Moose Jaw to stage 2012 Capital One Canada Cup

The 2012 Capital One Canada Cup of Curling will be staged in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, it was announced today by the Canadian Curling Association (CCA). The Capital One Canada Cup, to be played at new Mosaic Place, November 28-December 2, 2012, will once again bring together seven men’s and seven women’s teams in a round robin format leading to playoffs. The winning teams receive berths into the 2013 Tim Hortons Roar of the Rings (Canadian Curling Trials), December 1-8 in Winnipeg, in addition to earning $26,000. “There is a great deal of excitement about the new venue in Moose Jaw, and the Canadian Curling Association is very pleased to be part of the growing excitement that Mosaic Place is bringing to the community,” commented the CEO of the Canadian Curling Association, Greg Stremlaw. “Given the sheer popularity of our sport within Saskatchewan and the opportunity to hold one of our premier competitions in a new state-of-the-art facility, we feel that the Capital One Canada Cup is an exceptional fit for Moose Jaw.” Now scheduled as the first event in the CCA’s Season of Champions, the Canada Cup will celebrate its 10th edition in Moose Jaw, after being contested in Kamloops, British Columbia from 2003-2008, followed by Yorkton, Saskatchewan in 2009 and Medicine Hat, Alberta in 2010. This year’s renewal, the first one under Capital One Canada title sponsorship, takes place November 30-December 4 in Cranbrook, British Columbia, and will be the first event to qualify two teams directly into the 2013 Trials, which will, in turn, determine Canada’s representatives for the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia. “Moose Jaw is on cloud nine right now,” said Host Committee chair Danielle Sicinski. “To have an amazing new facility for the curlers and a new home for the Warriors and Generals hockey teams, the community is abuzz and cannot stop talking. “We had a great turnout for the recent Men’s and Women’s SaskTour events, and I have been getting phone calls at home and emails from people asking how can they volunteer for the upcoming Saskatchewan Junior Women’s Provincials to be hosted in January. “Things couldn’t be better for us in Moose Jaw, and to bring a Season of Champions event here with Olympic implications that will showcase the top Canadian men’s and women’s teams is really exciting.” Since its inception, the Canada Cup has been won by some of the country’s most successful curling teams. On the men’s side, Kevin Martin (2005, 2006, 2009) and Randy Ferbey (2003, 2004, 2007) are both three-time winners, while Kevin Koe (2008) and Glenn Howard (2010) also emerged victorious. On the women’s side, Shannon Kleibrink (2005, 2009) and Stefanie Lawton (2008, 2010) are two-time Canada Cup winners. The other winners were Sherry Middaugh (2003), Colleen Jones (2004), Cathy King (2006) and Jennifer Jones (2007). For the 2012 Capital One Canada Cup in Moose Jaw, the teams will qualify as follows: as winners of the 2011 Capital One Canada Cup in Cranbrook and as winners of the 2012 Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Red Deer and Tim Hortons Brier in Saskatoon, with the balance for each gender determined by the Canadian Team Ranking System (CTRS) for the 2011-12 season. Located in southern Saskatchewan, Mosaic Place is a 210,000 square foot facility featuring an entertainment/sports bowl, an 8 sheet curling club, banquet and meeting rooms and retail space. Bowl seating is 4,465 for hockey spectators and 5000+ for events & concerts. The bowl also features 21 private suites and 132 club seats. The Moose Jaw Ford Curling Centre features locker rooms and a spacious loft social area overlooking the ice surface. Moose Jaw has hosted several national and international curling championships in past, including the 1979 World Junior Men’s, the 1983 World Women’s and the 1994 Canadian Senior Men’s and Women’s Curling Championships.