CurlingZone: Courtney Stepping Away

In a post to social media on Tuesday, Team Homan has confirmed that longtime front-end player Joanne Courtney (Picture: Anil Mungal, Grand Slam of Curling) will be taking time away from the game at the end of the current season.

By: Dylan Chenier

Joanne Courtney- 2017 Scotties and Worlds champion and 2018 Olympian- will be taking a break from curling at the conclusion of the 2021-2022 season.

Team Homan confirmed today that Courtney plans to leave the team at the conclusion of the current season, with two events remaining for the Ottawa-based rink.

"After the 2021/22 season, Joanne Courtney will be taking some time away from curling to focus on her family and career. Although we will greatly miss Joanne on our team, we are excited about her next chapter," said the team.

"It is bittersweet to be stepping away from the team at the end of the season and taking a break from curling," Courtney added.

"When I got the call 8 years ago, I could not have imagined how much joining Team Homan would change my life. Playing at the highest level in the sport I love has been a dream come true. The pursuit of excellence requires relentless effort, and I am proud of my personal growth through my time on this team. I will continue to be inspired by the drive and dedication of my teammates as I step away from the game."

Courtney first joined Homan in 2014, after competing previously with Val Sweeting. In their first season together, with Courtney at second, Team Homan represented Canada at the Scotties in Moose Jaw, finishing the week with a bronze medal.

As a foursome, the rink's biggest year came in 2017, where they won a Scotties Tournament of Hearts title as the home province in St. Catherines. The rink then represented Canada at the Women's Worlds in Beijing, taking home their first-ever gold medal.

In December of that year, Team Homan enjoyed their biggest success to date, winning the Canadian Olympic Trials on home ice in Ottawa. At the Pyeongchang games several months later, the rink would struggle, failing to make the playoffs.

The following season would see the start of a new Olympic quadrennial, with Homan's team remaining untouched. The rink would finish the 2018-19 season with a few tour victories, including the first leg of the inaugural Curling World Cup. In 2019, Team Homan would finish runners-up at the Scotties in Sydney, Nova Scotia.

Throughout her first six years on Team Homan, Courtney played a major part in revolutionizing the role of female front-end players, she is often credited as one of the best sweepers in the women's game.

After losing their second-straight Scotties final in 2020, Team Homan made a lineup change ahead of the 2020-21 season, which included moving Courtney from second to lead.

During a covid-interrupted season in 2020-21, Team Homan once again finished runners-up at the Scotties, with Courtney placing third on the list of leads.

In their most recent season together, the Ontario rink struggled, with their lone event win coming at a Provincials qualifier in Guelph.

At the 2021 Trials in Saskatoon, Team Homan failed to defend their Olympic spot, finishing the event at 2-6. The team then followed that up with a seventh-place finish in their pool at the Scotties in Thunder Bay.

Following the 2022 Scotties, Courtney took on a new opportunity as one of the curling commentators for CBC's coverage of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.

On the mic, Courtney called a number of dramatic moments, from her teammate Homan's heartbreaking mixed doubles result, to Canada's men's team winning a bronze medal. The opportunity was a new one for the curler from Edmonton, and fans will no doubt be hoping to hear more from her in the years ahead.

Courtney will re-join her teammates at the 2022 Player's Championship in Toronto. The squad, with skip Rachel Homan, third Emma Miskew, and second Sarah Wilkes, will be hoping to use the Player's Championship to secure a spot in the final event of the season, the 2022 Champions Cup.

Once the remaining events are completed, Courtney will be taking a break from competitive curling.

"I cannot wait to assume the 'fangirl' role for my wonderful teammates as I look to create more balance in my life and pursue new goals."

For her teammates, Courtney's departure will certainly leave the rink with a big hole to fill.

"I have a hard time coming up with the right words. I am really going to miss her, as a teammate, shotmaker, and of course sweeper," said Emma Miskew. "She is the type of person who brings positive energy and is so fun to be around, win or lose. I am definitely grateful for all the years we had together, all we have accomplished, and our life-long friendship."

"She is one of the most dedicated, positive and hard-working people I have ever met," added Homan. "I will forever be grateful for the memories we shared on and off the ice. It was an amazing ride and although I'm sad she is leaving I'm so happy for her to make new goals and watch her thrive in her next ambitions."

As for the future for the rest of Homan's rink, the team confirmed that they will "take some time to reflect on what the team lineup will be next season."

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