Five surprises so far at the 2025 Scotties

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Surprise, surprise! When it comes to the Scotties Tournament of Hearts, there’s always one or two — or more — that make the 10-day-long national curling championship a little more interesting and exciting.

That’s no exception at this year’s edition in Thunder Bay, Ont., with plenty of revelations to keep us guessing as to how the women’s finale shapes itself late.

The only constant is the one most pundits predicted — Canada’s Rachel Homan continuing to be a wrecking ball at the Scotties. After two wins on Wednesday, her rink has 18 straight victories at the championship, dating back to the beginning of last winter’s round robin in Calgary.

Otherwise, there have been at least a handful of surprises on the table on the shore of Lake Superior.

Here’s our take on five of those fuelling the excitement heading into the final day of round-robin play — and beyond into playoffs — at the 2025 Scotties:

EINARSON’S STRUGGLES

The four-time Scotties winner is at 4-2 … it’s true. But how Manitoba’s Kerri Einarson has managed to stay on the top side of .500 is another story.

After losing a pair of 9-6 games to Québec’s Laurie St-Georges and the Northwest Territories’ Kerry Galusha to drop them to 2-2, they’ve mounted crazy comebacks in wins over Manitoba’s Kate Cameron — 10-9 — and Nova Scotia’s Christina Black — 9-6 — after trailing 7-2 and 5-1, respectively, following five ends.

Credit the rallies mainly to the championship experience and positive energy of Einarson and longtime third Val Sweeting.

But even they can’t continue to play just half-games and expect a return to Canada’s curling queen-hood.

WHAT CAN BROWN DO FOR YOU?

Corryn Brown has delivered a successful Scotties so far.

As one curling pundit put it, “Team Brown looks like they have put more time in.”

The record of the B.C. champs reflects just that, as the 5-2 mark looks awfully strong and is actually playoff worthy, as they clinched late Wednesday.

They have won the ones they should have, losing only to Alberta’s Kayla Skrlik early — on the last rock in a 9-8 decision — and to Canada late — in a tight 7-5 affair.

And already with a playoff spot from Pool A, Team Brown from Kamloops wraps up the round robin Thursday with an afternoon game against one-win Prince Edward Island.

BROOMGATE SWEPT AWAY?

There were worries among the curlers a pre-tournament verbal — but not consensually signed — agreement not to use the controversial black-foam broom-heads would be tested.

That hasn’t been the case, though.

Instead, all teams have consented to this point, which has kept the predictability of shots in the hands of the curlers themselves — aside, of course, from some of the early-event straight-ice issues, but even that has been straightened out with the ice crew working hard to get better curl into the ice.

So Broomgate 2.0? That has been put on hold — thankfully — until somebody thinks they really need to break the code to sweep into a playoff spot or onto the title in T-Bay.

LAWES BROKEN

Manitoba’s Kaitlyn Lawes and her rink have scuffled in T-Bay.

That’s not what was expected of a team with plenty of talent and credentials coming into the event.

After a 1-3 start to the Scotties, it has been better lately for the Winnipeg curlers, as they have won three consecutive draws to put them in the positive at 4-3.

But Lawes & Co. have Einarson on the agenda to wrap up the round robin late Thursday. Even if they win that one — tough, given Einarson herself is still fighting to make the playoff — it might not be enough to make the weekend from a pretty packed Pool B.

INGLIS IGNITED

Homan’s success has given Danielle Inglis the chance to represent Ontario last year and this year at the Scotties.

The experience last winter in Calgary has seemingly helped Team Inglis get comfortable at the Canadian championship, enough so that she’s improved vastly at this finale and put herself in a serious spot to make playoffs.

At 5-1, it’s indeed looking good for the Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club foursome, which has become a pleasant surprise in search of weekend action.

But the final day of the round robin won’t be easy Thursday, with games against Einarson — again still scrapping to grab a playoff spot, as well — and NWT — with skip Galusha in her much-hyped swan-song draw before retiring from women’s team curling.

tsaelhof@postmedia.com

http://www.x.com/ToddSaelhofPM