Day 5 at the Scotties: 'Giant-killer' Galusha strikes again in her nationals swan-song
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Kerry Galusha is on her farewell tour at the 2025 Scotties Tournament of Hearts.
Some of those goodbyes include leaving a few decorated bodies in her wake — something the Northwest Territories legend is known to do as a ‘giant-killer’ during her 22 calls to the Canadian women’s curling championship.
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Day 5 at the Scotties: 'Giant-killer' Galusha strikes again in her nationals swan-song Back to video
Take early Monday morning, for instance, as the 47-year-old skip and her team from the Yellowknife Curling Club toppled four-time Scotties champion Kerri Einarson.
“Yeah … we’ve had some upsets,” said Galusha, reflecting on a career that’s ending after these Scotties. She notified the curling world of her forthcoming retirement just ahead of the national finale.
“We’ve beaten Jennifer Jones,” continued Galusha, with a smile. “We’ve beaten Rachel Homan a few times the last few years. And Heather Nedohin. And Amber Holland — she’s now our coach — and she was Team Canada then.
“Yeah, we’ve always had a few upsets as the underdog story.”
Unfortunately, only once in all her visits did she make the playoffs at the Scotties.
That came in 2022, like this year hosted in Thunder Bay, Ont., but without the fans due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Galusha, then the lead, and a strong rink that included fourth Jo-Ann Rizzo, third Sarah Koltun and second Margot Flemming finished with a 5-3 round-robin record and an 8-6 tiebreaker win over Manitoba’s Mackenzie Zacharias before a loss to New Brunswick’s Andrea Crawford — now Kelly with host Northern Ontario — in the playoffs bounced them from the event.
“Being here with my team and making playoffs — even though there weren’t any fans — and making an all-star lead, I was like over the moon … it was so fun,” Galusha said. “And I’ll never forget that.
“But every Scotties has something that I’ll always remember, and there’s 20 of them. So even the relegation years that we didn’t get through — two of those years — we always learned and we always worked harder.
“I have a lot of memories.”
She’s making more this week with a new team in her swan-song visit.
Perhaps the best souvenir is being joined at the national final her 15-year-old daughter, Sydney, who is playing second for mom alongside fellow youngster Ella Skauge at alternate — both making their Scotties debut — and veterans Megan Koehler and Shona Barbour, at third and lead, respectively.
But those big wins are pretty sweet for brain banks, too, especially when they keep you in playoff contention like the 9-6 stunner over Manitoba’s Einarson.
Galusha & Co. were a solid 2-2 after the Monday morning memory and thanks to an earlier significant first win in the week over rival Yukon.
“It’s always nice to get our first win, especially for Sydney and Ella,” said Galusha, after the 14-8 celebration over Yukon’s Bayly Scoffin. “We just keep talking about it with our coach how young Sydney and Ella are. And it’s a tough week … like it’s a tough week for me. I’ve been here 20 times, and it’s tough … even out there now.
“It’s a roller-coaster, and these girls are gonna learn some mental training pretty quick being here.”
And hopefully, take care of the baton Galusha’s passing them for more memorable moments in NWT’s curling future.
“Being from the North, it’s always tough,” Galusha said. “But it’s always fun to cheer for the northern teams, I think, because it’s just hard to grow the sport where we live.
“It really is.”
Making curling work in the Territories has been Galusha’s largest contribution, as she was reminded of Sunday in her Up Close and Personal Q & A session with fans in the Original 16 Patch.
“A lady stood up and had some really nice words, and everyone gave me a standing ovation to send me off,” gushed Galusha. “It’s kind of crazy. I didn’t realize how much of an impact I’ve made living up in the North. Like, I don’t come here and make playoffs every year, and I don’t come win it like Rachel Homan or Jennifer Jones.
“So I guess I have a very different legacy — that being the underdog and working hard and trying to make your dreams come true. And if you work hard, you can make it from the North. And being Indigenous and working with Indigenous youth …
“I guess that’s more my legacy,” continued Galusha. “But it’s much larger than I ever would have thought. So hopefully, I will continue making a difference, even if I’m not on the ice at the Scotties.”
There’s no doubt the ‘giant-killer’ has made enough of a difference already.
“It’s hard — I’m gonna miss it,” added Galusha. “I’m gonna miss the people the most. Like, it’s just so nice to play these ladies out here and see even all of you (media). It’s going to be tough, but I’m going to be around coaching in the future, I think. And you might see me maybe at a mixed doubles. I haven’t tried that yet, but maybe. Sydney and I curled in a mixed doubles league this year, and that was fun. So we’ll see.
“But it’s gonna be really hard. I’m gonna miss it. This is part of my life, coming here and working hard and going to the rink every day. And now, I don’t know what I’m gonna do. It’s gonna be tough.”
EXTRA ENDS
Galusha nearly pulled off the double-win day with another upset. But her raise to take out the shot rock with hammer missed to give Nova Scotia (4-1) an 11-10 victory late Tuesday … Ontario’s Danielle Inglis (4-1) moved to the top of Pool B early Tuesday with a 9-6 win over Yukon. Other early Day 5 games saw: Manitoba’s Kate Cameron double up Quebec’s Laurie St-Georges 12-6, on the strength of a fourth-end steal of five; and Manitoba’s Kaitlyn Lawes thump Newfoundland and Labrador’s Brooke Godsland 13-3 after counting three in three different ends … Tuesday’s afternoon draw of Pool A action saw: Canada’s Rachel Homan (5-0) stay unbeaten with a 7-4 defeat of New Brunswick’s Melissa Adams (2-3); Alberta’s Kayla Skrlik (4-2) use a fantastic runback double-peel to score five in the sixth end for a 10-5 double-up of Saskatchewan’s Nancy Martin (3-3); Alberta’s Selena Sturmay (3-2) ease past Prince Edward Island’s Jane DiCarlo (1-4) 9-4; and Northern Ontario’s Krista McCarville (2-4) top Nunavut’s Julia Weagle (0-5) 8-4 … Also on the evening agenda: Quebec’s St-Georges (4-1) rebounded for an 11-4 win over Newfoundland’s Godsland (0-6); Manitoba’s Lawes (3-3) defeated Yukon’s Scoffin (1-4) 11-4 for a second win on the day; and Einarson (3-2) edged Cameron (3-2) 10-9 in an all-Manitoba battle … Scotties action continues Wednesday with action — all times ET and on TSN — in Draw 13 (9 a.m.), Draw 14 (2 p.m.) and Draw 15 (7 p.m.).
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