Thirty-two teams set to compete in Medicine Hat’s U21 Grand Slam of Curling event

Alberta will have a strong presence, with 13 teams from the province included in the field, including Medicine Hat Curling Centre’s own Team Sherwick, skipped by Lyndon Sherwick.

Sherwick said in a release that competing at home against some of the top young curlers in the world will be a memorable experience for the team.

“Our team is very excited to have been selected to compete in the Jr. GSOC event at our home club, Medicine Hat Curling Centre,” Sherwick said in the release.

“Getting to play against elite competition in front of our family and friends is an amazing opportunity that we are very grateful for.”

Sherwick added in the statement that the team is also looking forward to watching some of the sport’s biggest names compete during the GSOC Masters at Co-op Place.

“We also look forward to watching our favourite curlers compete at Co-op Place as much as we can. It will be a fun and memorable week that our team can’t wait for,” Sherwick said.

The U21 field includes several young curlers with strong family connections to the sport.

Among them are Luke Shuster, the son of Olympic gold medallist John Shuster; Hayley Gushue, daughter of Olympic gold medallist and six-time Brier champion Brad Gushue; Brechan Kennedy, daughter of two-time Olympic and world champion Marc Kennedy; and Lila Koe, daughter of two-time world champion Kevin Koe.

The event will also feature international competition, with Team Fujii and Team Tanaka representing Japan after winning national junior titles earlier this year and qualifying for the 2027 World Junior Curling Championships.

Fans will be able to watch the next generation of curling talent compete at the Medicine Hat Curling Centre free of charge throughout the U21 Jr. GSOC event.

The Grand Slam of Curling’s 2026 GSOC Masters will feature the top 16 men’s and 16 women’s teams from around the world, including Olympic medallists, world champions and Canadian favourites.

Full-event and weekend passes for the Masters at Co-op Place are already available, with day passes going on sale Aug. 4.

The competing teams and draw schedule will be announced in October.

by Jett Schwaier

Thirty-two teams set to compete in Medicine Hat’s U21 Grand Slam of Curling event

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