At the start of every four year Olympic cycle in Canadian curling, many established teams often break up in search of ensuring a better shot to win the next Roar of the Rings.
So when Kerri Einarson, fresh off a run to the final at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts, decided to leave her team, it was clear something big was in the works. And when Alberta’s Val Sweeting, twice a Scotties runner-up, announced her team was breaking up on Wednesday, the rumour mill kicked into overdrive.
The two are now teammates as Einarson has revealed the roster of her new all-star squad, featuring Einarson at skip, Sweeting at third, newly crowned Scotties champ Shannon Birchard at second, and Briane Meilleur at lead.
All four players were skips on their former teams.
“With a new quadrennial approaching, this team assembled with the hopes of qualifying for and succeeding on the Grand Slam Circuit, making a strong run in the 2019 Manitoba Scotties, and building towards the ultimate goal: the 2022 Olympics,” read a post on Team Kerri Einarson’s Facebook page.
“We are all very excited to build and grow as players, and cannot wait for next season to start!”
Einarson made the Scotties twice with her former team, finishing fourth in 2016. Sweeting represented Alberta three times on the national stage, losing to Rachel Homan in the 2014 final and Jennifer Jones in 2015.
Birchard won two provincial junior championships and made her Scotties debut this year on Jones’ team, filling in at third for Kaitlyn Lawes who was in South Korea preparing to win gold in mixed doubles.
Meilleur has taken part in the Manitoba Scotties each of the last four years, twice as skip.
Einarson’s former team of Selena Kaatz, Liz Fyfe and Kristin MacCuish has yet to announce their new skip.
Michelle Englot’s team has also yet to announce who will fill her shoes after she stepped away from curling.