The road to the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics officially begins in Halifax as the Montana’s Canadian Curling Trials take over the Scotiabank Center from Saturday, Nov. 22 through Sunday, Nov. 30. Sixteen of Canada’s top rinks — eight women’s teams and eight men’s teams — will battle through a packed week of round-robin play and a new best-of-three finals format to determine who will wear the maple leaf on Olympic ice.
With world champions, Olympic medalists, rising stars, and hometown favorites all in the mix, the Trials promise to be one of the most competitive and dramatic events on the curling calendar
WATCH: Curling Canada Olympic Trials Men’s FInal Anywhere
Homan wins Game 1 of Montana’s Canadian Curling Trials women’s final
Rachel Homan and her Ottawa-based rink are now just one victory away from securing the honour of representing Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo.
Homan edged out hometown favourites Team Christina Black with a tense 5–4 win on Friday, taking the opening game of the best-of-three final at the Montana’s Canadian Curling Trials inside a lively Scotiabank Centre.
WATCH: Curling Canada Olympic Trials Meen’s FInal Anywhere
Despite entering the championship round with the event’s top hammer efficiency — scoring multiple points with last rock 43 per cent of the time — Homan’s squad couldn’t produce a big end in this matchup. Instead, they were held to single points throughout.
Opening with hammer, Homan posted a lone point in the second end, then padded her lead to 3–0 thanks to consecutive steals. Black’s draw came up light in the third, handing Homan a point, and a missed angle run in the fourth cost Black another, eliminating a chance at a momentum-shifting deuce.
Black finally broke through in the fifth with a high-pressure draw to the four-foot.
The game tightened significantly after the mid-game break. Homan had a shot for two in the sixth but her draw came up light, limiting her to just one. Black replied with singles in the seventh and eighth, the latter coming via a steal that suddenly cut the deficit to 4–3.
Homan, a 20-time Grand Slam champion, delivered when it mattered most. In the ninth end, she executed a clutch runback double with her first stone, then made a precise hit-and-roll with her last to restore a two-point cushion heading to the final end without hammer.
Sitting one, Homan left a window for Black, who faced a challenging shot for three and the comeback win — a redirect off one stone into another in the four-foot. But the contact wasn’t there, and Homan’s stone held as second shot to seal the victory.
WATCH: Curling Canada Olympic Trials Anywhere
Full Schedule: Canadian Olympic Curling Trials
Dates: Saturday, Nov. 22 – Sunday, Nov. 30
Venue: Scotiabank Centre, Halifax
Broadcast: TSN (all draws)
Round-Robin Draw Schedule
Saturday, Nov. 22
- Draw 1 – 2 p.m.
- Draw 2 – 7 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 23
- Draw 3 – 9 a.m.
- Draw 4 – 2 p.m.
- Draw 5 – 7 p.m.
Monday, Nov. 24
- Draw 6 – 9 a.m.
- Draw 7 – 2 p.m.
- Draw 8 – 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Nov. 25
- Draw 9 – 9 a.m.
- Draw 10 – 2 p.m.
- Draw 11 – 7 p.m.
Wednesday, Nov. 26
- Draw 12 – 9 a.m.
- Draw 13 – 2 p.m.
- Draw 14 – 7 p.m.
Playoff Schedule
Thursday, Nov. 27
- Women’s Semifinal – 1 p.m.
- Men’s Semifinal – 7 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 28
- Women’s Final (Game 1) – 1 p.m.
- Men’s Final (Game 1) – 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 29
- Women’s Final (Game 2) – 1 p.m.
- Men’s Final (Game 2) – 7 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 30 (If Necessary)
- Women’s Final (Game 3) – 1 p.m.
- Men’s Final (Game 3) – 7 p.m.
Game-by-Game Schedule and Matchups
All daily draws include four games. Your original matchup list has been kept intact and organized for clarity. If you’d like, I can also format this into a table or add projected storylines.
