GRAND SLAM OF CURLING 2025-2026
We have the qualification details on the events across the calendar, as well as a (surprising?) side event that has dropped. Here we go through the events, in order.
Taking place at the Western Fair Sports Centre in London, Ontario on 23-28 September. For the first time, the event will have a Tier 1 and Tier 2 event, akin to the Tour Challenge. Sixteen teams in each event, Men’s and Women’s, with sixteen teams in each.
The invitations to compete here may already be out, as the GSOC has confirmed that the end-of-season World Curling Team Ranking from the 2024-2025 season will be used to determine who is getting invites. As per usual, Tier 1 invites will go out, and should any team decline, the next highest-ranked team will be invited, repeating until all spots are filled. That is repeated for the Tier 2 event.
The fields will be, in the Tier 1 fields, fourteen ranked teams plus two sponsor exemptions, and in the Tier 2 event, thirteen ranked teams plus three regional invitees.
Looking at the World Curling Team Rankings, should no team decline their invite, these would be the expected fields.
Kerri Einarson (MB), Fujisawa Satsuki (JPN), Gim Eun-Ji (KOR), Ha Seung-Youn (KOR), Anna Hasselborg (SWE), Rachel Homan (ON), Kim Eun-Jung (KOR), Xenia Schwaller (SUI), Kayla Skrlik (AB), Tabata Momoha (JPN), Silvana Tirinzoni (SUI), Wang Rui (CHN), Isabella Wrana (SWE), Yoshimura Sayaka (JPN), plus two sponsor exemptions.
Christina Black (NS), Corryn Brown (BC), Kate Cameron (MB), Stefania Constantini (ITA), Fay Henderson (SCO), Corrie Hürlimann (SUI), Kang Bo-Bae (KOR), Kitazawa Ikue (JPN), Kaitlyn Lawes (MB), Kayla MacMillan (BC), Rebecca Morrison (SCO), Beth Peterson (MB), Ueno Miyu (JPN), plus three regional invitees.
Korey Dropkin (USA), Matt Dunstone (MB), Niklas Edin (SWE), John Epping (NO), Brad Gushue (NL), Marco Hösli (SUI), Brad Jacobs (AB), Mike McEwen (SK), Bruce Mouat (SCO), Marc Muskatewitz (GER), Magnus Ramsfjell (NOR), Joël Retornaz (ITA), Yannick Schwaller (SUI), Ross Whyte (SCO), plus two sponsor exemptions.
Abe Shinya (JPN), Michael Brunner (SUI), Reid Carruthers (MB), Daniel Casper (USA), James Craik (SCO), Rylan Kleiter (SK), Lukáš Klíma (CZE), Jordon McDonald (MB), Sam Mooibroek (ON), John Shuster (USA), Kyle Waddell (JPN), Xu Xiaoming (CHN), Yanagisawa Riku (JPN), plus three regional invitees.
taking Place at Silent Ice Centre in Nisku, Alberta on 14-19 October.
There will once again be a Tier 1 and Tier 2 event, and like the Masters, the Tier 1 events will have sixteen teams with two spots reserved for sponsor exemptions. It is to be confirmed, but expected, that the Tier 2 will be sixteen teams with three spots reserved for regional invitees.
The qualification cutoff will be the rankings as of 15 September.
Something New coming in this week, a Junior Slam event. Next to Nisku, at The Beaumont Curling Club in Beaumont, Alberta, there will be a U-25 Slam with sixteen teams, and a U-15 Slam with eight teams.
More details are to come, but we do know that Junior Slam applications will open sometime in July.
KIOTI GSOC Tahoe
The first Slam event to be held outside of Canada, to take place at the Tahoe Blue Event Center in Lake Tahoe, Nevada on 4-9 November.
The event will see sixteen teams in each event, no Tier 2 here, with two spots reserved for sponsor exemption.
The qualification cutoff will be the rankings as of 7 October.
Set to be at Merlis Belsher Place in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan on 16-21 December.
Tier 1 will be sixteen teams, with two spots set aside for sponsor exemptions.
The qualification cutoff will be the rankings as of 11 November.
Tier 2, with the same qualification cutoff, will be sixteen teams, with three regional invitees. The Tier 2 event will be held at the Nutana Curling Club in Saskatoon.
The final event of the Slam season will be at the Southeast Event Centre in Steinbach, Manitoba on 6-11 January.
The event will be twelve teams, with no Tier 2 event.
The qualification cutoff will be 23 December.
