Get ready for an action-packed Friday at the 2026 Crown Royal Players' Championship! The stakes are high as we head into the final draws for pool play, and only the best will advance to the prestigious Grand Slam of Curling playoffs.
The Battle for the Playoffs: Who Will Make the Cut?
In this intense competition, only six teams from each division will secure their spot in the playoffs. With so much at stake, the tension is palpable.
Stream all the thrilling moments live on watch.rockchannel.com, and catch the Canadian broadcast on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+ starting with Draw 9 at 1 p.m. ET / Noon CT. Stay tuned for the latest results throughout the day!
Must-See Matches: Canada vs. Sweden and Beyond
One of the most anticipated matchups is between Canada's Team Rachel Homan and Sweden's Team Anna Hasselborg. These two powerhouses will face off again in Draw 13 (1 p.m. ET / noon CT), and it's sure to be a nail-biter. Homan, with a record of 1-0-0-2 and three points, needs a win to stay in the running. Meanwhile, Hasselborg (1-1-1-1, six points) has experienced a mix of results this week but a regulation win could be a game-changer.
Hasselborg's team is also in a tight race to represent Sweden at the World Women's Curling Championship, trailing Team Isabella Wranå in the points race. Wranå entered the week with a significant lead, so Hasselborg needs to qualify for the playoffs here to stay in contention.
Another busy day awaits Team Matt Dunstone (0-2-0-1, four points), who will take on Italy's Team Joël Retornaz at noon and Scotland's Team Ross Whyte in the evening.
Don't forget, Draw 15 is already sold out, so if you have a ticket, consider yourself lucky!
The Playoff Picture: An Abstract Puzzle
As of now, the playoff picture is as confusing as an abstract painting. On the women's side, no team has qualified yet, and only Team Ikue Kitazawa and Team Momoha Tabata have been eliminated.
On the men's side, three teams have already secured their spots. Here's a breakdown of the men's division:
- Team Kyle Waddell (3-2-0-0, 13 points): The undefeated Scottish squad has earned a bye to the semifinals with their impressive 7-6 shootout win in Draw 12 against Whyte.
- Team Xu Xiaoming (3-1-0-1, 11 points): Xu has qualified for the playoffs in a Grand Slam for the first time after defeating Edin 8-7 in Draw 12.
- Team Yannick Schwaller (3-0-1-0, 10 points): Schwaller's team is in, as a maximum of six teams can reach 10 or more points.
The race for the final three spots is intense, with Team Joël Retornaz (2-1-1-0, nine points), Team Ross Whyte (2-0-2-0, eight points), Team Bruce Mouat (2-1-0-1, eight points), Team Matt Dunstone (0-2-0-1, four points), and Team John Shuster (1-0-0-2, three points) all in the mix.
Eliminated teams on the men's side include Team Daniel Casper, Team Mike McEwen, Team Brad Jacobs, and Team Niklas Edin.
On the women's side, almost every team is still in the running for one of the six spots. Here's a look at the teams still in contention:
- Team Eun-ji Gim (3-0-0-1, nine points)
- Team Tabitha Peterson (2-1-1-0, nine points)
- Team Silvana Tirinzoni (2-1-0-0, eight points)
- Team Satsuki Fujisawa (2-1-0-2, eight points)
- Team Anna Hasselborg (1-1-1-1, six points)
- Team Kerri Einarson (2-0-0-2, six points)
- Team Sayaka Yoshimura (2-0-0-2, six points)
- Team Xenia Schwaller (1-0-2-1, five points)
- Team Isabella Wranå (1-1-0-2, five points)
- Team Rachel Homan (1-0-0-2, three points)
Friday's Schedule and Results
Draw 12:
- Xu 8, Edin 7: Watch Replay (Cantonese commentary) | Linescore
- Waddell 7, Whyte 6 (shootout): Watch Replay | Linescore
- Einarson 6, Kitazawa 3: Watch Replay | Linescore
- Fujisawa 5, Peterson 4 (shootout): Watch Replay | Linescore
Draw 13:
- Tirinzoni vs. Yoshimura: Watch Live | Linescore
- Homan vs. Hasselborg: Watch Live | Linescore
- Casper vs. Shuster: Watch Live | Linescore
- Dunstone vs. Retornaz: Watch Live | Linescore
Draw 14:
- Gim vs. Tabata: Watch Live | Linescore
- X. Schwaller vs. Wranå: Watch Live | Linescore
- Mouat vs. Y. Schwaller: Watch Live | Linescore
- Jacobs vs. McEwen: Watch Live | Linescore
Draw 15:
- Dunstone vs. Whyte: Watch Live | Linescore
- Shuster vs. Edin: Watch Live | Linescore
- Homan vs. Peterson: Watch Live | Linescore
- Tirinzoni vs. Einarson: Watch Live | Linescore
About the Event
The Crown Royal Players' Championship is the final Grand Slam of Curling event for the season, bringing together 12 of the top men's teams and 12 of the top women's teams from around the globe.
Both divisions are divided into two pools of six for round-robin play. The top six teams overall will advance to the playoffs, with the top two teams receiving byes to the semifinals. If needed, a tiebreaker round will be played on Saturday.
During the round-robin stage, if a game is tied after eight ends, a draw-to-the-button shootout will determine the winner. Teams receive three points for a regulation win, two points for a shootout win, and one point for a shootout loss.
Extra ends will be played instead of shootouts during the tiebreakers and playoffs. The quarterfinals and semifinals are scheduled for Saturday, with both finals taking place on Sunday.
So, who do you think will make it to the playoffs? And will any underdogs surprise us all? Let's discuss in the comments!
