Grand Slam of Curling season opens with new broadcast crew, Medicine Hat stop set for November
The five-event Grand Slam circuit kicks off this week under a revamped broadcast lineup, with one stop scheduled for Medicine Hat and Alberta skips Brendan Bottcher and Kevin Koe in the men's field.
The Grand Slam of Curling season opens Tuesday at the Co-op Invitational in Victoria with a reshaped broadcast team following the retirement of longtime Sportsnet host Rob Faulds and the departure of analysts Kevin Martin and Mike Harris from their prior roles. The Curling Group has added newcomer Darren Dupont alongside John Cullen for host and play-by-play duties, while Jennifer Jones returns as an analyst joined by Joanne Courtney, Brad Gushue and Brent Laing.
Sportsnet remains the main domestic rights-holder, with CBC now carrying some Saturday draws and select Sunday finals, and morning weekday draws streaming on the subscription Rock Channel. Internationally, coverage will air on ESPN+ in the United States and on DAZN elsewhere, with one Thursday matchup between American Danny Casper and Winnipeg's Matt Dunstone also slated for ESPNU.
The five-stop GSOC circuit runs through the fall, including the Nov. 3-8 GSOC Masters in Medicine Hat, followed by events in Sydney, N.S., Thunder Bay and Kingston. Gushue, who retired earlier this year and now serves as USA Curling's high-performance director, said he expects an adjustment period as he learns the analyst role, while Laing makes his live television debut after two seasons on streaming broadcasts.
The men's 16-team field includes Edmonton's Brendan Bottcher and Calgary's Kevin Koe alongside Dunstone, John Epping and reigning Olympic champion Brad Jacobs. The women's season-opening draw features four Canadian teams, including Kerri Einarson, Kayla MacMillan, Rachel Homan and Taylor Reese-Hansen.
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