Manitoba-Peterson off to a perfect start at the 2026 Scotties Tournament of Hearts

Beth Peterson is representing Manitoba for the first time at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts, and she and her team are playing with the poise and confidence that have defined the province’s record-setting 16 national titles.

Earning the chance to wear Manitoba’s iconic buffalo crest has been a long-time goal for the Assiniboine Memorial Curling Club squad. While most team members have previously qualified for the Scotties Tournament of Hearts through the Canadian Team Ranking System (CTRS) spots, winning their province outright carries significance.

Even better? The 3-0 start after opening weekend at the 2026 Scotties Tournament of Hearts, which is the position skip Kelsey Calvert, third/vice-skip Beth Peterson, second Katherine Remillard, lead Melissa Gordon-Kurz, and coach Jill Officer find themselves in.

“We knew this was going to be a really tough game tonight, for sure. But we were pretty confident with our play. Provincials was just a couple of weeks ago, so we felt like we were still riding that. It feels really good,” Peterson said.

Team Manitoba-Peterson capped the weekend with a 7-6 extra-end victory over Nova Scotia’s Team Christina Black (2-1; Halifax) on Sunday night at Paramount Fine Foods Centre in Mississauga, Ont.

Without the hammer, Nova Scotia tried to make the most of its final shot by freezing onto a stone in the four-foot. But Black’s draw was heavy, giving Calvert a chance to hit for the win.

“You’re not going to get Christina missing heavy on a draw often, so that’s kind of how we went into that game, is if we get any slight misses, you really just got to jump on them, and we were fortunate enough to get that, and then Kelsey sat and made it perfect, and it was beautiful,” Peterson said.

It’s been a long time coming for Peterson, who has dreamed of representing Manitoba at the Scotties for years. She and her squad finished as runners-up at the provincial championships in both 2024 and 2025. Reaching the final for a third straight season required some mental preparation, which ultimately helped them break through.

“I’m so proud to be wearing these colours and this shirt here today and this week. All of our Manitoba gear, fans and our babies in their yellow sweatsuits,” Peterson said. “I’m just so proud of the whole crew for this adventure.”

A mid-season lineup change also injected new energy into the team. They began the 2025-26 season with Peterson as skip, but after the 2025 Home Hardware Canadian Curling Pre-Trials, Peterson and Calvert swapped roles—a move that revitalized the foursome.

“It’s not just a shot-making thing. Honestly, it’s the chemistry that’s really clicking for us,” Peterson said. “We were just lagging a little bit, whatever it was, and so having this change has kind of brought life back to the team.”

The result was immediate success. Team Peterson defeated Team Kaitlyn Lawes in the Manitoba provincial women’s final, earning the chance to represent their province for the first time. Now, undefeated after opening weekend and leading Pool B, the Manitobans are eager for the week ahead.

Elsewhere Sunday night, Alberta’s Team Selena Sturmay (2-1; Edmonton) cruised to a 15-5 win over Northern Ontario’s Team Krista Scharf (2-1; Thunder Bay). Newfoundland and Labrador’s Team Mackenzie Mitchell (1-2; St. John’s) earned its first victory, 8-2 over Nunavut’s Team Julia Weagle (1-2; Iqaluit). Alberta’s Team Kayla Skrlik (1-1; Calgary) also won, 9-3 against New Brunswick’s Team Mélodie Forsythe (0-2; Fredericton).

The 2026 Scotties Tournament of Hearts continues Monday with draws at 9 a.m., 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. (all times Eastern).

Live scoring, standings and statistics for the 2026 Scotties Tournament of Hearts are available at www.curling.ca/scoreboard/.

TSN and RDS2 will provide complete coverage of the 2026 Scotties Tournament of Hearts. CLICK HERE for the complete schedule.

For ticket information for the 2026 Scotties Tournament of Hearts, go to www.curling.ca/2026cotties/tickets/.

This story will be available in French as soon as possible at www.curling.ca/fr/2026scotties/nouvelles/.