Einarson adapts to constant lineup shuffling on her curling team

Team Canada reacts to her shot as she plays Team Manitoba-Cameron in qualifications at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Calgary, Friday, Feb. 23, 2024. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press)

Kerri Einarson has come to terms with flux in her curling team's lineup.

The four-time Canadian champion recruited Joanne Courtney out of the broadcast booth to play second in both the Saville Grand Prix in Edmonton from Friday to Sunday and also the season's second Grand Slam, the Canadian Open, in Nisku, Alta., next week.

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Courtney will be the third woman to sub in at second for Einarson this season after a knee injury sidelined Shannon Birchard in September.

Courtney won a women's world title in 2017 and represented Canada in the 2018 Olympic Games playing second for Rachel Homan.

She retired in 2023 and is a television curling analyst.

"She's been practising. She's getting ready," Einarson said.

"She said 'it's not an ideal amount of practice time that I'd like to have, but I'm going to give it my all.' I said 'it's like riding a bike. You'll be fine.' She's definitely excited to join us and we're excited to have her."

Einarson was eliminated in her first game of September's single knockout PointsBet Invitational with Laura Walker drawing in at second.

Dawn McEwen, an Olympic and two-time world champion lead with Jennifer Jones, rotated in the following week for the HearingLife Tour Challenge in Charlottetown, where Einarson won the season-opening Grand Slam.

Einarson, Val Sweeting, Birchard and Krysten Karwacki had a mid-October training camp in Saskatoon where it became apparent Birchard's knee needed more time.

"She did try to throw on the Friday, and it didn't go well, so she is still out for our next two events," Einarson said.

"Unfortunately, it's still bothering her, and she doesn't really want to push it if she doesn't absolutely have to."

Einarson, Sweeting, Birchard and Briane Harris won four straight Scotties Tournament of Hearts and two world championship bronze medals from 2020 to 2023.

On the eve of February's 2024 Hearts in Calgary, Harris was informed she'd tested positive for trace amounts of the banned substance Ligandrol and was provisionally suspended from training and competing with Einarson.

Harris awaits the outcome of her appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Karwacki has played lead for Einarson in the absence of Harris.

McEwen wasn't available to play for Einarson in Alberta, although she's still in Einarson's bullpen.

"She's definitely willing to help us out whenever she can," Einarson said.

"She's amongst all our players. We've got an eight-player team happening here. It's been crazy."

Birchard's injury initially felt like another setback to Einarson, whose team was still coming to terms with the shock of Harris's situation.

"We were all excited to start the season and then all of a sudden got the news from Shannon. We were bummed again and trying to play with three and getting a spare," Einarson said.

"Right after the PointsBet, we sat down and I said 'girls, this is our lineup and we're going to be constantly changing. Let's just embrace it and go out there and love the game that we love and focus on that, instead of focusing on who are we going to get next. Let's go out there, have fun and make some curling shots' and that's exactly what we did when we went to the Slam.

"That's how we're approaching these next events because we don't know what's going to happen. We can't control it so we're just going with what we have."

Einarson dropped her first game in Charlottetown before winning six straight. Beating reigning women's world champion Homan 5-4 in the final was a much-needed boost for Einarson.

"That gave us so much confidence knowing we can still win, we can still do this," the skip said. "It's great to be in the win column again."

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   AROUND THE RINGS: Brad Jacobs picked up his first tournament win with his new team Monday at the Nufloors Penticton Curling Classic. The 2014 Olympic men's champion replaced Brendan Bottcher this season to skip Marc Kennedy, Brett Gallant and Ben Hebert. Jacobs defeated Scott Howard 6-4 in the final . . . Bottcher is currently playing second for Brad Gushue at the Pan Continental championship in Lacombe, Alta., where Bottcher led all players in shooting percentage at his position (91.3) heading into Thursday . . . Kevin Koe went 3-3 and missed the quarterfinals in Penticton with Aaron Sluchinski in the lineup for the first time. Koe had played a three-man team after firing second Jacques Gauthier in September.

   This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 31, 2024.