CurlingZone: Top Canadian Teams Parting Ways

Team Brad Jacobs (Picture: Curling Canada) is just one of several elite Canadian rinks that have announced they will be splitting up at the end of the 2021-22 season.

By: Dylan Chenier

As the current Olympic quadrennial nears its end, a number of top Canadian curling teams will be calling it quits at the conclusion of the current season.

After longtime lead Dawn McEwen announced her retirement from the sport, the remaining members of Team Jennifer Jones- 2021 Canadian Curling Trials champions- announced they would be going their separate ways at the end of the year.

"We have decided to go in separate directions once this season is over," said Team Jones in a press release.

"It's been an incredible journey and we are so thankful for every game and every moment spent together over the last few years."

For Jones, the spilt marks the end of a long-standing partnership with third Katelyn Lawes. Lawes and Jones have been playing together since 2010, together the two have won a Scotties title, a World Championship, and Olympic gold in 2014.

While McEwen will be retiring at the end of the season, the remaining members of the rink have been less conclusive about their plans beyond the 2021-22 season.

Team Jones isn't the only Manitoba-based rink calling to quits after this season, with Tracey Fleury's rink from East St. Paul announcing that they will no longer be playing together.

"We are so grateful to have played together for the last 4 years. There were a lot of great wins, many laughs and some ups and downs, but we couldn't be more proud of what we accomplished together as a team throughout it all," said a team statement.

Fleury's rink competed together in two Scotties Tournament of Hearts as well as the most recent Olympic Trials, where they finished runners-up. The team has also won the last two consecutive editions of the Grand Slam of Curling Masters.

With the announcements coming out of the Jones and Fleury camps, a number of free agents are now on the market in Manitoba women's curling. It is possible that some members of the two teams may come together to continue competing out of their home province. However, with Curling Canada's residency rules, some of these elite players may also be looking elsewhere for opportunities.

On the men's side, the announcements have just started to pour in following the conclusion of last week's Tim Horton's Brier. Heading into the event it was already known that at least two of the top rinks would not remain intact at the end of the season.

Kevin Koe's team, with third BJ Neufeld, second John Morris and lead Ben Hebert, have officially confirmed that this will be their last season together.

"Team Koe will be going their separate directions after some very memorable years together," as said in a press release.

The lineup in its current format has been together since 2020 when the team brought John Morris onboard for the two-year runup to the Olympic Trials. With Morris in the lineup, Koe made back-to-back Brier finals, including at last week's edition of the national championship.

The decision to part ways marks the end of a longtime partnership between Koe and lead Ben Hebert, who have been together since 2015. Koe and Hebert have won two Briers together, a World Championship, and the 2018 Canadian Olympic Trials.

"It's been an incredible run together. We've made a ton of memories not just on podiums but off the ice the four of us came into this as friends and we're leaving this as friends and that's all you can ask," said Koe.

While no official announcement was made, it is believed that John Morris may retire from men's curling at the end of this season. The remaining members of the rink are believed to be exploring their options for another Olympic cycle.

Another rink that has long been the subject of speculation surrounding their future plans in Newfoundland's Team Gushue. While the team has not yet officially made an announcement, it is believed that the 2022 Brier winners and Olympic bronze medalists will part ways, at least to a degree, once this season is over.

Another longtime rink that officially will not be playing together into the next quadrennial is Brad Jacobs' team from Northern Ontario. The Sault St. Marie-based squad announced today that they will be moving on at the end of the season.

"After three great seasons with Marc and 13 amazing years with Brad, EJ, and Ryan playing together, our journey has come to an end," the team stated in a social media post.

The rink then confirmed that some members will be moving on to other opportunities, while skip Jacobs takes some time away from the game.

"Marc, EJ, and Ryan will continue to compete on teams that will be announced in the near future, and Brad is taking at least a year off from competitive men's curling."

The team, with third Marc Kennedy, second EJ Harnden, and lead Ryan Harnden, finished runners-up at the 2021 Olympic Trials in Saskatoon. Prior to Kennedy joining the team, Jacobs and the Harnden brothers won gold together at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi.

The news brings to an end one of the longest active playing arrangements in Canadian curling, with the three family members having competed together for 13 years.

Like the situation on the women's side, these announcements have only confirmed which teams are splitting up, no new formations have been made public. It is also quite likely that more teams will join these rinks in the coming days, announcing their future plans.

For some curling fans, these announcements mark the end of an era, with many longstanding relationships coming to an end. It is clear that the makeup of Canada's top curling teams will look quite different once the 2022-2023 season gets underway in the fall.

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