Stu Sells Toronto Tankard | |
---|---|
Established | 2010 |
Host city | Toronto, Ontario |
Arena | High Park Club |
Men's purse | $42,000 |
Women's purse | $40,000 |
Current champions (2024) | |
Men | John Epping |
Women | Kim Eun-jung |
Current edition | |
The Stu Sells Toronto Tankard, also known as the Stu Sells Tankard, is an annual bonspiel, or curling tournament, that takes place at the High Park Club in Toronto, Ontario. The event is held in a triple-knock out format, but was held in a round-robin for many years. The tournament is sponsored by Stu Sells, a local real estate company, and is part of the "Stu Sells Series" or events, which includes the Stu Sells Oakville Tankard, the Stu Sells 1824 Halifax Classic, and a number of other junior and local tour events. [1] The men's event became a World Curling Tour event in 2011, but was later discontinued after the 2019 edition. The women's event became a World Curling Tour event in 2016, but was also discontinued in 2020. Both the men's and women's events are also part of the Ontario Curling Tour.
The event is held at the High Park Club in Toronto, excluding 2023 when it was moved to Barrie under the name Stu Sells Tankard. [2]
The 2015 event was a flash point in the Broomgate scandal, as it featured teams using Hardline icePad versus teams using the Balance Plus Black Magic heads, the latter of which were debuted at the event. The effectiveness of the Balance Plus brooms was so strong, that it was noticeably damaging the ice. Teams got so upset that they were forced to make a "gentleman's agreement" mid-way through the event to stop using either brush head so that the conditions were fair. However, when the Balance Plus sponsored Glenn Howard rink made it to the finals against the Hardline sponsored Mike McEwen rink, Howard gave McEwen an ultimatum: either stop using the Hardline brush heads for good, or we will bring the Black Magic heads back for the final. Team McEwen refused, and so the final featured the two teams and the rival brooms in action. The game, which lasted seven ends, ended up taking 3 and half hours, more than an hour longer than normal, as the McEwen rink had to "clean up" the ice after every Team Howard shot due to the damage the Balance Plus brush heads were doing. Ironically, it was this damage that ended up ruining one of the Howard team's shots, resulting in the team losing the game. [3]
The 2020 event was held at the KW Granite Club in Waterloo, Ontario, [4] as the High Park Club had yet to open for the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Toronto.
Brent George Laing is a Canadian curler from Barrie, Ontario. He grew up in Meaford, Ontario.
Ryan Bennett Fry is a retired Canadian curler currently living in Pickering, Ontario. He most recently played third on the Mike McEwen team and coached the Rachel Homan team. He currently coaches the Joël Retornaz rink. He previously played third for Team Brad Jacobs, and the team represented Canada and won the gold medal at the 2014 Winter Olympics. The team also won the 2013 Tim Hortons Brier. Fry won a silver medal at the 2013 World Men's Curling Championship.
Dawn Kathleen McEwen is a Canadian semi-retired curler from Winnipeg, Manitoba. She was the long-time lead for the Jennifer Jones rink, who became Olympic champions, winning gold for Canada at the 2014 Winter Olympics. McEwen is a two-time world champion in curling, having won with Jones at the 2008 World Championships and again at the 2018 World Championships. In 2019, McEwen was named the greatest Canadian female lead in history in a TSN poll of broadcasters, reporters and top curlers.
John Allan Epping is a Canadian curler from Toronto, Ontario. He currently skips his own team out of the Leaside Curling Club in East York, Toronto.
Michael McEwen, nicknamed "Magic Mike" is a Canadian curler from Winnipeg, Manitoba, who grew up in Brandon, Manitoba. McEwen won six Grand Slams in his career before his team qualified for their first Brier, Canada's national championship in 2016. He is noted as one of the top curlers using the Manitoba tuck delivery today.
Mathew Robert "Mat" Camm is a Canadian curler from Cornwall, Ontario. He currently plays third on Team Scott Howard. Camm is originally from Rockland, Ontario.
Jo-Ann Rizzo is a Canadian curler from Brantford, Ontario.
The 2012 StuSells Toronto Tankard was held from October 5 to 8 at the High Park Club in Toronto, Ontario as part of the 2012–13 World Curling Tour. The event was held in a triple knockout format for the men's event, and in a round robin format for the women's event. The purse for the men's event was CAD$45,000, and the winner, Jeff Stoughton, received CAD$15,000. The purse for the women's event was CAD$15,000, and the winner, Mary-Anne Arsenault, received CAD$5,000. Stoughton defeated Joe Frans in the men's final with a score of 6–2, while Arsenault defeated Lisa Farnell in the women's final with a score of 7–2.
The Stu Sells Oakville Tankard is an annual bonspiel on the men's and women's Ontario Curling Tour. Except for in 2020, the event has been held at the Oakville Curling Club in Oakville, Ontario. The event was formerly just on the Ontario Curling Tour, but it was promoted as a World Curling Tour event in 2013 when Stu Sells became the sponsor.
The 2013 StuSells Toronto Tankard was held from October 11 to 14 at the High Park Club in Toronto, Ontario. The men's event was held as part of the 2013–14 World Curling Tour, while the women's event was held only as part of the 2013–14 Ontario Curling Tour. The men's event was held in a triple-knockout format, while the women's event was held in a round robin format. The purse for the men's event was CAD$45,000, of which the winner, Glenn Howard, received CAD$15,000, while the purse for the women's event was CAD$15,000, of which the winner, Allison Flaxey, received CAD$5,000. In the men's final, Howard defeated Mike McEwen with a score of 6–3, while in the women's final, Flaxey defeated Mary-Anne Arsenault with a score of 6–2.
The 2014 Stu Sells Oakville Tankard was held from September 4 to 7 at the Oakville Curling Club in Oakville, Ontario as part of the 2014–15 World Curling Tour. It was held on the second week of the Tour, and was the first event of the Women's Curling Tour. It was also the first event of the Ontario Curling Tour season, and acted as the Ontario Curling Tour championship of the previous season. Both the men's and women's event was held in a round robin format, and the purses for the men's and women's events were CAD$30,000 and CAD$24,000, respectively.
Tess Guyatt is a Canadian curler. She currently plays lead on Team Hollie Duncan.
The Stu Sells 1824 Halifax Classic is an annual bonspiel on the men's World Curling Tour. It is held annually in November at the Halifax Curling Club in Halifax, Nova Scotia. It has been held since 2018. The event is part of the "Stu Sells Series" of curling events, sponsored by the Stu Sells Realty Team.
Kira Michaela Brunton is a Canadian curler originally from Sudbury, Ontario. She currently plays third on Team Danielle Inglis. In 2015, she won the gold medal at the 2015 Canada Winter Games playing third for Megan Smith.
Lindsay Dubue is a Canadian curler from Ottawa, Ontario. She currently plays second on Team Kayla MacMillan.
The 2022 Stu Sells Toronto Tankard was held from September 29 to October 2 at the High Park Club in Toronto, Ontario. The event was held in a triple knockout format with a purse of $40,000 on the men's side and $20,000 on the women's side. It was the first Stu Sells sponsored event held as part of the 2022–23 season.
The 2023 Ontario Tankard,, the provincial men's curling championship for Southern Ontario, was held from January 24 to 29 at The Plex in Port Elgin, Ontario. The winning Mike McEwen rink represented Ontario at the 2023 Tim Hortons Brier on home soil in London, Ontario where they finished fourth place losing in the 3 vs. 4 Page Playoff game to Wild Card #1 6–3.
The 2024 Ontario Tankard, the provincial men's curling championship for Southern Ontario, was held from January 24 to 28 at FlightExec Centre in Dorchester, Ontario. The winning Scott Howard rink represented Ontario at the 2024 Montana's Brier, Canada's national men's curling championship in Regina, Saskatchewan. The event was held in conjunction with the 2024 Ontario Scotties Tournament of Hearts, the provincial women's curling championship. Both events are held together in non-Winter Olympic years.
"Broomgate" also known as brushgate was a technology doping controversy in the sport of curling during the 2015–16 season. It was caused by the result of new brush head technologies and sweeping techniques that dramatically altered how the game was played that season. It resulted in a World Curling Federation summit to regulate and standardize brushes in the sport.
The 2024 Stu Sells Toronto Tankard was held from October 10 to 14 at the High Park Club in Toronto with select games taking place at the Oakville Curling Club in Oakville, Ontario. The event was held in a triple knockout format with a purse of $40,000 on both the men's and women's sides. It was the second Stu Sells sponsored event held as part of the 2024–25 season.