Manitoba-Peterson tops Pool B; playoff field set at 2026 Scotties

Manitoba’s Team Beth Peterson clinched first place in Pool B at the 2026 Scotties Tournament of Hearts with a perfect round-robin record.

Skip Kelsey Calvert, third/vice-skip Peterson, second Katherine Remillard, lead Melissa Gordon-Kurz and coach Jill Officer (8-0; Winnipeg) sealed their flawless run with a 7-5 win over Alberta’s Team Selena Sturmay (6-2; Edmonton).

“This is just half the job; we still have to play well in the playoffs, and hopefully, we give ourselves a bit of a run there,” Calvert said.

Manitoba opened with hammer, scoring two by nudging its final stone into one of its own and moving back an Alberta counter. In the second end, Alberta attempted a blank but clipped the Manitoba stone without removing it, surrendering a steal.

Facing pressure in the third, Team Sturmay attempted a precise raise to the four-foot with no backing. Sturmay nearly executed it perfectly, but her rock slid just too far, resulting in a single. Manitoba maintained control of the scoreboard from then on.

This marks Calvert’s second career playoff appearance at the Scotties. She previously played second for Manitoba’s Kate Cameron in 2024, earning a bronze medal.

“I’m playing a completely new position now, so it’s a little bit of a different beast. That experience of playing in big games, provincial finals and all of those games that really matter, I think will help all of us,” Calvert said.

Manitoba-Peterson’s win also determined the remaining playoff rankings in the pool. Nova Scotia’s Team Christina Black (6-2; Halifax) dropped its final round-robin game 7-5 to Alberta’s Team Kayla Skrlik (5-3; Calgary) but secured second place thanks to a head-to-head tiebreaker over Alberta-Sturmay.

The playoffs begin Friday at 1 p.m. (all times Eastern)

Manitoba-Peterson faces Canada’s Team Kerri Einarson (7-1; Gimli, Man.), the Pool A runner-up. Pool A top seed, Manitoba’s Team Kaitlyn Lawes (8-0; Winnipeg), meets Nova Scotia’s Team Black.

“Every game from here on out is going to be tough. The six teams in the playoffs are obviously there for a reason. We’re going to have to be sharp and take advantage of any misses that we may get, but it’s going to be tough,” Calvert said.

The losers of those games have one more chance to reach the Page playoffs at 7 p.m., facing the third seeds: Alberta’s Team Sturmay and Nova Scotia’s Team Taylour Stevens (6-2; Halifax).

In other action, Northern Ontario’s Team Krista Scharf (5-3; Thunder Bay) closed out round-robin play with a 9-4 win over New Brunswick’s Team Mélodie Forsythe (2-6; Fredericton). Prince Edward Island’s Team Amanda Power (2-6; Summerside) earned an 8-5 victory against Newfoundland & Labrador’s Team Mackenzie Mitchell (1-7; St. John’s).

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/.