Rachel Homan and Brad Gushue will skip Canada’s teams on home ice for next season’s Pan Continental Curling Championships.
Curling Canada announced the reigning national champions as their representatives Monday. The event is set to take place Oct. 27-Nov. 2 in Lacombe, Alta.
It’ll be the first Pan Continental tournament for Homan, whose Ottawa-based team had a sensational season winning Canadian and world championships plus two Grand Slam of Curling titles. Homan finished the year with an impressive 67-7 record.
“This will be our first opportunity to play in the Pan Continental Championships, and we know how important this competition is,” Homan said in a release. “We know Lacombe will be a great host for the event and we’re looking forward to getting on the ice and playing for our country.”
Gushue and his St. John’s. N.L., crew are the two-time defending champions in the event on the men’s side. He claimed a sixth Brier title and took silver at the world championship earlier this year.
“Any time you get a chance to put on a Canadian uniform, it’s a special experience, and we’re particularly happy that this event is back in an arena setting in Lacombe,” Gushue said in a release. “We know there are always high expectations for Team Canada in international curling competitions, and we’ll be working hard to be able to put our best performance on the ice in October.”
Gushue won gold at the inaugural Pan Continental Curling Championships in 2022 in Calgary. He defended the title last year in Kelowna, B.C., but was critical of the broadcast coverage and other issues calling it a “step back.”
Kerri Einarson’s team from Gimli, Man., represented Canada in the women’s division at the previous two events. Einarson earned bronze in 2022 and finished fourth last year.
The Pan Continental Curling Championships determine which countries from the Americas, Asia and Pacific zones will compete at the 2025 world women’s and men’s curling championships.
Homan must finish in the top five to secure a spot for Canada at the women’s worlds, which will take place in Uijeongbu, South Korea.
Canada already has a spot locked up for the men’s worlds as the host nation, however, Gushue will still need to perform well to avoid relegation from the A-event for the following season.
Canada’s representatives for the worlds will be determined at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts and Montana’s Brier.