So far Kerri Einarson of Gimli, Manitoba has been very resilient to begin the 2024 Scotties Tournament of Heats in Calgary. On Friday, it was announced by Curling Canada that Einarson’s lead Briane Harris was ineligible to participate, and then on Saturday, Team Canada improved to a record of two wins and zero losses following a 7-4 win over Northern Ontario’s Krista McCarville.
It was a strong start for Einarson’s squad, who now has Krysten Karwacki of Winnipeg, Manitoba as her lead. She jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second end, as she stole three points. Then in the ninth end and leading 6-4, Einarson’s team came through with a huge steal and won by three points.
So far Team Canada is one of three teams that have a perfect record of two wins and zero losses. The other two are Alberta and Saskatchewan. Alberta beat Prince Edward Island 8-3 on Saturday, while Saskatchewan beat Manitoba 8-6. The fact that Manitoba’s Kaitlyn Lawes is 0-2 so far is downright stunning.
Let’s not kid ourselves the biggest story at the 2024 Scotties to date is that of Harris. On Saturday she was the person trending most on X (previously Twitter). Until Curling Canada puts out more of a definitive statement as to why she is not competing in Calgary, the speculation and rumours will continue.