Event packages now on sale for Tim Hortons Roar of the Rings in Ottawa

It’s just over a year before the first rock will be thrown at the 2017 Tim Hortons Roar of the Rings in Ottawa, and there’s already plenty of excitement and ticket demand in the nation’s capital. It’s small wonder, considering Canada’s best men’s and women’s curling teams will be chasing their Winter Olympic dreams a year from now, Dec. 2-10, at the Canadian Tire Centre. An amazing 85 per cent of buyers who placed small deposits on Tim Hortons Roar of the Rings event packages during the Tim Hortons Brier last March in Ottawa have converted them into actual purchases of tickets for the Trials, while other pre-sale opportunities to the Ottawa Valley Curling Association and 2016 Tim Hortons Brier customers have also produced significant numbers of purchases. And as of today (Dec. 1), the entire country has a chance to get in on the party in 12 months’ time at the Canadian Tire Centre, where Canada’s men’s and women’s four-player teams for the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea, will be decided. There’s already a hometown team for Ottawa fans to cheer for as two-time Scotties Tournament of Hearts champion Rachel Homan has qualified, as has defending Olympic gold-medallist Jennifer Jones of Winnipeg in the women’s field. On the men’s side, Calgary’s Kevin Koe, who prevailed in the 2016 Tim Hortons Brier last March in Ottawa before going on to win the World Men’s Championship in Basel, Switzerland, is the lone qualifier to date. “The Tim Hortons Roar of the Rings has so much amazing curling and so much pressure at the same time because of what’s at stake; it really is a wonderful event to play in, and to watch as a curling fan,” said Jones. “Winning the 2013 Trials final in our hometown in 2013 was one of our team’s career highlights, and I’m already excited about being able to play in Ottawa in 2017.” Full event packages for the 2017 Tim Hortons Roar of the Rings are now available for purchase at the Canadian Tire Centre Box Office, online at curling.ca/tickets or over the phone at 1-877-788-FANS. There are two options available until Mini Packages go on sale in February. The Full Event Package, going for $549, guarantees the same seat in Levels 100 or 200 for all 24 draws (round robin and playoffs, plus tiebreakers). Meanwhile, the Club Bell Premium Seat package, available for $649, gives you exclusive access to the Club Bell premium seating area. There are only a limited number of seats, starting just nine rows from the ice at the home end. A ticket in Club Bell also gives you access to dedicated bar service, an area to sit and relax between draws and private washrooms. All ticket packages are subject to standard facility and ticket service fees. Nine men’s and nine women’s teams will participate in the Tim Hortons Roar of the Rings. Two more qualifiers will be determined in a few days’ time as the men’s and women’s champions at the 2016 Home Hardware Canada Cup, presented by Meridian Manufacturing, in Brandon, Man., will earn berths. Additionally, the champions of the 2017 Scotties Tournament of Hearts in St. Catharines, Ont., and the 2017 Tim Hortons Brier in St. John’s will earn Trials berths if they also go on to win medals at their respective world championships. By the conclusion of the 2016-17 season, seven men’s and seven women’s teams will be set for the Tim Hortons Roar of the Rings, with the Canadian Team Ranking System determining those who haven’t qualified through the Home Hardware Canada Cup or the Tim Hortons Brier/Scotties Tournament of Hearts. The final four Trials entries — two men’s and two women’s — will be decided at the 2017 Road to the Roar Pre-Trials in Summerside, P.E.I., Nov. 6-12 at Credit Union Place. For the complete Trials qualifying process, go to: https://www.curling.ca/blog/2015/05/14/qualifying-process-for-2017-tim-hortons-roar-of-the-rings-unveiled/