Canadian senior teams secure round-robin pool titles at 2025 World Seniors

With time to spare, both versions of Team Canada have taken care of a significant priority at the 2025 World Senior Curling Championships in Fredericton, N.B.

With wins Wednesday afternoon at Willie O’Ree Place, both the Canadian women’s and Canadian men’s team have locked up first place in their respective round-robin pools with one game apiece left to play.

As you might imagine, neither team plans to let up on the gas pedal as they race toward the playoffs.

Atina Ford Johnston’s women’s team representing clubs in Okotoks, Calgary and Sherwood Park, Alta., improved to 4-0 Wednesday with a 13-1 triumph over New Zealand’s Team Joanna Olszewski (0-4). Team Canada had locked up a playoff berth on Tuesday night, and Wednesday’s win clinched top spot in its five-team pool.

Ford Johnston, whose team is rounded out by vice-skip Shannon Morris, second Sheri Pickering, lead Cori Morris and alternate/coach Lesley McEwan, picked up a big steal of five in the second end after scoring a first-end deuce.

A steal of one in the third made it 8-0 before New Zealand hit the scoreboard.

The Canadians closed it out with three in the fifth and a stolen deuce in the sixth.

Canada will complete its round-robin assignments Thursday at 3 p.m, (all times Eastern) against Hong Kong’s Team Ling-Yue Hung (0-4), and based on Canada’s first four games, suggested, Pickering, don’t expect much in the way of changes in approach or game plans.

“We just do our thing and we’re in our groove and we won’t let up,” she said. “We’re just going to do what we need to do and be as positive as we can going into the next game. It’s one game at a time, one stone at a time.”

Sixteen women’s teams are competing in Fredericton, split into three groups — two of five teams each and one of six. After the five-game round robins (the two five-team groups play a single round-robin crossover game to fill out the schedule) are complete, the top two teams from each group will advance to the quarterfinals set for Friday at 8 a.m., along with the two third-place teams with the best Last-Shot Draw totals.

The Albertans crossed a significant hurdle when they won gold at the 2024 Canadian Senior Championships in December just down the road in Moncton, and that experience should prove beneficial in Fredericton.

“We’re just more comfortable (with dealing with playoff pressure),” said Pickering. “I think when we get to the playoffs or in a final game, I think we really bear down. Just stay in the moment and don’t let anything get us down — just always keep positive, and have some fun.”

On the men’s side, Randy Bryden’s men’s side ran its win streak to five by dispatching Team Bill Gray of Ireland (1-4) 9-4.

The win not only locked up first place, it secured Canada a bye to the quarterfinal. There are five pool winners, but only four get byes directly to the final eight based on Last Shot Draw totals, and Canada will finish in the top four.

Bryden, backed up by vice-skip Troy Robinson, second Russ Bryden, lead Chris Semenchuck and alternate Glen Hill, was actually trailing Wednesday after surrendering a stolen point to the Irish in the first end, but rallied immediately with four in the second end.

Canada held Ireland to singles in the third and fifth ends, while scoring two in the fourth and three in the sixth en route to the victory.

Having the first-round bye was one of the team’s goals, said Randy Bryden, as it looks to extend Canada’s win streak at the World Senior Men’s to six straight years.

“We’ve never been to the worlds, and I see the records of the of the other Team Canadas that have been here,” said Bryden. “They’ve all had success so it’s like, ‘OK, well we have to go do the same thing but, you know, you’ve never curled against any of these people, and we haven’t played for a while. But we’ve been playing well and hopefully we can keep that going.”

Canada’s final round-robin game is Thursday at 11 a.m. against Team Bob Bomas of the Netherlands (2-2), its final tuneup for the quarterfinals that take place Friday at noon, and Bryden said his vice-skip will keep the team focused.

“Troy will make sure that we’re ready,” said Bryden with a chuckle. “He doesn’t want us to drop the ball or anything. You still have to keep focused. I mean come Friday you’re gonna play some teams (who’ve had success in other pools). I mean, we got some breaks here and there. When we get in a little trouble on Friday, we can’t anticipate (getting similar breaks). We’re playing well now; we just have to keep it going.”

There are 31 men’s teams competing in Fredericton, split into five pools — one with seven teams and four with six. Following the round robins in each group, the top two teams in each group plus the two third-place teams with the best Last-Shot Draw totals will reach the playoffs.

The four pool winners with the best Last-Shot Draw totals will get byes to the quarterfinals, while other eight teams will start in the playoff qualification round.

The women’s and men’s semifinals will take place Friday at 6:30 p.m., with the winners playing for gold and the losers for bronze Saturday at 9 a.m.

There is no streaming coverage planned for the World Senior Championships. For the latest scores, draw and list of teams, CLICK HERE.