Scotties Tournament of Hearts 2026 Standings, Schedule, Teams, and What to Watch as the Playoffs Begin in Mississauga

The Scotties Tournament of Hearts 2026 has reached its turning point: the round-robin portion is complete, the field has narrowed, and the playoff path to the national title begins today, January 30, in Mississauga, Ontario. All start times below are listed in Eastern Time.

With two-time defending champion Rachel Homan not in the Scotties field this year, the bracket has felt unusually open—yet the results have produced two clear front-runners heading into the weekend: the Manitoba rinks labeled “Lawes” and “Peterson,” both delivering dominant runs through pool play.

Scotties 2026 standings: final pool leaders and playoff qualifiers

Six teams advance out of the two pools. Pool A produced a perfect record at the top, while Pool B set up a tight battle behind an undefeated leader.

Notable near-misses and storylines:

• Ontario (Hailey Armstrong) finished 5–3 and did not advance, a reminder of how unforgiving the pool format can be.

• British Columbia (Taylor Reese-Hansen) ended 3–5, showing flashes but falling short in the tight middle of Pool A.

Scotties Tournament of Hearts 2026 schedule: playoff weekend in ET

The tournament runs January 23 through February 1 at Paramount Fine Foods Centre. The round robin wrapped on Thursday night; the event now shifts to its playoff ladder.

Key playoff sessions:

• Friday, January 30 — 1:00 PM ET: Page 1/2 Qualifiers

• Friday, January 30 — 7:00 PM ET: Page 3/4 Qualifiers

• Saturday, January 31 — 1:00 PM ET: Page 3/4 Game

• Saturday, January 31 — 7:00 PM ET: Page 1/2 Game

• Sunday, February 1 — 1:00 PM ET: Semifinal

• Sunday, February 1 — 7:00 PM ET: Final

How the ladder matters: the Page system rewards top positioning by offering a “second life” to teams that reach the 1/2 path, while lower routes require more sudden-death wins. That structure changes incentives—teams don’t just want to qualify; they want the cleanest route to Sunday night.

Scotties 2026 teams: who’s who in the field (highlights)

A quick snapshot of several teams that shaped the week and will define the weekend:

• Team Canada: Skip Kerri Einarson, with Val Sweeting, Shannon Birchard, and Karlee Burgess.

• Manitoba (Lawes label): Fourth/Vice-skip Kaitlyn Lawes on a rink skipped by Selena Njegovan, with Laura Walker and Kristin Gordon.

• Manitoba (Peterson label): Third/Vice-skip Beth Peterson on a rink skipped by Kelsey Calvert, with Katherine Remillard and Melissa Gordon-Kurz.

• Nova Scotia (Black): Skip Christina Black leading a deep, experienced lineup.

• Nova Scotia (Stevens): Skip Taylour Stevens emerging as a genuine title threat.

• Alberta (Sturmay): Skip Selena Sturmay steering a confident, aggressive group.

Behind the headline: why this Scotties feels different

Context is doing a lot of work this year. With Homan not in the Scotties mix, the tournament loses the gravitational pull of a back-to-back champion—and gains volatility. That’s good for drama, but it also reshapes how teams play:

• Incentives: The Page format rewards risk management. Unbeaten leaders can lean into disciplined, low-error curling, forcing challengers to take uncomfortable chances.

• Stakeholders: Beyond the teams, the event’s value touches sponsors, the host venue, and a growing audience that increasingly follows women’s curling as appointment viewing—especially on a weekend ladder that’s easy to understand.

• Missing pieces: The precise qualifier matchups and final seeding details can hinge on tie-break procedures and internal ranking rules. Fans should watch for official confirmation of the Friday slate before treating projected pairings as final.

What happens next: realistic scenarios and triggers

1. Manitoba (Lawes/Njegovan) controls the weekend
   Trigger: A win in the early playoff stage puts the undefeated rink on the shortest path to the title and minimizes the upset risk.

2. Team Canada (Einarson) flips the narrative
   Trigger: A crisp start in the qualifiers—especially against another top seed—would re-establish Einarson as the weekend’s most dangerous bracket operator.

3. Nova Scotia turns into a province-wide showdown
   Trigger: If both Nova Scotia rinks keep winning, the ladder could create a high-stakes in-province collision with a trip to the final on the line.

4. Manitoba becomes a two-rink problem for everyone
   Trigger: If both Manitoba teams stay alive deep into Saturday, opponents may face back-to-back games against similarly polished styles—testing endurance and adaptability.

5. Alberta breaks through with late-week momentum
   Trigger: One big upset today can change the bracket’s psychology fast, especially if it forces a favored team into the longer, higher-variance route.

Why it matters: this weekend doesn’t just crown a champion—it signals where the competitive center of women’s curling is shifting. When the favorite vacuum appears, the teams that stay calm, manage the hammer, and win the “one bad end” battles are the ones still standing on Sunday night.