Grand Slam of Curling

Capital One Grand Slam of Curling sweeps up partnership with Procter & Gamble’s Swiffer brand

admin — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 14:46:06 +0000

– Swiffer also secures title sponsorship rights to Team Glenn Howard –

TORONTO, August 26, 2010 – The Capital One Grand Slam of Curling and iSport Media and Management announced today that Procter & Gamble’s Swiffer brand has been named an official partner of curling’s elite international series. In addition, Swiffer has also secured the title sponsorship rights to Team Glenn Howard (Coldwater, Ont.).

“Both Swiffer and curling are tremendously popular in Canada,” notes Victoria Maybee, External Relations for Procter & Gamble. “We’ve also heard anecdotal reports over the years that Canadians love using Swiffers to turn their home cleaning routines into bonspiels, so the curling partnership is a natural fit.”

As an official partner of the Capital One Grand Slam of Curling, Swiffer will receive a variety of in-arena promotional opportunities during each Capital One Grand Slam of Curling event including prominent logo placement on the ice surface, rink boards and scoreboards.

“We’re very pleased to welcome Swiffer as an official partner of the Capital One Grand Slam of Curling,” said Kevin Albrecht, Chief Executive Officer of iSport Media and Management. “Swiffer is certainly a natural partner for the sport of curling and we’re looking forward to partnering with the brand as we celebrate our 10th anniversary season.”

Swiffer’s title sponsorship of Team Howard will include featured logo placement and branding on the squad’s uniforms, equipment and website. Through this partnership, Team Howard will also make promotional appearances at a variety of Swiffer events.

“We’re thrilled to have Swiffer on board as our title sponsor,” said skip Glenn Howard. “The chance to align ourselves with an innovative and forward thinking company was a no-brainer. We can’t wait to start the season and we’re looking forward to this exciting new partnership.”

As one of the top curling foursomes in the world today, Team Howard’s career highlights include earning a gold medal for Canada at the 2007 World Championships, winning the 2007 Brier and capturing eight Capital One Grand Slam of Curling event titles.

Held annually since 2001-02, the Capital One Grand Slam of Curling features the world’s best players in one series. For more information, visit www.grandslamofcurling.com.

Team Kevin Martin Captures Men’s Capital One Cup

admin — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 23:25:26 +0000

DAWSON CREEK, B.C., April 18, 2010 – Team Kevin Martin (Edmonton, Alta.) captured the men’s Capital One Cup today, earning a $50,000 (CDN) bonus for being the top team during the 2009-10 Capital One Grand Slam of Curling events.

Martin, who finished the season with 37 Capital One Cup points, clinched first place in the standings today after defeating Brad Gushue (St. John’s, Nfld.) 8-7 in an extra end in the finals of the Grey Power® Players’ Championship, the season’s final Capital One Grand Slam of Curling event, taking place at the EnCana Events Centre in Dawson Creek, B.C.

“The Capital One Cup is very similar to the Players’ Championship,” said Martin.  “It’s the best curlers in the world banging heads for a whole year.  If you come out ahead of that group, you’ve done very well.  It’s a very proud thing for an athlete, playing against the very best, to come out on top.  That’s why everybody loves the Slams so much.”
Gushue finished second overall with 31 points while defending Capital One Cup champion Glenn Howard (Coldwater, Ont.) placed third with 26 points.  As a result of finishing in the top three positions, Gushue and Howard earned bonuses of $25,000 (CDN) and $10,000 (CDN) respectively.
Featuring a total purse of $170,000 (CDN), the Capital One Cup is a points-based competition that awards each women’s and men’s curling team a point value based on their performance during selected 2009-10 Capital One Grand Slam of Curling events. Points were doubled during the season-ending Grey Power® Players’ Championship tournament.  For more information on the Capital One Cup visitwww.grandslamofcurling.com.

In 2009-10, men received Capital One Cup points at The Swiss Chalet National, the BDO Classic Canadian Open and the Grey Power® Players’ Championship.

After missing the playoffs at The Swiss Chalet National, Team Martin rebounded to capture both the BDO Classic Canadian Open and the Grey Power® Players’ Championship.

“Developing the Capital One Cup is an important part of our efforts to recognize world class curling talent in Canada,” said Ian Cunningham, Chief Marketing Officer, Capital One Canada. “Team Martin has proven themselves to be the most consistent players on the world curling field, and I commend their performance at the Slams this season.”

Last season, Team Howard won the men’s inaugural Capital One Cup while Team Randy Ferbey (Edmonton, Alta.) and Team Martin finished second and third respectively.

Held annually since 2001-02, the Capital One Grand Slam of Curling features the world’s best players in one series.

Martin Works Overtime to Win Sixth Grey Power® Players’ Championship

admin — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 23:24:33 +0000

DAWSON CREEK, B.C., April 18, 2010 – 2010 Olympic gold medallist Kevin Martin (Edmonton, Alta.) put the finishing touches on a dream season today after defeating 2006 Olympic gold medallist Brad Gushue (St. John’s, Nfld.) 8-7 in an extra end in the finals of the Grey Power® Players’ Championship, the season’s last Capital One Grand Slam of Curling event, taking place at the EnCana Events Centre in Dawson Creek, B.C.

Team Martin’s Grey Power® Players’ Championship victory, which included a $25,000 (CDN) first place prize, also enabled the Edmonton-based foursome to claim the 2009-10 Capital One Cup, earning a $50,000 (CDN) bonus.

Martin’s victory over Gushue marked his sixth career Grey Power® Players’ Championship title and his 15th career Capital One Grand Slam of Curling event championship.

“Our goal is to get 18 Grand Slams,” said Martin. “That is quite a mark to set. I think (golfing great) Jack (Nicklaus) is the only guy to have ever done it. And we’re at 15 now, the same as (tennis player Roger) Federer. So we’ve got a few yet to go. I’d love to get three. Four would be a bonus.”

The victory also extended Martin’s lengthy winning streak to 32 games. Since dropping a 7-4 round robin game to Kevin Koe (Edmonton, Alta.) at The Swiss Chalet National on January 8, 2010, Martin was been perfect in four consecutive tournaments including the BDO Classic Canadian Open, the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, the Bear Mountain Arena Classic and the Grey Power® Players’ Championship.

Tied at 3-3 with Gushue after four ends, Martin surged ahead in the fifth frame with an open draw for two points and a 5-3 advantage.

In the sixth end, Gushue capitalized on a key miss from Team Martin third John Morris to set up an open draw for three points and a 6-5 lead.

“We made some good shots (that end),” said Gushue. “I thought Kevin made a bit of a mistake in trying to double on John’s. John didn’t throw it as good as he wanted, and it gave us an opportunity for three.”

After Gushue missed a challenging double takeout on his first skip stone, Martin was ultimately left with a routine open draw for two points and a 7-6 advantage heading into the eighth.

Gushue was able to extend the game into an extra end after executing a difficult double takeout and rolling his rock into the eight-foot, knotting the game at 7-7.

In the extra end, Team Martin lead Ben Hebert, executed two perfect tick shots which eventually set up Martin with an open hit for the win.
“It was just a battle for the whole week between the two teams”, said Martin. “The final could have gone either way. It was a real flip flop game all the way down and in the eighth end we held them to one instead of them getting two and that was the difference.”

With the win, Martin improved to 15-6 in career Capital One Grand Slam of Curling finals while Gushue dropped to 1-3.

As tournament champions with a perfect 6-0 record, Martin’s team also earned 45.000 Canadian Team Ranking System (CTRS) points.

By finishing second with a 5-1 mark, Gushue’s squad took home $16,000 (CDN) along with 30.000 CTRS points. The squad also finished second in the Capital One Cup points race, earning an additional $25,000 (CDN).

Throughout the Grey Power® Players’ Championship, members of the media can access live scoring, schedule and statistical information of each draw by visiting the official Capital One Grand Slam of Curling website at www.grandslamofcurling.com.

Held annually since 2001-02, the Capital One Grand Slam of Curling features the world’s best players in one series.

Olympic Champions Martin and Gushue to Battle in Grey Power® Players’ Championship Final

admin — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 05:03:34 +0000

– 2010 Olympic Silver Medallist Cheryl Bernard wins women’s Grey Power® Players’ Championship title along with 2009-10 Capital One Cup –

– Men’s Grey Power Players’ Champion will also claim 2009-10 Capital One Cup –

– Men’s final set for Sunday, April 18 at 9:00 a.m. PST and will air live on CBC Television and CBCSports.ca –

DAWSON CREEK, B.C., April 17, 2010 – 2010 Olympic gold medallist Kevin Martin (Edmonton, Alta.) and 2006 Olympic gold medallist Brad Gushue (St. John’s, Nfld.) will meet tomorrow morning at 9:00 a.m. PST in the final of the Grey Power® Players’ Championship following the conclusion of semifinal play at the season’s last Capital One Grand Slam of Curling event, taking place at the EnCana Events Centre in Dawson Creek, B.C. The men’s final will air live tomorrow on CBC Television and CBCSports.ca.

The winner of tomorrow’s championship game will also secure first place in the annual Capital One Cup points race, earning an additional $50,000 (CDN) bonus.

Martin, a five-time Players’ Champion, advanced to the final with a 6-1 victory over Jeff Stoughton (Winnipeg, Man.) while Gushue slid past 2010 World Championship Kevin Koe (Edmonton, Alta.) 6-4.

Both teams enter the championship game with perfect 5-0 records.

Martin, the all-time leader in Capital One Grand Slam of Curling event titles, will be aiming to win his 15th career title on Sunday while Gushue will be looking for his second career Slam tournament title.
Each squad has already captured a Capital One Grand Slam of Curling title this season with Martin winning the BDO Classic Canadian Open and Gushue capturing The Swiss Chalet National.

In 2005, Martin and Gushue met in the finals of the Players’ Championship in St. John’s, Nfld with the reigning Olympic champion winning 6-3.

Earlier this evening, 2010 Olympic silver medallist Cheryl Bernard (Calgary, Alta.) closed out the season in style, defeating Crystal Webster (Calgary, Alta.) 6-4 to win the women’s Grey Power® Players’ Championship.

Team Bernard’s victory also allowed the Calgary-based foursome to claim the 2009-10 Capital One Cup, earning a $50,000 (CDN) bonus.

Tied at 3-3, Webster grabbed her first lead of the game in the sixth end after Bernard’s draw to the button came up heavy, resulting in a steal of one point.

Bernard blanked the seventh end in order to continue to hold hammer heading into the final frame.

With her final shot in the eighth end, Webster’s attempt to draw a rock into the four-foot came up heavy, allowing Bernard to score the winning three points without have to throw her final stone.

As tournament champions, Bernard’s team won $25,000 (CDN) and earned 45.000 Canadian Team Ranking System (CTRS) points. By finishing second, Webster’s squad took home $16,000 (CDN) along with 30.000 CTRS points.

Held annually since 2001-02, the Capital One Grand Slam of Curling features the world’s best players in one series.

About Grey Power®

Grey Power is the industry leader in providing auto and home insurance to mature Canadians. Grey Power recognizes it takes years of skill and experience to achieve a good driving record and rewards that experience with substantial savings through the Experience Advantage™. With Grey Power, Canadians not only save on their insurance but also get superior service and expert advice. Grey Power products are provided by Trafalgar Insurance Company of Canada, a member company of Intact Financial Corporation (TSX: IFC), Canada’s largest provider of auto, home and business insurance.

About Capital One

Located in Toronto, Ontario, Capital One has offered Canadian consumers a range of competitive MasterCard^® credit cards since 1996, when the company first introduced the Platinum MasterCard^® in Canada. Capital One Canada is a division of Capital One Bank, a subsidiary of Capital One Financial Corporation of McLean, Virginia (NYSE: COF). Capital One is committed to promoting curling through the title sponsorship of the Capital One Grand Slam of Curling and the Women’s Curling Championship.

About iSport Media and Management

iSport Media and Management is Canada’s leading athlete, digital media and event sponsorship company. iSport specializes in:

World class athlete representation in marketing, media and sponsorships
Leading edge digital media strategies and operations
Event development, execution and sponsorship sales
Sport Federation sponsorship sales and strategic counsel.

For more information visit www.isportmedia.com.

Team Cheryl Bernard Wins Women’s Capital One Cup

admin — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 02:21:07 +0000

– 2010 Olympic silver medallists earn $50,000 (CDN) bonus for emerging as the top squad during the 2009-10 Capital One Grand Slam of Curling series –

– Team Jennifer Jones and Team Kelly Scott finish second and third in the Capital One Cup standings, earning bonuses of $25,000 (CDN) and $10,000 (CDN) respectively –

DAWSON CREEK, B.C., April 17, 2010 – Team Cheryl Bernard (Calgary, Alta.) captured the women’s Capital One Cup today, earning a $50,000 (CDN) bonus for being the top team during the 2009-10 Capital One Grand Slam of Curling events.

“It means a lot to us to win this Cup,” said Bernard, who captured a silver medal at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. “It means you’ve been steady through the year. It means you’ve peaked when you’ve needed to in the events. It’s a really important trophy to win.”

Bernard, who finished the season with 34 Capital One Cup points, clinched first place in the standings this evening after defeating Crystal Webster (Calgary, Alta.) 6-4 in the finals of the Grey Power® Players’ Championship, the season’s final Capital One Grand Slam of Curling event, taking place at the EnCana Events Centre in Dawson Creek, B.C.

Defending Capital One Cup champion Jennifer Jones (Winnipeg, Man.) finished second overall with 31 points while Kelly Scott (Kelowna, B.C.) placed third with 24 points. As a result of finishing in the top three positions, Team Jones and Team Scott earned bonuses of $25,000 (CDN) and $10,000 (CDN) respectively.

Featuring a total purse of $170,000 (CDN), the Capital One Cup is a points-based competition that awards each women’s and men’s curling team a point value based on their performance during selected 2009-10 Capital One Grand Slam of Curling events. Points were doubled during the season-ending Grey Power® Players’ Championship tournament. For more information on the Capital One Cup visit www.grandslamofcurling.com.

In 2009-10, women received Capital One Cup points at the Trail Appliances Autumn Gold Curling Classic, the Manitoba Lotteries Women’s Curling Classic and the Grey Power® Players’ Championship.

This season, Team Bernard reached the quarter-finals of the Trail Appliances Autumn Gold Curling Classic and the Manitoba Lotteries Women’s Curling Classic before capturing the Grey Power® Players’ Championship.

“Capital One continues to support curlers with first class events and recognition of the very best teams Canada has to offer,” said Ian Cunningham, Chief Marketing Officer, Capital One Canada. “Team Bernard’s win of the Capital One Cup is testament to their dedication and consistent high performance in this great sport.”

Last season, Team Jones won the women’s inaugural Capital One Cup while Team Bernard and Team Shannon Kleibrink (Calgary, Alta.) finished second and third respectively.

Held annually since 2001-02, the Capital One Grand Slam of Curling features the world’s best players in one series.

About Capital One

About iSport Media and Management
iSport Media and Management is Canada’s leading athlete, digital media and event sponsorship company. iSport specializes in:

World class athlete representation in marketing, media and sponsorships
Leading edge digital media strategies and operations
Event development, execution and sponsorship sales
Sport Federation sponsorship sales and strategic counsel.

For more information visit www.isportmedia.com.

Bernard Caps Season with Grey Power® Players’ Championship Title

admin — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 02:14:48 +0000

– 2010 Olympic silver medallists also capture women’s 2009-10 Capital One Cup, earning a $50,000 (CDN) bonus –

– Martin, Koe, Gushue and Stoughton Advance to the Men’s Semifinals Tonight at 7:30 p.m. PST; Final set for Sunday, April 18 at 9:00 a.m. PST –

DAWSON CREEK, B.C., April 17, 2010 – 2010 Olympic silver medallist Cheryl Bernard (Calgary, Alta.) closed out the season in style today, defeating Crystal Webster (Calgary, Alta.) 6-4 to win the women’s Grey Power® Players’ Championship, the final 2009-10 Capital One Grand Slam of Curling event, taking place at the EnCana Events Centre in Dawson Creek, B.C.

Team Bernard’s victory also allowed the Calgary-based foursome to claim the 2009-10 Capital One Cup, earning a $50,000 (CDN) bonus.

“After coming off the Olympics, winning the Trials, I think we just wanted to come out and prove that wasn’t just a one off thing,” said Bernard. “We are having a good year and this is something we wanted to show. It was really important not to show any complacency. Not to just come out and say that was good enough. The Olympics was good enough. I’m proud of us for that.”

Tied at 3-3, Webster grabbed her first lead of the game in the sixth end after Bernard’s draw to the button came up heavy, resulting in a steal of one point.

Bernard blanked the seventh end in order to continue to hold the hammer heading into the final frame.

With her final shot in the eighth end, Webster’s attempt to draw a rock into the four-foot came up heavy, allowing Bernard to score the winning three points without have to throw her final stone.

“She made a really nice shot with her first one in eight and I was a little hot with both of mine which I think really cost us,” said Webster.

Featuring a $170,000 purse, the Capital One Cup is a points-based competition that awards each curling team a point value based on their performance during selected 2009-10 Capital One Grand Slam of Curling events. Following the conclusion of the Grey Power® Players’ Championship, the top men’s and women’s teams in the Capital One Cup standings will each receive a $50,000 (CDN) bonus. The second and third place men’s and women’s squads will each receive $25,000 (CDN) and $10,000 (CDN) respectively.

Earlier in the day, Bernard advanced to the final after rallying for a 6-5 extra end victory over Eve Bélisle (Montreal, Que.) while Webster booked a spot in the championship game after edging Stefanie Lawton (Saskatoon, Sask.) 6-5 in eight ends.

In the men’s draw, 2010 Olympic gold medallist Kevin Martin (Edmonton, Alta.), 2010 World Championship gold medallist Kevin Koe (Edmonton, Alta.), Brad Gushue (St. John’s, Nfld.) and Jeff Stoughton (Winnipeg, Man.) advanced to the this evening’s semifinals following the conclusion of quarter-final play.

Martin and Stoughton will meet in one semifinal while Koe and Gushue will meet in the other.

In the afternoon’s quarter-final draw, Martin defeated 2010 Olympian Niklas Edin (Karlstad, Sweden) 7-5 while Koe upended Capital One Cup points leader Glenn Howard (Coldwater, Ont.) 5-3.

Gushue advanced to the semifinals with a convincing 8-3 win over Randy Ferbey (Edmonton, Alta.), whose squad was playing in its final tournament together as a foursome.

The fourth quarter-final game saw Stoughton score five points in the fifth end en route to a 7-1 victory over Pat Simmons (Davidson, Sask.).

The men’s semifinals are scheduled for later tonight at 7:30 p.m. PST and will air live on CBC’s digital channel bold and CBCSports.ca. The men’s final is set for Sunday, April 18 at 9:00 a.m. PST and will air live on CBC Television and CBCSports.ca.

Held annually since 2001-02, the Capital One Grand Slam of Curling features the world’s best players in one series.

About Grey Power®

Grey Power is the industry leader in providing auto and home insurance to mature Canadians. Grey Power recognizes it takes years of skill and experience to achieve a good driving record and rewards that experience with substantial savings through the Experience Advantage™. With Grey Power, Canadians not only save on their insurance but also get superior service and expert advice. Grey Power products are provided by Trafalgar Insurance Company of Canada, a member company of Intact Financial Corporation (TSX: IFC), Canada’s largest provider of auto, home and business insurance.

About Capital One

Located in Toronto, Ontario, Capital One has offered Canadian consumers a range of competitive MasterCard® credit cards since 1996, when the company first introduced the Platinum MasterCard® in Canada. Capital One Canada is a division of Capital One Bank, a subsidiary of Capital One Financial Corporation of McLean, Virginia (NYSE: COF). Capital One is committed to promoting curling through the title sponsorship of the Capital One Grand Slam of Curling and the Women’s Curling Championship.

About iSport Media and Management
iSport Media and Management is Canada’s leading athlete, digital media and event sponsorship company. iSport specializes in:

World class athlete representation in marketing, media and sponsorships
Leading edge digital media strategies and operations
Event development, execution and sponsorship sales
Sport Federation sponsorship sales and strategic counsel.
For more information visit www.isportmedia.com.

Bernard and Webster to Meet Today in the Grey Power Players’ Championship Final

admin — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 23:02:39 +0000

DAWSON CREEK, B.C., April 17, 2010 – 2010 Olympic silver medallist Cheryl Bernard (Calgary, Alta.) and Crystal Webster (Calgary, Alta.) will meet in the women’s final of the Grey Power® Players’ Championship today at 3:30 p.m. PST after both squads won their respective semifinal matches with a steal in the game’s final end during the season’s last Capital One Grand Slam of Curling event, taking place at the EnCana Events Centre in Dawson Creek, B.C. The women’s final will air live this evening on CBC Television and CBCSports.ca.

Bernard advanced to her second career Players’ Championship final after rallying for a 6-5 extra end victory over Eve Bélisle (Montreal, Que.) while Webster booked a spot in her second career Capital One Grand Slam of Curling event final after edging Stefanie Lawton (Saskatoon, Sask.) 6-5 in eight ends.

This evening Bernard will attempt to win her first career Grey Power Players’ Championship title and second career Capital One Grand Slam of Curling event title. A victory by Webster would give the skip her first career Slam title.

Facing off against Bélisle, Bernard fell behind early, giving up one-point steals in the second and third ends en route to a 4-0 deficit.

Bernard’s squad fought back in the game’s middle ends scoring two points in the fourth and adding one-point steals in the fifth and sixth ends to tie the score at 4-4.

Knotted at 6-6, Bernard won the match in the extra end by forcing Bélisle in to a difficult runback attempt on the game’s final shot. Bélisle’s attempt came up too thin, handing the victory to Bernard.

“It was not a dream start, but it ended up not being too bad in the end,” said Bernard. “I wasn’t playing the first three ends. I didn’t make a shot and then I started to make some shots and the team was playing well. It makes a big difference.”

Heading into the final, Team Bernard can also capture the women’s Capital One Cup championship, and accompanying $50,000 (CDN) bonus, with a victory over Webster. A win by Webster in the final will enable Jennifer Jones (Winnipeg, Man.) to repeat as Capital One Cup champion.

In the game’s second semifinal, Webster tied the score at 5-5 in the seventh end after executing a routine open hit for two points. Lawton had an opportunity to win the game in the eighth frame but her draw to the button came up heavy.

“We both had a couple ends where we were in a little bit of trouble but we were able to sneak it out,” said Webster. “It just felt really tight all the way and you knew one mistake would be big trouble.”

In the men’s draw, 2010 Olympic gold medallist Kevin Martin (Edmonton, Alta.), 2010 World Championship gold medallist Kevin Koe (Edmonton, Alta.), Brad Gushue (St. John’s, Nfld.) and Jeff Stoughton (Winnipeg, Man.) advanced to the semifinals today following the conclusion of quarter-final play.

Martin and Stoughton will meet in one semifinal while Koe and Gushue will meet in the other.

In the afternoon’s quarter-final draw, Martin defeated 2010 Olympian Niklas Edin (Karlstad, Sweden) 7-5 while Koe upended Capital One Cup points leader Glenn Howard (Coldwater, Ont.) 5-3.

In a re-match of their Olympic semifinal, Martin seized control of the game early, executing a cross-house double takeout in the third end to score three points for a commanding 5-1 lead.

“It was a really good game,” said Martin. “Just one out-turn hit I missed for two or three depending, and other than it was pretty solid.”

Gushue advanced to the semifinals with a convincing 8-3 win over Randy Ferbey (Edmonton, Alta.), whose squad was playing in its final tournament together as a foursome.

With Ferbey set to join Team Gushue next season, the loss marked the final game for the three-time World Championship gold medallists.

It was a great run,” said Ferbey. “It’s unfortunate we didn’t play that well but at this point in time in the game, it’s basically irrelevant. The guys gave it all they’ve got and I’m proud of them.”

The fourth quarter-final game saw Stoughton score five points in the fifth end en route to a 7-1 victory over Pat Simmons (Davidson, Sask.).

Heading into the men’s semifinals, all four remaining teams are still in the running for the Capital One Cup race and the first place bonus of $50,000 (CDN).

Earlier today, Koe, Ferbey and Edin all advanced to the quarter-finals after winning their respective C qualifier final.
Koe overpowered Dale Matchett (Bradford, Ont.) 7-3, Ferbey defeated Reid Carruthers (Winnipeg, Man.) 7-1 and Edin doubled up Mike McEwen (Winnipeg, Man.) 6-3.

The Grey Power® Players’ Championship is a triple knockout event which features a $100,000 (CDN) purse for both the men’s and women’s draw. Each tournament champion will earn $25,000 (CDN) and receive 45.000 Canadian Team Ranking System points.

The Grey Power® Players’ Championship is also the final event where Canada’s men’s and women’s teams to earn points towards the Capital One Cup.

Held annually since 2001-02, the Capital One Grand Slam of Curling features the world’s best players in one series.

About Grey Power®

About Capital One

About iSport Media and Management
iSport Media and Management is Canada’s leading athlete, digital media and event sponsorship company. iSport specializes in:

World class athlete representation in marketing, media and sponsorships
Leading edge digital media strategies and operations
Event development, execution and sponsorship sales
Sport Federation sponsorship sales and strategic counsel.

For more information visit www.isportmedia.com.

Live Chat with Cheryl Bernard

admin — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 19:53:01 +0000

Grand Slam of Curling is proud to announce that Cheryl Bernard will be our guest on a live stream interview, where her fans can ask questions and get answers in real-time.

On Saturday April 17th at 8:15 PT, visit grandslamofcurling.com/stream/ to watch Bernard interact with the viewers.

You may also post a comment below for a chance to have your question answered.

Bernard, Lawton, Webster and Belisle Advance to Women’s Semifinals at Grey Power® Players’ Championship

admin — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 05:31:54 +0000

– Howard, Simmons and Stoughton secure quarter-final berths at the season’s final Capital One Grand Slam of Curling event —

– Women’s semi-finals and final set for tomorrow at 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. PST respectively; Men’s quarter-finals and semi-finals scheduled for tomorrow at 12:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. PST –

DAWSON CREEK, B.C., April 16, 2010 – 2010 Olympic silver medallist Cheryl Bernard (Calgary, Alta.), Stefanie Lawton (Saskatoon, Sask.), Crystal Webster (Calgary, Alta.) and Eve Bélisle (Montreal, Que.) advanced to the women’s semi-finals of the Grey Power® Players’ Championship this evening following the conclusion of quarter-final play at the season’s final Capital One Grand Slam of Curling event, taking place at the EnCana Events Centre in Dawson Creek, B.C.

Bernard and Bélsile will meet in one semifinal while Lawton and Webster will meet in the other. The women’s semifinals are set for 8:30 a.m. PST on Saturday, April 17 with the finals taking place later that afternoon at 3:30 p.m. PST. Saturday’s semifinals will air live on CBCSports.ca while the final will air live on CBC Television and CBCSports.ca.

In this evening’s quarter-final draw, Bernard edged defending champion and Capital One Cup points leader Jennifer Jones (Winnipeg, Man.) 6-3 while Bélisle powered past Shannon Kleibrink (Calgary, Alta.) 6-1.

Bélisle remains the lone undefeated team in the women’s draw with a perfect 4-0 record.

The other quarter-final games saw Lawton blank Valerie Sweeting (Edmonton, Alta.) 7-0 and Webster edge Kelly Scott (Kelowna, B.C.) 6-4.

In the men’s draw, Jeff Stoughton (Winnipeg, Man.) became the fifth team to secure a quarter-final berth after sliding past Reid Carruthers (Winnipeg, Man.) 6-1 in the third B qualifier final.

Earlier this evening, Capital One Cup points leader Glenn Howard (Coldwater, Ont.) and Pat Simmons (Davidson, Sask.) clinched berths in the quarter-finals after winning their respective B qualifier final.

Howard advanced to the quarter-finals with a 6-2 victory over 2010 World Championship gold medallist Kevin Koe (Edmonton, Alta.) while Simmons advanced to the playoff round with a convincing 9-4 win over 2010 Olympian Niklas Edin (Karlstad, Sweden).

On Thursday, Olympic gold medallists Kevin Martin (Edmonton, Alta.) and Brad Gushue (St. John’s, Nfld.) became the first two teams to qualify for the quarter-finals after each squad won their A qualifier final to complete a perfect 3-0 preliminary round record.

The three remaining men’s quarter-finalists will be determined during tomorrow’s three C qualifier finals.

The men’s quarter-finals are scheduled to take place on Saturday, April 17 at 12:00 p.m. PST with the semifinals scheduled for later that evening at 7:30 p.m. PST. The men’s final is set for Sunday, April 18 at 9:00 a.m. PST. CBCSports.ca will air live coverage of the men’s quarter-finals. CBC’s digital channel bold and CBCSports.ca will air live coverage of the men’s semifinals. The men’s final will air live on CBC Television and CBCSports.ca.

The Grey Power® Players’ Championship is also the final event where Canada’s men’s and women’s teams to earn points towards the Capital One Cup.

Held annually since 2001-02, the Capital One Grand Slam of Curling features the world’s best players in one series.

About Grey Power®

About Capital One

About iSport Media and Management

iSport Media and Management is Canada’s leading athlete, digital media and event sponsorship company. iSport specializes in:

World class athlete representation in marketing, media and sponsorships
Leading edge digital media strategies and operations
Event development, execution and sponsorship sales
Sport Federation sponsorship sales and strategic counsel.

For more information visit www.isportmedia.com.

Howard and Simmons Qualify for Men’s Quarter-finals at Grey Power Players’ Championship

admin — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 02:06:58 +0000

– Tonight’s women’s quarter-final matchups at the season’s final Capital One Grand Slam of Curling event include
Bernard vs. Jones; Scott vs. Webster; Lawton vs. Sweeting; and Bélisle vs. Kleibrink —

– Team Ferbey remain in the hunt for a playoff berth after surviving first elimination game in their final tournament as a foursome –

DAWSON CREEK, B.C., April 16, 2010 – Capital One Cup points leader Glenn Howard (Coldwater, Ont.) and Pat Simmons (Davidson, Sask.) clinched berths in the men’s Grey Power Players’ Championship quarter-finals this evening after winning their respective B qualifier final during the season’s final Capital One Grand Slam of Curling event, taking place at the EnCana Events Centre in Dawson Creek, B.C.

Yesterday, Olympic gold medallists Kevin Martin (Edmonton, Alta.) and Brad Gushue (St. John’s, Nfld.) became the first two teams to qualify for the quarter-finals after each squad won their respective A qualifier final to complete a perfect 3-0 preliminary round record.

In a rematch of this year’s Brier final, Howard jumped on Koe early, scoring two points in the opening end. Leading 4-2 in the seventh end, Howard ended the game with a difficult double takeout to score two points.

“Obviously, he beat us in a big one so you have a little bit of redemption on your mind,” said Howard. “You know you’ve got to play great to beat these guys and I thought we played solid. We didn’t give them much and the good news is we came out on top.”

Simmons used an effective offensive attack to move past Edin, scoring multiple points all four times he held the hammer.

“We just put rocks in good spots,” said Simmons. “We were really close to where we wanted the rocks to end up and I was able to finish a few ends off.”

Later tonight at 8:00 p.m. PST, Jeff Stoughton (Winnipeg, Man.) will meet Reid Carruthers (Winnipeg, Man.) in the third B qualifier final. The winner will advance to the quarter-finals while the loser will drop down to the C qualifier bracket.

In this evening’s action from the men’s C qualifier bracket, defending champion Team Randy Ferbey (Edmonton, Alta.), playing in their final event as a foursome, survived its first elimination game, defeating Ted Appelman (Edmonton, Alta.) 9-4.

The Ferbey foursome will attempt to qualify for the playoffs tomorrow when they face the loser of Stoughton versus Carruthers in one of three C qualifier finals.

Earlier in the day, defending champion and Capital One Cup points leader Jennifer Jones (Winnipeg, Man.), Shannon Kleibrink (Calgary, Alta.) and Crystal Webster (Calgary, Alta.) secured the final three women’s Grey Power Players’ Championship quarter-final berths after winning their respective C qualifier final.

Jones advanced to tonight’s playoff round with an 8-4 victory over Kerri Flett (Winnipeg, Man.) while Kleibrink secured a spot in the final eight after powering past Heather Nedohin (Edmonton, Alta.) 11-4. Webster grabbed the tournament’s final quarter-final berth after edging Jacqueline Harrison (Alliston, Ont.) 5-2.

Tonight’s women’s quarter-final match-ups for the Grey Power Players’ Championship are as follows.

Kelly Scott (Kelowna, B.C)	vs.	Crystal Webster (Calgary, Alta.)
Stefanie Lawton (Saskatoon, Sask.)	vs.	Valerie Sweeting (Edmonton, Alta.)
Eve Bélisle (Montreal, Que.)	vs.	Shannon Kleibrink (Calgary, Alta.)
Cheryl Bernard (Calgary, Alta.)	vs.	Jennifer Jones (Winnipeg, Man.)

The women’s quarter-finals are set for this evening 8:00 p.m. PST. The women’s semifinals are set for 8:30 a.m. PST on Saturday, April 17 with the finals taking place later that afternoon at 3:30 p.m. PST. Saturday’s semifinals will air live on CBCSports.ca while the final will air live on CBC Television and CBCSports.ca.

The Grey Power® Players’ Championship is also the final event where Canada’s men’s and women’s teams to earn points towards the Capital One Cup.

Held annually since 2001-02, the Capital One Grand Slam of Curling features the world’s best players in one series.

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