The M&M Meat Shops Canadian Junior Men鈥檚 and Women鈥檚 Curling Championships will return to Victoria in 2017, according to sources.
The announcement is expected at a news conference this afternoon at Archie Browning Recreation Centre to reveal the plans for the event that features 14 teams in both categories.
Peter Fassbender, minster of Community, Sports and Cultural Development, will be on hand for the announcement, as well as local organizers and some sa国际传媒 junior reps from years past.
This season鈥檚 championship is set for Jan. 23-31, 2016, at the Stratford Rotary Complex in Ontario, which features the RBC and Molson Arenas. It will mark the first time in the event鈥檚 history that every game of the nine-day tournament will be played on arena ice.
The 2017 championships are expected to utilize both the arena at Archie Browning (which could feature up to five sheets of ice) and the Esquimalt Curling Club, a six-sheeter which is in the same facility.
About 12 hours will be broadcast by TSN and RDS.
Previously known as the Karcher Juniors, the event was played in 2004 at the Juan de Fuca Recreation Centre in Colwood, back when 13 teams played in each category. Chris Baier, of Victoria, represented sa国际传媒 that season and finished at 6-6, sixth in the then 13-team field.
A mixed doubles event is also now incorporated into the tournament.
Teams play a round-robin within their two seven-team pools, leading to a championship pool which eventually advances to weekend playoffs. Teams that don鈥檛 qualify for the championship round compete in a seeding pool to determine rankings for the next season鈥檚 Canadian Juniors. The non-playoff teams participate in the mixed doubles competition.
Big-name former winners of the event include Ed Lukowich; Paul Gowsell (who had Neil Houston, Glen Jackson and Kelly Steame on board); Kevin Martin; Brad Gushue and John Morris (twice). Manitoba鈥檚 Braden Calvert won the last two straight junior men鈥檚 crowns.
Among the former Canadian junior women鈥檚 champions are Jodie and Julie Sutton in 1986 and 1987; Kaitlyn Lawes, Rachel Homan, Heather Nedohin (nee Godberson), Jennifer Jones and Amber Holland.
The winners of the Canadian juniors represent the country at the world junior championships.
