TORONTO — As a man dressed in a banana costume made his way to the rink-side bar at TMU’s Mattamy Athletic Centre — he’d later yell “Peel! Peel! Peel!” along with three other fans in matching costumes — Jennifer Jones looked down at the ice below, minutes before Day 3 of the Rock League’s inaugural event was set to begin.
“I think it’s the best parts of curling, all wrapped up in one with a little bow on top,” Jones said of the league presenting an untraditional take on the game, with a quicker pace, a three-game head-to-head format, and players from all over the world thrown into a blender to create six franchises.
Jones, the Olympic gold medallist and six-time national champion, then added for the curling purists who might balk at something new on pebbled ice: “Give it a chance.”
The Rock League features elements that curling has never seen before (Canada’s three-time world champ Rachel Homan against fellow three-time world champion Emma Miskew!) and rules that’ve never played out in games involving many of the best curlers on the planet, including a coin toss to determine hammer and four-person games going just seven ends.
World No. 1 skip Bruce Mouat has an early favourite when it comes to the new rules being showcased this week: “If you are on the pin in the last end, you get two points — that’s a really cool dynamic to throw into the game,” Mouat said, adding it’s tough to defend against. “You have to really be on your toes with your strategy.”
Jones is the Rock League’s strategic advisor, and part of her role was to help come up with new rules for the operation touting itself as curling’s first professional league.
“I love history and respecting all of that, but I’m also one that, you have to be willing to evolve, you have to be willing to change in order to not lose the thing that you love,” said Jones, who also provides in-game commentary on the broadcast.
“It’s still the game. It’s got sweeping and throwing and yelling and all the wonderful things that we love about the game, it’s just a little bit faster paced, and then a couple of rules that allow a little more offence. And I don’t think that’s a bad thing, as a fan watching. You can have a lot more interesting shots.”
While there were fewer than 500 fans in attendance for the opening draw Wednesday afternoon to see those interesting shots in a matchup between Northern United and Alpine CC — two games came down to the last rocks thrown — Rock League has announced its presence to those paying attention.
Walk into Mattamy Athletic Centre, and you’ll be greeted by larger-than-life-size photos of curlers like Mouat, Miskew and Olympic gold medallist Brett Gallant, all doing various power poses.
On the upper level, you’ll find a stage with big “R” and “L” light-up letters, where the league’s house band plays. There’s merchandise for sale, an autograph station and games like corn hole and mini curling set up for fans. There’s in-game music over the speakers and an in-game announcer teeing up big shots near the end of games. Over the weekend, ahead of Sunday’s final, there’ll be more lights and cameras, too.
The most noticeable new addition to the curling scene is that rink-side bar between sheets A and B. Some fans in there were fist-bumping members of Mouat’s Northern United, and the skipper’s partner and a few friends were among them, watching from the bar area.
“I’m having a great time — I’ve absolutely loved my three games that I’ve played in,” Mouat said Wednesday afternoon, even after his Northern United suffered the first sweep of the event, losing all three games against Alpine CC.
“Disappointing — we played alright,” Mouat added of the games that just unfolded. “I think if we win a few more games and buck up our shots a wee bit then we’ll be back on the good floor.”
Among his nine teammates working together to that end is a long-time opponent. “We’ve played in some of the biggest games in our lives against Yannick Schwaller, and now I’m trying to skip and call a line and watch him throw,” Mouat said of the Swiss skipper, who won Olympic bronze back in February. “He’s been a great player for the last 12 years that I’ve known him, so it’s pretty special that I have this opportunity to do that with him.”
Mouat and Schwaller are fist-bumping and hugging and even howling together like wolves — the team-wide howl is how Northern United gets fired up for games, and celebrates wins. “I don’t think I’ve ever hugged him after we beat him,” Mouat pointed out, with a grin. “I don’t think he’s wanted to do that.” Fair enough, but this league has made sure nobody’s playing alongside their usual teammates.
Mouat had just played against his Team Scotland teammate and friend, Hammy McMillan Jr, who’s on Alpine CC. “He’s a cheeky chap, so it was fun to play against him, but I don’t like losing to him,” Mouat said.
The pair were chirping back and forth during the game, with Mouat telling McMillan he’d never seen so many teeth in his buddy’s mouth, “because he was smiling so much, because he enjoyed chirping me.”
Through very early goings Wednesday, Alpine and Northern United were the top two in the standings, but there’s a lot of play to go, still. The top four franchises crack Sunday’s playoffs, and the winners will share a prize of $100,000 USD. Through Tuesday, only Frontier CC had yet to register a point, which is earned after winning two of three in a matchup, with a sweep netting 1.5 points.
That’s what Miskew’s Alpine CC accomplished Wednesday, and she stayed on the ice to cheer on her teammates as they won mixed doubles, the last game to finish.
“You would just peer over and see what’s going on on the other sheets because it’s helpful – like (Tuesday) we lost a close game, but the other two games won, so it’s like OK, ‘Good job team,’” Miskew said of the head-to-head format playing out on three sheets. “But the game before we won and they lost, and it’s like, ah, tough one. So, it was kind of fun playing as a team.”
The faster pace means all games need to be completed in two hours or fewer, and with about 80 per cent of the thinking time athletes are used to on the ice, it’s a learning curve.
“You have to be decisive,” Miskew said. “We have a little bit less time, so you’ve just kind of got to make a call and go, and I think it’s working for us. Like, we’re not overthinking anything.”
There isn’t time to overthink, which was part of the point for Rock League. “I think curling was becoming too slow, and this is fast-paced,” Jones said.
There are four days of competition to go in this single-event teaser ahead of a full Rock League schedule planned for 2027, which will see franchises play five events across North America.
“Obviously it’s a new event, you’re always going to have a few little hiccups, but what’s amazing is that every time I talk to the players, they look like they’re kids on Christmas — they’re loving it,” Jones said, grinning. “I love the match format. You’re kind of focusing on all the games, wondering what the outcome is going to be. It’s one of the first times since I retired where I’m like, ‘Oh, I just wish I could be on the ice,' because it looks so fun.
“Now it’s just a matter of showcasing that to all the fans and creating that atmosphere inside the arena.”
Jones took her place in the broadcast booth, and then out on the ice below, an in-arena announcer yelled into his microphone: “Let’s go Toronto! Professional curling is here!
"This. Is. Rock League!”
