The team led by Kaitlyn Lawes from Winnipeg secured the last position in the 18-team lineup for the upcoming Scotties Tournament of Hearts. Lawes, along with Selena Njegovan, Jocelyn Peterman, and Kristin Gordon, obtained the final pre-qualification spot, as announced by Curling Canada. This opportunity arose when Kerri Einarson’s team took the place of Rachel Homan’s rink as the Canadian representative due to Homan’s commitment to the Milan-Cortina Olympics next month.
With Lawes ranking fourth in the latest Canadian standings at 151.450 points, she narrowly surpassed Alberta’s Serena Gray-Withers, who held the fifth spot with 151.225 points. Despite Lawes falling short in the recent Manitoba final against Kelsey Calvert, she managed to secure her place in the tournament.
Jocelyn Peterman will not be part of the team for the competition scheduled from January 23 to February 1 at the Paramount Fine Foods Centre in Mississauga, Ontario. Peterman is preparing to compete alongside Brett Gallant in mixed doubles at the Winter Games, with Laura Walker stepping in to replace her at second, and Erin Pincott serving as the team’s alternate.
Additionally, Calgary’s Kayla Skrlik and Halifax’s Christina Black also clinched pre-qualification spots in the tournament. The list of other qualified teams includes representatives from various provinces and territories across Canada, with the winning team earning the opportunity to represent the country at the world women’s curling championship in Calgary from March 14 to 22.