-peat in its first event with Brydone? Or will the streak carry over with Hardie to his new squad?

Although a round-robin matchup between Mouat and Hardie isn’t in the cards, there’s always a chance they’ll meet in the playoffs.

THIRD END: The post-Edin era begins for Sweden. All-time great Niklas Edin capped his international career on top, winning a record-extending eighth world championship as a skip in April. Third Oskar Eriksson now takes the reins, with Rasmus Wranå moving up from second to throw last rocks.

Eriksson will have big shoes to fill, although he has skipped in the past, most notably earning silver at the world championship in 2014, and has been Edin’s loyal vice skip for the past 12 seasons.

One key round-robin matchup: Eriksson versus Hardie in Draw 9 Saturday.

FOURTH END: You’ve heard the phrase, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it.” That seems to apply to Team Schwaller. The Swiss squad was one of the few top teams that didn’t make any lineup changes (or coaching changes) and for good reason.

The Olympic bronze medallists already got out to a fine start to the season, winning the Baden Masters this past weekend. Schwaller scored three in the sixth and stole two in the seventh to defeat Joël Retornaz’s revamped roster 8-3 in Sunday’s final.

Schwaller will look to win a second title in as many weeks.

FIFTH END: This end is all about Italy and the race to the top for their teams in both men's and women's divisions.

As mentioned, Retornaz finished runner-up at the Baden Masters in his first event with his rebuilt roster — third Stefano Gilli, second Andrea Gilli and lead Alberto Pimpini. The rematch is already set in stone, with Retornaz and Schwaller facing off in the round-robin final draw Saturday.

It was almost an all-Italian final in Baden as Stefano Spiller reached the semifinals on the other side of the bracket. Spiller, with newly acquired former Team Retornaz third Amos Mosaner and second Sebastiano Arman, was eliminated with a 9-6 extra-end loss to Schwaller.

Retornaz and Spiller were the top teams in the round-robin stage, posting 4-1 records to earn byes to the semis. Retornaz has a tough schedule coming up in Stirling, though. In addition to the rematch with Schwaller, Retornaz will face Eriksson, Kyle Waddell and Cameron Bryce’s new “mercenary” team.

Over on the women’s side, Stefania Constantini’s club essentially split in two. Constantini and Angela Romei have remained teammates, while vice skip Giulia Zardini Lacedelli is now calling the shots on a new team, sticking with Elena Antonia Mathis and Marta Lo Deserto.

Draw 4 Thursday features a must-see matchup between Constantini and Zardini Lacedelli’s teams.

Constantini has done well at the Euro Super Series in the past, reaching the final twice and making the semis last season.

None of the Italian teams have GSOC Invitational berths (yet), but the Euro Super Series could be their best chance not only to book a spot but also to one-up their domestic competition.

SIXTH END: Switzerland has what should be a thrilling rivalry for its top spot among its women’s teams as both hit the ice in Stirling.

Xenia Schwaller had a breakout season last year, skipping her squad to the world championship. With Silvana Tirinzoni calling it a career, Alina Pätz has returned to her skip roots. Pätz won four consecutive world championships alongside Tirinzoni, but let’s not forget she also captured the title once as a skip back in 2015.

Will Schwaller or Pätz gain the early edge out of the gate?

SEVENTH END: Isabella Wranå also had a banner season in 2025-26, winning Olympic gold with her brother Rasmus in mixed doubles and capturing bronze with her women’s team at the world championship.

As Wranå gets set for her team’s season debut, what’s in store for the encore?

With reigning Olympic gold medallist Anna Hasselborg remaining idle this week, Wranå can get out to a head start over her Swedish competition.

EIGHTH END: The GSOC Invitational berth from the women’s division could be determined as soon as the semifinals, as only three teams in the Euro Super Series (Pätz, Schwaller and Wranå) already have their spots booked.

We mentioned Constantini and Zardini Lacedelli as potential candidates — and given their experience playing in Grand Slams, either team would fit right in — but watch out for Scotland’s own Fay Henderson, skipping the lone British Curling performance programme women’s team. Henderson won the Euro Super Series in 2024 and could use home ice to her advantage.