With the start of a new curling quadrennial, Canadian curling teams have a renewed opportunity to pursue success and reach the podium. Curling Canada is pleased to announce the 15 able-bodied teams—five men’s, five women’s, and five mixed doubles—selected for the National Team Program (NTP).
The refreshed NTP vision aims to keep Curling Canada at the forefront of world-class performance, both now and in the future. When selecting teams, the program emphasized a commitment to regular centralized training, as well as each team’s readiness, availability, and growth mindset for training in a professional, systematic, and data-informed environment. The athletes’ results from past national, international, and tour events were also considered during the selection process.
In each discipline, a development team serves as a transition bridge for teams advancing from the NextGen Program and continuing on the podium pathway toward high-performance competition.
The teams selected for the 2026-27 NTP are:
Women
- Team Rachel Homan (Ottawa)
- Team Kerri Einarson (Gimli, Man.)
- Team Serena Gray-Withers (Edmonton)
- Team Taylor Reese-Hansen (Victoria)
- Team Kayla MacMillan (Victoria) – DEVELOPMENT TEAM
Men
- Team Brad Jacobs (Calgary)
- Team Matt Dunstone (Winnipeg)
- Team Tyler Tardi (Saskatoon)
- Team Brendan Bottcher (Edmonton)
- Team Jordon McDonald (Winnipeg) – DEVELOPMENT TEAM
Mixed Doubles
- Team Jocelyn Peterman/Brett Gallant (Chestermere, Alta.)
- Team Kadriana Lott/Colton Lott (Gimli, Man.)
- Team Serena Gray-Withers/Victor Pietrangelo (Edmonton/Niagara Falls, Ont.)
- Team Rachel Homan/Brendan Bottcher (Beaumont, Alta./Spruce Grove, Alta.)
- Team Kira Brunton/Jacob Horgan (Ottawa/Sudbury, Ont.) – DEVELOPMENT TEAM
“Turning the page to a new quadrennial is always an exciting time for our sport. It gives teams a chance to revamp, reassess, and recommit to their goals while continuing Canada’s longstanding tradition of curling success,” said Curling Canada’s Executive Director of High Performance, David Murdoch. “This transition also allowed Curling Canada to take a broader look at the NTP, integrating our organization’s many supports and systems into a holistic package that will benefit athletes and teams committed to their goals next season and beyond.”
Selected teams will participate in a program designed to optimize training and results through funding, guidance, and comprehensive support. Teams will have access to a High-Performance Integrated Support Team and a range of performance services, including data analytics, physical testing, strength and conditioning, physiotherapy, mental performance, mental health resources, nutrition, and medical support.
Curling Canada’s High-Performance Integrated Support Team includes:
- Viktor Kjell – Women’s Program Manager/National Coach
- Scott Pfeifer – Men’s Program Manager/National Coach
- Jeff Stoughton – Mixed Doubles Program Manager/National Coach
- Shayne Hutchins – Head of Performance Services
- Renée Sonnenberg – Performance Analyst Lead
- Kim Richardson – Performance Therapy Lead
- Gabe Dyck – Performance Strength & Conditioning Coach
- Jorie Janzen – Nutrition Lead
- Kyle Paquette – Mental Performance Lead
For more information on Curling Canada’s High-Performance Program, visit curling.ca.
