When Shannon Birchard's knee injury flared up last month, it set in motion a series of events that changed the look of two teams and impacted the biggest Canadian women's curling championships of the year.
Team Kerri Einarson now has a replacement player in Karlee Burgess, Team Chelsea Carey has lost its vice as well as berths in the Scotties Tournament of Hearts and the Canadian Curling Trials, and Team Selena Sturmay has an unexpected spot in the national playdowns.
It's all added up to a wild start to a critical calendar year ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina, Italy.
"It's crazy. I don't think that we've ever seen anything like this," Sturmay said Friday from Edmonton. "Obviously there has been team changes and player shifts, but this one really did have a trickle-down effect."
Birchard made her season debut last month at a tour event in Swift Current, Sask., but couldn't finish the competition. A team meeting was held after the event to figure out next steps.
"Shannon decided it was probably best for the team if she just focuses on rehabbing her knee and let us be able to find someone to replace her for the remainder of the season," Einarson said from Gimli, Man. "It was definitely a hard conversation to have. We were super sad about it.
"I love Shannon and she's a great teammate, so it was difficult for everyone."
The team decided to reach out to Burgess, Einarson said, to see "where she was at" and if she'd be willing to join the four-time national champions.
"She took a few weeks to really think about it and she thought it was a great opportunity for herself," Einarson said. "She decided to join us, so we're very happy. It's nice to have some good news for a change."
Einarson's lead, Briane Harris, hasn't played with the team since she was provisionally suspended last February for up to four years after testing positive for the banned substance Ligandrol.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport has yet to announce a decision on her appeal of the doping violation. Alternate Krysten Karwacki has played lead in her absence.
Einarson received an injury exemption from Curling Canada to retain eligibility for the Feb. 14-23 nationals in Thunder Bay, Ont.
The federation also confirmed Friday that Carey's team would lose its pre-qualification spots in the women's nationals and the trials later this year since it no longer had three of four returning members from last season.
Carey replaced Jennifer Jones when the longtime skip retired from the four-player game. Last season's rankings were used for the pre-qualified berths. The Sturmay and Einarson teams were next in line.
"Obviously the news came as a surprise to us," Sturmay said. "We definitely were not expecting this just a month away from the Scotties. We're super excited to go back."
Sturmay can now skip the traditionally deep Alberta provincial championship. It's unclear what the next steps will be for Carey's Winnipeg-based team since the Manitoba championship field is already set.
In a Thursday news release that confirmed the Burgess departure, Team Carey said it would "have no further comment."
Carey said Friday in a text message that the team will likely make an announcement "in the next couple days."
Carey, Burgess, second Emily Zacharias and lead Lauren Lenentine slid to 10th in the national rankings and didn't qualify for the WFG Masters Grand Slam stop Jan. 14-19 in Guelph, Ont.
Zacharias played a limited schedule due to other commitments, forcing the team to frequently use substitute players.
Burgess, 26, is a three-time world junior champion. She reached the final at the Scotties the last two years with Jones at skip, losing to Einarson in 2023 and Ottawa's Rachel Homan last year.
"She's a great shotmaker," Einarson said when asked about her new teammate's skill set. "But it's her energy that she brings to the game, her excitement and her youth."
So Einarson, Sturmay and Winnipeg's Kaitlyn Lawes now have the pre-qualified spots at the Scotties with Homan returning as defending champion.
Einarson and the top-ranked Homan have the two early berths for the trials Nov. 22-30.
The eight-team field at that event, which will determine Canada's Olympic representatives, will be completed after the Oct. 21-26 pre-trials competition in Wolfville, N.S.
Brad Gushue of St. John's, N.L., and the Calgary-based team skipped by Brad Jacobs have pre-qualified for the eight-team men's trials field.
Defending champion Gushue will wear the Maple Leaf at the Feb. 28-March 9 Montana's Brier in Kelowna, B.C.
Jacobs, Matt Dunstone's Winnipeg-based team and the Saskatoon-based side skipped by Mike McEwen have all pre-qualified for the Brier.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 3, 2025.
Gregory Strong, The Canadian Press
