Olympic Prep Forces Homan Out: Einarson
Named Team Canada at Scotties
December 4, 2025 – Reigning champion withdraws from national tournament to focus on Milan-Cortina Games
Team Kerri Einarson will represent Canada at the upcoming Scotties Tournament of Hearts after reigning champion Rachel Homan announced she won’t defend her title due to Olympic preparations.
Einarson’s squad, which claimed silver at last year’s national playdowns, will don the Maple Leaf at the Jan. 23-Feb. 1 competition in Mississauga, Ontario. The four-time Scotties champion from Gimli, Manitoba, will be joined by teammates Val Sweeting, Shannon Birchard, and Karlee Burgess.
“We are thrilled to be wearing the [Maple Leaf] at the Scotties! It’s always an honour to represent [Canada] and we’re excited to compete in Mississauga soon,” the team shared on social media.
Olympic Timing Creates Opening
Homan’s withdrawal stems from her team’s focus on the Milan-Cortina Olympics, which overlap with the Scotties schedule. The world’s top-ranked women’s team secured their Olympic berth by defeating Christina Black’s Halifax squad in last week’s Montana’s Canadian Curling Trials final.
The 36-year-old Ottawa skip won her second consecutive Scotties crown and fifth career title last season. Her absence represents a significant change for the event at Paramount Fine Foods Centre, where Homan had been featured prominently in promotional materials.
This marks the first time the national women’s championship has been held in the Greater Toronto Area since St. Catharines hosted in 2017—an event Homan won for her second Scotties title.
Tournament Structure
The 18-team field will include:
- Team Canada (Einarson)
- 14 provincial and territorial representatives
- Three pre-qualified teams: Einarson, Christina Black, and Calgary’s Kayla Skrlik
Einarson’s team had already secured one of three pre-qualification spots based on last season’s rankings. The vacated pre-qualification berth from Homan will be awarded to the highest-ranked team that doesn’t qualify through provincial or territorial playdowns.
Olympic Schedule Considerations
Canadian curling training camps in Europe are planned ahead of the Feb. 4-22 Winter Olympics. Women’s competition begins Feb. 12 at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium, just 11 days after the Scotties concludes.
Canada will field three curling entries in Milan-Cortina:
- Mixed Doubles (starting Feb. 4): Brett Gallant and Jocelyn Peterman
- Men’s (starting Feb. 11): Team Brad Jacobs with Gallant, Marc Kennedy, and Ben Hebert
- Women’s (starting Feb. 12): Team Rachel Homan with Tracy Fleury, Emma Miskew, and Sarah Wilkes
Team Jacobs, which won last year’s Montana’s Brier, will return as the Canadian entry at the 2026 men’s playdowns in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, beginning Feb. 27.
