|
|
2005 Canadian Curling Trials/Canada Cup announcements
CCA ANNOUNCES ALLOCATION OF CANADIAN CURLING TRIALS BERTHS FOR 2005
and NEW CANADA CUP QUALIFYING PROCESS
(OTTAWA) May 26, 2003 - The allocation of the final berths for the 2005 Canadian Curling Trials and a revamped qualification system for the 2004 and 2005 Canada Cup were announced today by the Canadian Curling Association (CCA), in conjunction with the Canada Cup organizing committee from Kamloops.
The site of the 2005 Trials has yet to be determined, however, the competition will be held tentatively December 3-11, 2005, involving 10 women's and 10 men's teams in a round-robin preliminary followed by the top three teams in a sudden-death elimination. The respective winners of the 2005 Canadian Curling Trials will be nominated to represent Canada at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy.
Two men's and two women's teams (listed below) have already qualified for the 2005 Canadian Curling Trials.
Women
Sherry Middaugh Winner of the 2003 Canada Cup
Colleen Jones Winner of the 2003 Scott Tournament of Hearts
Men
Randy Ferbey Winner of the 2003 Canada Cup
Mark Dacey Runner-up at the 2003 Nokia Brier
The additional eight men's and eight women's teams will be determined in the following manner:
Women
One berth Canada Cup 2004
One berth Scott Tournament of Hearts 2004
One berth Canadian Team Ranking System (Sept '03 - April '04)
One berth Canada Cup East 2004 (new event - December 2004)
One berth Canada Cup West 2004 (new event - December 2004)
One berth Canada Cup 2005
One berth Scott Tournament of Hearts 2005
One berth Canadian Team Ranking System (Sept '04 - April '05)
Men
One berth Canada Cup 2004
One berth Nokia Brier 2004
One berth Canadian Team Ranking System (Sept '03 - April '04)
One berth Canada Cup East (new event - December 2004)
One berth Canada Cup West (new event - December 2004)
One berth Canada Cup 2005
One berth Nokia Brier 2005
One berth Canadian Team Ranking System (Sept '04 - April '05)
CCA President Maureen Miller, in making the announcement about the Canadian Curling Trials qualification process, said "We feel the use of The Scott Tournament of Hearts, Nokia Brier, Canada Cup and the Canada Cup Bonspiel Series as events through which teams will qualify for the Canadian Curling Trials provides all curlers in Canada with an equal and fair opportunity to become part of that process."
2004 Canada Cup
The 2004 Canada Cup Presented by Strauss Herb Co. will be played in Kamloops January 6th - 11th.
Teams may qualify from any of the four regions. A team's best three results from the Canada Cup Bonspiel Series events will determine Canada Cup qualification. Of the best three results, a minimum of two must come from events within the region being represented. The 2004 Canada Cup will send one men's team and one women's team to the 2005 Canadian Curling Trials; however, to earn this berth, the team(s) must finish in the top three at the conclusion of championship play.
Women - Eligible Bonspiels for Regional Qualification to the 2004 Canada Cup - 2003/2004
There are four women's spots available from the Canada Cup Bonspiel Series for the 2004 Canada Cup:
Atlantic Region (Newfoundland & Labrador, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island)
A total of four bonspiels, one spot available:
- Sobey's Curling Classic New Glasgow, NS
- Alexander Keith's Curling Classic Halifax, NS
- Jean Greenbank-Martin Memorial Classic Fredericton, NB
- Rodd Pepsi Classic Charlottetown, PEI
Central Region (Ontario, Quebec, Nunavut)
A total of five bonspiels, one spot available:
- Montreal Open Montreal, QC
- Cowan Wright Beauchamp Ottawa. ON
- Bacardi Rum Cashspiel Brampton, ON
- Southwestern Ontario Women's Curling Cashspiel London and area, ON
- BDO Cashspiel Hamilton, ON
Prairie Region (Manitoba, Saskatchewan)
A total of six bonspiels, one spot available:
- Park Town Ladies Curling Classic Saskatoon, SK
- Nipawin Evergreen Classic Nipawin, SK
- SaskPower Schmirler Women's Curling Classic Regina, SK
- Three Manitoba bonspiels to be determined
Mountain Region (BC, Alberta, Northwest Territories and Yukon)
A total of seven bonspiels, one spot available:
- Community Savings Ladies Classic Bonspiel Red Deer, AB
- Husky Oil Autumn Gold Invitation Curling Classic Calgary, Alberta
- Pot-O-Gold Ladies Bonspiel Lethbridge, AB
- Prestige Inns Classic Vernon, BC
- Thompson Hotel Crown of Curling Kamloops, BC
- Jackson Dodge Charity Classic Medicine Hat, AB
- Abbotsford Curling Classic Abbotsford, BC
In addition to the four regional spots available for the 2004 Canada Cup, three berths will be awarded to the three leading money winners on the Canada Cup Bonspiel Series (based on events Sept. 1, 2003 to Dec. 8, 2003) that have not already earned berths to the 2004 Canada Cup. The 2004 Canada Cup will also include defending champion Sherry Middaugh, 2003 Scott Tournament of Hearts winner Colleen Jones and 2003 Scott Tournament of Hearts runner-up Cathy Cunningham.
Men - Eligible Bonspiels for Regional Qualification to the 2004 Canada Cup - 2003/2004
There are four spots available from the Canada Cup Bonspiel Series for the 2004 Canada Cup of which one has already been awarded:
Atlantic Region (Newfoundland & Labrador, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island)
The Atlantic Canada Tour berth for the 2004 Canada Cup has already been determined - Russ Howard.
Central Region (Ontario, Quebec, Nunavut)
A total of five bonspiels, one spot available:
- Shorty Jenkins Classic Brockville, ON
- Parliament Cup Ottawa, ON
- North Bay Classic North Bay, ON
- Bacardi Rum Cashspiel Brampton, ON
- Cowan Wright Beauchamp Ottawa, ON
Prairie Region (Manitoba, Saskatchewan)
A total of eight bonspiels, one spot available:>
- Painted Hand Classic Yorkton, SK
- Point Optical Classic > Saskatoon, SK
- Nipawin Evergreen Curling Classic Nipawin, SK
- SGI Canada Charity Classic Regina, SK
- Four Manitoba bonspiels to be determined
Mountain Region (BC, Alberta, Northwest Territories) and Yukon)
A total of ten bonspiels, one spot available:
- Prestige Inns Classic Vernon, BC
- BDO Cashspiel Kelowna, BC
- Abbotsford Curling Classic Abbotsford, BC
- Thompson Hotel Crown of Curling Kamloops, BC
- Jackson Dodge Charity Classic Medicine Hat, AB
- Olds Classic Olds, AB
- Merrill Lynch Rainbow Cashspiel Lethbridge, AB
- Terroco Curling Classic Red Deer, AB
- Wayside Inn Classic Lloydminster, AB
- Allied Windows Westcoast Curling Classic New Westminster, BC
In addition to the three spots still available from the Canada Cup Bonspiel Series, the 2004 Canada Cup will also include defending champion Randy Ferbey, 2003 Nokia Brier runner-up Mark Dacey, 2002/03 Atlantic Curling Tour champion Russ Howard, winners of the McCain SuperSpiels East and West, and the top two money winners from the 2004 Canada Cup Bonspiel Series that have not already earned berths to the 2004 Canada Cup.
2004 Scott Tournament of Hearts and Nokia Brier
These national curling championships in 2004 will determine one team each for the 2005 Canadian Curling Trials. To earn the Trials berth, the eligible team must finish in the top three at the conclusion of the championship. Should either championship fail to declare a team for the Trials, the berth would be filled by the next available team from the Canadian Team Ranking System.
2005 Canada Cup
The Canada Cup organizing committee in conjunction with the CCA announced that the dates for the Canada Cup in 2005 would be March 15-20 and the system used for qualifying would be expanded and enhanced.
"It is a desire of both our host group and the CCA to give all curlers in Canada every possible opportunity to qualify for the Canada Cup. To achieve that objective we have made some sweeping changes to the qualification system that we are very excited about," commented Canada Cup host committee President, Norm Daley.
The 2005 Canada Cup will continue to involve 10 women's and 10 men's teams, with guaranteed berths in each section going to the 2004 Canada Cup champions along with the winners of the 2004 Scott Tournament of Hearts and the 2004 Nokia Brier.
However, the major change will see two new events introduced in December 2004, to be known as Canada Cup East and Canada Cup West - for both men and women - at sites to be determined. Each of these events will qualify four men's and four women's teams for the Canada Cup in March of 2005 as well as offering four berths in the Canadian Curling Trials for the winners of these events both East and West and both men and women!
To earn the Trials berth, the eligible team must finish in the top three at the conclusion of these events. Should either event fail to declare a team for the Trials, the berth would be filled by the next available team from the Canadian Team Ranking System.
Each of the Canada Cup East and West qualifying events will be comprised of 32 men's teams and 24 women's teams. These events will be run as triple knock-outs with 8 qualifiers with the final four automatically qualifying for the Canada Cup and the winner earning the coveted Trials berth.
Teams will qualify for the 2004 Canada Cup East and West as follows:
1. Men and women 2004 provincial/territorial champions (the team finishing as the runner up to the provincial/territorial champion who is the eventual Canadian Champion will be invited to Canada Cup East or West);>
2. Winners of designated bonspiels within the four regions of the Canada Cup Bonspiel Series;
3. Teams accumulating the most points from Canada Cup Bonspiel Series events within a region who have not won a designated qualifying event; and,
4. Three teams accumulating the highest point totals from designated events within the Canada Cup Bonspiel Series who have not qualified through the three opportunities identified above - "Best of the Rest".
Field for the 2004 Canada Cup East
Men - 32 Teams
1. 2004 Provincial/Territorial Men's Champions - 7 teams
2. Atlantic Region - 6 teams
3. Central Region - 16 spots
4. "Best of the Rest" - 3 teams
Women - 24 Teams
1. 2004 Provincial/Territorial Women's Champions - 6 teams
2. Atlantic Region - 4 teams
3. Central Region - 11 teams
4. "Best of the Rest" - 3 teams
Field for the 2004 Canada Cup West
Men - 32 Teams
1. 2004 Provincial/Territorial Men's Champions - 5 teams
2. Prairie Region - 12 teams
3. Mountain Region - 12 teams
4. "Best of the Rest" - 3 teams
Women - 24 Teams
1. 2004 Provincial/Territorial Women's Champions - 5 teams
2. Prairie Region - 8 teams
3. Mountain Region - 8 teams
4. "Best of the Rest" - 3 teams
Canadian Team Ranking System
The Canadian Team Ranking System will track points earned during the September 1, 2003 to April 30, 2004 and the September 1, 2004 to April 30, 2005 time frames. These points will be based on cash earned in Canada Cup Bonspiel Series events and the provincial / territorial playdowns, the Nokia Brier, the Scott Tournament of Hearts and the Ford World Curling Championships.
This system will be used to identify two teams for both men and women directly to the 2005 Canadian Curling Trials and will also be used to identify teams should other designated events be unable to meet the 'top three finish' criteria.