Rock League

Last updated

Rock League
Upcoming season or competition:
Curling current event.svg 2026 Rock League season
ClassificationProfessional curling league
Sport Curling
FoundedApril 24, 2025
First season 2026
OwnerThe Curling Group
Motto"Curling Unleashed"
No. of teams6
Related
competitions		 Grand Slam of Curling
Official website www.rockleague.com

Rock League is an upcoming professional curling league operated by The Curling Group, who also own the Grand Slam of Curling. Rock League will launch in April 2026, initially consisting of 6 franchised teams consisting of both males and females.

Contents

History

In April 2024, the Grand Slam of Curling, a series of curling bonspiels that was mainly held in Canada, was announced to be bought by a consortium known as The Curling Group. The group included curlers Jennifer Jones and John Morris, alongside former American football players-turned curlers Jared Allen and Marc Bulger. [1]

On April 24, 2025, The Curling Group announced a professional curling league known as Rock League, which would begin play in April 2026 and hold events in Canada, the United States, and Europe. The league would initially consist of 6 globally franchised teams, with each team having five males and five females. The inaugural season would consist of six weeks of bonspiels in multiple formats. [2] Bruce Mouat, one of the six team captains announced that same day, likened the potential impact that Rock League would have on the momentum of the sport, which usually only sees a surge of interest during the Winter Olympics, to how Grand Slam Track was meant to increase momentum in track and field after the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. [3] Curling legends John Morris and Jennifer Jones were also announced as competition advisors.

Teams

The six teams announced with the founding of Rock League on April 24, 2025, are franchises that initially are owned by The Curling Group itself. Each team consists of ten curlers, five of whom are male and five that are female. For the inaugural season in 2026, each of the six teams will be regionally focused. Two teams each will represent Canada and Europe, with the United States and the wider Asia-Pacific region each having a team. Each team also announced a team captain on that same day.

TeamTeam captain
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Team Canada 1 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Rachel Homan
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Team Canada 2 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Brad Jacobs
Flag of Europe.svg Team Europe 1 Flag of Scotland.svg Bruce Mouat
Flag of Europe.svg Team Europe 2 Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Alina Pätz
Team Asia-Pacific Flag of Japan.svg Chinami Yoshida
Flag of the United States.svg Team USA Flag of the United States.svg Korey Dropkin

Full rosters were announced on December 16, 2025: [4]

Flag of Europe.svg Alpine Curling Club (Europe)
GM: Flag of Scotland.svg Eve Muirhead
Women's playersMen's players
Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Alina Pätz (C) Flag of Italy.svg Joël Retornaz
Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Selina Gafner Flag of Sweden.svg Oskar Eriksson
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Emma Miskew Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Sven Michel
Flag of Sweden.svg Sofia Scharback Flag of Scotland.svg Hammy McMillan Jr.
Flag of Sweden.svg Almida de Val Flag of Germany.svg Marc Muskatewitz
Flag of the United States.svg Frontier Curling Club (USA)
GM: Flag of the United States.svg Chris Plys
Women's playersMen's players
Flag of Italy.svg Stefania Constantini Flag of the United States.svg Korey Dropkin (C)
Flag of the United States.svg Tabitha Peterson Flag of Scotland.svg Grant Hardie
Flag of the United States.svg Taylor Anderson-Heide Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg E. J. Harnden
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Sarah Wilkes Flag of the United States.svg Danny Casper
Flag of the United States.svg Cory Thiesse Flag of the United States.svg John Shuster
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Maple United (Canada)
GM: Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Glenn Howard
Women's playersMen's players
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Rachel Homan (C) Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Matt Dunstone
Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Xenia Schwaller Flag of Scotland.svg Ross Whyte
Flag of Sweden.svg Maria Larsson Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Colton Flasch
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Karlee Burgess Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Tanner Horgan
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Jocelyn Peterman Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Brett Gallant
Flag of Europe.svg Northern United (Europe)
GM: Flag of Norway.svg Christoffer Svae
Women's playersMen's players
Flag of Sweden.svg Isabella Wranå Flag of Scotland.svg Bruce Mouat (C)
Flag of Sweden.svg Sara McManus Flag of Scotland.svg Robin Brydone
Flag of Scotland.svg Jennifer Dodds Flag of Sweden.svg Rasmus Wranå
Flag of Italy.svg Giulia Zardini Lacedelli Flag of Norway.svg Martin Sesaker
Flag of Norway.svg Kristin Skaslien Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Yannick Schwaller
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Shield Curling Club (Canada)
GM: Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Carter Rycroft
Women's playersMen's players
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Kerri Einarson Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Brad Jacobs (C)
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Tracy Fleury Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Jacob Horgan
Flag of Sweden.svg Agnes Knochenhauer Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Tyler Tardi
Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Carole Howald Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Dan Marsh
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Marlee Powers Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Colton Lott
Typhoon Curling Club (Asia-Pacific)
GM: Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg J. D. Lind
Women's playersMen's players
Flag of Japan.svg Chinami Yoshida (C) Flag of Sweden.svg Niklas Edin
Flag of Sweden.svg Anna Hasselborg Flag of Japan.svg Tsuyoshi Yamaguchi
Flag of South Korea.svg Kim Min-ji Flag of Scotland.svg Bobby Lammie
Flag of South Korea.svg Seol Ye-eun Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg Ba Dexin
Flag of Japan.svg Tori Koana Flag of New Zealand.svg Anton Hood

Schedule

On December 18, 2025, the Rock League announced its schedule and format for the 2026 and 2027 seasons: [5]

The 2026 season will be held April 6–12 at the Mattamy Athletic Centre in Toronto, and will feature men's, women's, mixed team and mixed doubles events. Following a round robin schedule, the four best teams will qualify for a playoff.

The 2027 season will be spread out over four weeks in January and February of that year, with a playoff to be held April 8–18 at a location to be announced. The regular season will be held at January 7–10 at Temple Gardens Centre in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan; Jan. 14–17 at Scotiabank Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia; January 28–31 at the Adirondack Bank Center in Utica, New York; and February 4–7 at TD Place in Ottawa.

References

  1. ↑ Novy-Williams, Eben (April 9, 2024). "Grand Slam of Curling Sold in Bid to Make Over Olympic Sport". Sportico.com. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
  2. ↑ "The Curling Group plans to launch professional curling league next spring". TSN. The Canadian Press. April 24, 2025. Retrieved April 24, 2025.
  3. ↑ Weese, Lukas (April 24, 2025). "With new Rock League, curling is latest Olympic sport to get a professional boost" . The Athletic. Retrieved April 24, 2025.
  4. ↑ "Rosters unveiled for all six Rock League franchises".
  5. ↑ "Rock League announces dates and locations for 2026 and 2027 seasons".
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