The PBI is back for edition three
The “PointsBet” is back, but it’s no longer the official annual TSN Curling season kickoff.
Just days ago, TSN partnered with America’s CBS Sports production of the brand new North American Curling Club Championship.
That debut event was different; likewise for the third edition of the PointsBet Invitational, now underway at the WinSport Event Centre in Calgary.
To remind one and all:
• It’s a single-knockout event—one loss and you’re gone
• Canadian fours teams are the combatants—32 of them in total, 16 women’s and 16 men’s.
• Invited teams include reigning champions in Canada’s college and university playdowns, as well as national junior champs and the current club winners.
• The prize purse is delicious, with $350,000 up for grabs. Ottawa’s Team Rachel Homan cashed the big $50,000 cheque last season as did the defending men’s champs from Winnipeg skipped by Reid Carruthers, who are gunning for a third win in a row—which would mean a three-year, 12-game win haul of $150,000.
• Past sideshows have been dropped from this edition, e.g. the million-dollar betting prize and celebrity match (past celebs have included Olympic sprint legend Donovan Bailey and NHL hockey star Shayne Corson).
• There’s no extra ends; a tied score after eight frames means a sudden-death draw to the button.
• There’s a new Sky Deck in the arena for spectators, offering a great view of the action and “a new fan experience with different themes and surroundings, and so much more.”
Despite the event features some might describe as “gimmicky” the curling action itself has been intriguing, and has offered armchair curling strategists plenty to consider.
The first women’s draw is now underway (Wednesday 3:00 p.m. ET on TSN) and features defending champions Team Homan against the young Concordia squad skipped by Gabby Wood.
Who wants some predicted matchups for Wednesday’s first round of men’s TSN game coverage (8:00 p.m. ET)?
Brad Jacobs now skips the former Team Bottcher and while that squad is expected to defeat Toronto Humber College’s Jacob Dobson in their first game, the broadcaster might choose to highlight this new-look foursome.
Brad Gushue vs new North American club champ Ryan Sherrard would work, as would defending PBI champion Carruthers against Quebec’s Felix Asselin, who has former Brier-winning skip Jean-Michel Ménard back in men’s fours play.
What about Team Koe? They made news yesterday by dismissing a player and will play three-man in Calgary, starting with a matchup against Regina’s U Sports winner Josh Bryden.
POSTSCRIPT: TSN went with an all-Winnipeg battle between Matt Dunstone and 2023 Canadian Juniors finalist Jordan McDonald... and the young upstarts won.
Here’s what our editor thought of the very first PBI event two years ago…