– 30 teams compete for combined purse of $200,000; additional $200,000 in Grand Slam of Curling bonus money on the line –
– Final event of 2012-13 Grand Slam of Curling series headlined by Glenn Howard, Kevin Martin, Jeff Stoughton, Kevin Koe, Rachel Homan, Heather Nedohin and more –
TORONTO (April 11, 2013) Get ready to rock, curling fans! In five days, thirty of the world’s best curling teams will compete in the final Grand Slam of Curling event of the season – the Players’ Championship – taking place from April 16 to 21 at the Mattamy Athletic Centre (formerly Maple Leaf Gardens) in Toronto. Sportsnet’s coverage of the event kicks off on Thursday, April 18 at Noon ET/9 a.m. PT on Sportsnet East, Ontario, West and Pacific (full broadcast details below).
The Players’ Championship will feature 15 men’s and 15 women’s elite teams battling in the high-stakes, competitive bonspiel featuring a combined event purse of $200,000, as well as an additional Grand Slam of Curling bonus of $200,000.
On the men’s side, teams will vie for the $100,000 purse and a chance to finish in the top three in the overall Grand Slam of Curling bonus points standings, making them eligible to split an additional $100,000 bonus. Currently, Winnipeg’s Team Stoughton, winner of January’s The National, is in the overall lead with Rogers Masters winner Team Koe from Edmonton in second. First place will receive $50,000, second place will receive $30,000, and third place will receive $20,000.
On the women’s side, Rogers Masters winner Rachel Homan looks to sweep the women’s Grand Slam of Curling events this season and claim the $100,000 Grand Slam of Curling bonus, in addition to splitting the $100,000 Players’ Championship event purse. Should there be no sweep by Homan, the top three women’s teams – based on the Grand Slam points system – will split a $25,000 purse. First place will receive $12,500, second place will receive $7,500, and third place will receive $5,000.
Sportsnet’s team of curling experts will be on hand at the Mattamy Athletic Centre in Toronto to call the action, with Rob Faulds handling the play-by-play for the men’s draws alongside 1998 Olympic silver medallists and former teammates Mike Harris and Richard Hart. Faulds and Harris will also call the action for the women’s draws alongside 1998 Olympic gold medallist Joan McCusker. Brad Fay rounds out the broadcast team as host.
Owned and operated by Sportsnet, the Grand Slam of Curling is an elite 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. The Players’ Championship in Toronto (April 16-21, 2013) is the fourth and final stop of the 2012-13 Grand Slam of Curling season which also included the Rogers Masters, Canadian Open and National. Tickets for the Players’ Championship can be purchased online at www.ticketmaster.ca/Grand-Slam
Talent Interviews:
Sportsnet’s curling talent are available for interviews to discuss the Players’ Championship
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Players’ Championship Broadcast Schedule on Sportsnet
Note: Through a sub-licensing agreement, the broadcast of the Grand Slam of Curling is shared with CBC. The women’s semifinals and men’s final will be broadcast by CBC.
- Thursday, April 18
Preliminaries, Noon ET/9 a.m. PT (Sportsnet East, Ontario, West, and Pacific)
Preliminaries, 3:30 p.m. ET/12:30 p.m. PT (Sportsnet East, Ontario, West, and Pacific)
Preliminaries, 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT (Sportsnet ONE)
- Friday, April 19
Preliminaries, Noon ET/9 a.m. PT (Sportsnet East, Ontario, West, and Pacific)
Preliminaries, 3:30 p.m. ET/12:30 p.m. PT (Sportsnet East, Ontario, West, and Pacific)
- Saturday, April 20
Men’s Semifinals, 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT (Sportsnet East, Ontario, West, and Pacific)
- Sunday, April 21
Women’s Final, 9:30 a.m. ET/6:30 a.m. PT (Sportsnet East, Ontario, West, and Pacific)
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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 the Hockey Central app on iPad and Playbook. Sportsnet is the Canadian leader in NHL and MLB television broadcasts and is home to 162 Toronto Blue Jays games, plus MLB Playoffs and the World Series. Sportsnet is an official licensed broadcaster of the 2014 FIFA World Cup BrazilTM and also offers an exciting sports lineup including the NFL, the Memorial 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, MLS Vancouver Whitecaps FC, CONCACAF and Canadian national team matches for men and women. Connected is the network’s nightly news program, providing regional and national coverage of the day’s events in the world of sports.