The start of the 2020-21 Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling season has been postponed until April 2021 due to the ongoing risks of COVID-19 across Canada, Sportsnet announced on Wednesday.
The Grand Slam season will include the Princess Auto Players’ Championship in Toronto from April 13-18, 2021, followed by the Humpty’s Champions Cup in Olds, Alta., starting April 27 to May 2, 2021.
“The safety and well-being of curlers, volunteers, fans, partners and employees is of the utmost importance to Sportsnet,” Rob Corte, Vice President, Sportsnet and NHL Production said in a statement. “Following careful thought and deliberation, we made the decision to postpone the season until we could safely deliver the world-class competition and intimate fan experience the Grand Slam series is known for.”
Sportsnet has rescheduled the first three events of the 2020-21 Grand Slam season — Tour Challenge, Masters and National — to Fall 2021. Each event will be hosted by the same communities originally selected for the 2020-21 season.
The following events have been confirmed for the 2021-22 Grand Slam season:
• Tour Challenge: Grande Prairie, Alta. | Sept. 21-26, 2021 at Coca-Cola Centre
• Masters: Sarnia, Ont. | Oct. 19-24, 2021 at Sarnia Arena
• National: Chestermere, Alta. | Nov. 2-7, 2021 at Chestermere Recreational Centre
Sportsnet will continue to work closely with local organizers in Las Vegas to reschedule the MERIDIAN Open, the Grand Slam’s first international event.
As a result of the revised season schedule, updated points and prize money details will be confirmed at a later date.
[relatedlinks]