The Canadian Women’s National Curling Championship (also known as the Scotties Tournament of Hearts) will take place starting Friday from the Paramount Fine Foods Centre in Mississauga, Ontario. The tournament is occurring a month earlier than normal so it does not conflict with the women’s curling event at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan/Cortina d’Ampezzo.
The 2026 Scotties is different for another reason. That is because Canada’s best team, skipped by Ottawa’s Rachel Homan, will not be present. That is because her curling team is busy preparing for the 2026 Olympic Winter Games, which commences February 12. In her opening match, Homan’s Team Canada rink plays Denmark. As a result of Homan’s decision, Kerri Einarson of Gimli, Manitoba, the 2025 Scotties finalist, will be Team Canada at the 2026 Scotties.
Einarson has won four straight Scotties Tournament of Hearts in the past. They came in 2020 in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, in 2021 in Calgary, Alberta, in 2022 in Thunder Bay, Ontario, and in 2023 in Kamloops, British Columbia. The winner of the 2026 Scotties Tournament of Hearts will represent Canada at the 2026 World Women’s Curling Championship in Calgary from March 14 to 22.
Heading into the Scotties, Einarson is the favourite, but has struggled at times this year during Grand Slam of Curling events. Other skips in the draw include 2025 Canadian Olympic Curling trials finalist Christina Black of Nova Scotia, Selena Sturmay of Alberta, Taylor Reese-Hansen of British Columbia, Melodie Forsythe of New Brunswick, Mackenzie Mitchell of Newfoundland, two-time Scotties finalist Krista Scharf of Northern Ontario, Taylour Stevens of Nova Scotia, Hailey Armstrong of Ontario, Amanda Power of Prince Edward Island, Jolianne Fortin of Quebec, Jolene Campbell of Saskatchewan, Nicky Kaufman of the Northwest Territories, Julia Weagle of Nunavut, Bayly Scoffin of Yukon, Kayla Skrlik of Alberta, and Kaitlyn Lawes of Manitoba.