Canadian Olympic Curling Trials 2021: Odds, predictions for 2022 Winter Olympics

After months of preparation and qualifying it comes down to just nine days on the sheets. 

Beginning on Sunday, Nov. 20, nine women's and nine men's rinks will hit the SaskTel Centre in Saskatoon, Sask., at the 2021 Tim Hortons Curling Trials. After a heated round-robin, just three teams will advance to the playoffs. In the end, one team from each side will remain standing and will become Team Canada at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.

MORE: How did teams qualify for Canada's Olympic Trials?

A heated round-robin may not justify how much of a battle the trials will be. The tournament features the best of the best when it comes to Canadian curling including Scotties and Brier champs and former Olympians — including gold medalists Jennifer Jones and Brad Jacobs from 2014.

Curling hasn't been aorund for very long at the Olympics as it was brought back for the 1998 Winter Games at Nagano, Japan. And, regardless of who will be donning the maple leaf, Canada is poised for another podium.

CURLING TRIALS ODDS: Men | Women

SN's 2021 Tim Hortons Curling Trials dark horses

Women: Team Jennifer Jones

Can you call the the rink a dark horse if they won in gold in 2014 by going a perfect 11-0? Probably not, but with the competition as stiff at is it, Jones and Co. will have their work cut out for them. Oh, and that 11-0 was the first time a women's team ran the table. 

"You can never count out Jenn Jones in a major event, and certainly not the Trials," noted TSN's analyst Cheryl Bernard in their preview. "When you have played the game for a long time and have been there and 'done that' it can be tough to get up for the everyday events. This is certainly not an everyday event and as an Olympic Gold medalist — she knows what is at stake. Complacency will not be an issue.

"This team will win the Trials if the middle of the lineup sets up Jenn for some easier shots and guards against her having to make the 'hero' type shots too often. And if Jenn can limit her aggressive style of play for the first few games, until her team settles in, she will avoid getting her back against the wall too early at the Trials."

Jones is a six-time Canadian champ, winning the Scotties Tournament of Hearts most recently in 2018. She is bringing a strong team to Saskatoon with 2012 Canadian Junior champ Jocelyn Peterman, 2014 gold medallists Kaitlyn Lawes (vice-skip) and Dawn McEwen(lead) and 2018 Olympian Lisa Weagle (lead). In 2018, Lawes won gold in mixed doubles with John Morris.

Men: Team Kevin Koe

Koe and Co. were Canada's men's representatives in 2018 and left emptyhanded after losing to the eventual champs from the United States (Team Shuster) in the semis and Switzerland in the bronze-medal match. A four-time Brier champ, the Calgary, Alta.-based squad almost won the 2021 tournament as a wild card, losing to fellow Albertans, Team Bottcher, in the final. 

The team is poised for a solid run at another sporting the Red and White, although there have been a few tweaks to the lineup since the last Olympics. The only player returning alongside the skip Koe from 2018's Team Canada crew is Ben Hebert (lead); he also won gold in 2010. Morris, who, as previously mentioned, won gold with Lawes in mixed doubles last Winter Olympics and gold with Kevin Martin's team in Vancouver, will be second. Rounding out the squad is B.J Neufeld (third) and alternate Denni Neufeld.

CANADA CURLING:
Einarson, Canada win Scotties | Bottcher, Alberta win Brier | Einarson, Gushue win mixed doubles

SN's 2021 Tim Hortons Curling Trials predictions

Women: Team Kerri Einarson

Kerri Einarson knows how to make gutsy throws with pinpoint accuracy. She did just that leading her squad from Manitoba to back-to-back Scotties titles. She did that winning gold at the Canadian Mixed Doubles championship with Brad Gushue and she did just that winning the 2021 Players' Championship. There is no doubt Einarson is one of the rinks to beat at this year's trials.

The skip brings along with her a strong squad including Val Sweeting (third) who skipped a Trials team in 2017, Shannon Birchard (second) and Brianne Meilleur (lead). This team has been together for a while — since the 2018-19 season — and know how to not only work together but win together too.

Men: Team Brad Gushue

Canada's representative in Torino back in 2006 — where he won gold — Gushue is aiming for a return. The Newfoundland squad is coming off a win at the Grand Slam of Curling's National against Scotland in Gushue's 22nd career Grand Slam finals. He's heading to the trials with a team he's been with since the 2014-15 season: Mark Nichols (third), Brett Gallant (second) and Geoff Walker (lead). Nichols was also a part of the Torino gold-medal winning rink.The team has three Brier wins and in 2021, the team has won 16 of 17.

QUALIFYING RESULTS: Direct-Entry |  Pre-Trials Direct-Entry | Pre-Trials results

2021 Tim Hortons Curling Trials

Team Fleury tops the charts on the women's side after winning 30 of 35 games and three of five events in 2021. As memntioned, Team Gushue is coming off a win at the Grand Slam of Curling's National against Scotland.

Odds courtesy of Sports Interaction

Women's

Men's