– Women’s teams compete in event for first time; new triple knockout format debuts–
TORONTO (December 8, 2014) With a new format featuring 32 of the best men’s and women’s curling teams in the world, Sportsnet hits Yorkton, SK, the heartland of curling, for the Canadian Open – the third of five events of the Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling 2014-15 season. Live coverage from the Gallagher Centre kicks off Thursday, Dec. 11 at Noon ET / 9 a.m. PT on Sportsnet East, Ontario, West, Pacific and Sportsnet NOW (full broadcast details below).
For the first time, the Canadian Open will feature 16 women’s teams in addition to the 16 men’s teams, competing for a combined $200,000 purse. Plus, the stakes will be higher than ever, with a new triple knockout tournament format in which teams that lose three times in the pool stage are eliminated from playoff contention.
Sportsnet’s broadcast team bring fans all the action from the Gallagher Centre, with Rob Faulds calling play-by-play alongside 1998 Olympic silver medallist Mike Harris, 1998 Olympic gold medallist Joan McCusker, and recently retired curling icon Kevin Martin.
Fans will see more of their favorite teams this season, as Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling expands to five events, with the Elite 10 joining the Masters, National, Canadian Open and Players’ Championship, increasing the total prize money to a $1 million purse (see below for dates, venues and ticket information).
2014-15 Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling Event Schedule
*Tickets for all remaining events this season are available at thegrandslamofcurling.com
- Masters – Selkirk, MB (October 28 – November 2 at Selkirk Recreation Complex)
- National – Sault Ste. Marie, ON (November 19-23 at Essar Centre)
- Canadian Open – Yorkton, SK (December 9-14 at Gallagher Centre)
- Elite 10 – Fort McMurrary, AB (March 19-22, 2015 at MacDonald Island Park)
- Players’ Championship – Toronto (April 7-12, 2015 at Mattamy Athletic Centre)
Sportsnet’s curling hosts and commentators are available for interviews to discuss the Canadian Open and Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling.
Canadian Open – TV Broadcast Schedule
* Note: Through a sub-licensing agreement, the broadcast of Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling is shared with CBC. The men’s quarter-finals and final will be broadcast by CBC.
Thursday, Dec. 11
- Draw 7, Noon ET/9 a.m. PT, Sportsnet East, Ontario, West, Pacific and Sportsnet NOW
- Draw 8, 3:30 p.m. ET/12:30 p.m. PT, Sportsnet East, Ontario, West, Pacific and Sportsnet NOW
- Draw 9, 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT, Sportsnet ONE and Sportsnet NOW
Friday, Dec. 12
- Draw 11, Noon ET/9 a.m. PT, Sportsnet East, Ontario, West, Pacific and Sportsnet NOW
- Draw 12, 3:30 p.m. ET/12:30 p.m. PT, Sportsnet East, Ontario, West, Pacific and Sportsnet NOW
- Draw 13, 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT, Sportsnet ONE and Sportsnet NOW
Saturday, Dec. 13
- Men’s Quarter-finals, 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT, CBC
- Women’s Quarter-finals, 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT, Sportsnet ONE and Sportsnet NOW
- Men’s and Women’s Semifinals, 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT, Sportsnet East, Ontario, West, Pacific and Sportsnet NOW
Sunday, Dec. 14
- Men’s Final, 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT, CBC
- Women’s Final, 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT, Sportsnet East, West, Pacific, ONE and Sportsnet NOW
Owned and operated by Sportsnet since 2012, Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling is a premium series of men’s and women’s curling events which are part of the World Curling Tour and feature the best teams from across Canada and around the world. In 2014-15, Sportsnet will broadcast up to 200 hours of curling coverage, including all Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling events, as well as the Alberta, B.C., Manitoba and Ontario Provincial Curling Championships.
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Sportsnet connects Canadian sports fans to their favourite teams and athletes, using five platforms: TV, Radio, Print, Online and Mobile. Sportsnet is Fuelled By Fans, and delivers storytelling on a local, regional, national and global level. The multiplatform brand consists of Sportsnet, sportsnet.ca, Sportsnet 590 The FAN, Sportsnet 960 The FAN, Sportsnet magazine, Sportsnet Mobile and Sportsnet NOW. Sportsnet consists of four regional channels (Sportsnet East, Ontario, West and Pacific), and the nationally-distributed Sportsnet ONE, Sportsnet World, and Sportsnet 360. Sportsnet is the official Canadian NHL national rights holder, and is also the official regional television broadcast rights holder for the Calgary Flames (including radio rights on Sportsnet 960 The FAN), Edmonton Oilers, Toronto Maple Leafs (including radio rights on Sportsnet 590 The FAN), Vancouver Canucks and Montreal Canadiens. Sportsnet is the Canadian leader in MLB television broadcasts and is home to 162 Toronto Blue Jays games, plus MLB Playoffs and the World Series. Sportsnet also offers an exciting sports lineup including the NFL, the Memorial Cup, CIS Vanier Cup, Ultimate Fighting Championship®, Grand Slam of Curling, IndyCar, the Rogers Cup tennis tournament, and extensive soccer programming including Barclays Premier League, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, CONCACAF and Canadian national team matches for men and women. Sportsnet Central is the network’s nightly news program, providing regional and national coverage of the day’s events in the world of sports.