TORONTO - The owners of the Grand Slam of Curling series are planning to introduce a professional curling league next season.聽
The Curling Group said Thursday that the "Rock League" will debut in April 2026. The league will feature six global franchise teams competing in a multi-format six-week season.聽
鈥淩ock League is a reflection of The Curling Groupsa国际传媒 vision to professionalize and evolve the sport of curling, uniting fans and athletes from around the world," chief executive officer Nic Sulsky said in a statement. "We鈥檙e building a global stage where elite play and passion for the sport collide.
鈥淭odaysa国际传媒 announcement is just the beginning with many more details to come, as we work to build a premium experience that will elevate the game for all.鈥
Specifics on player earnings, broadcast plans and event formats were not released. Details on the financial investment and cash structure were also not included.聽
The release did say that teams will be organized by region, with two each from Canada and Europe, and one each from the Asia-Pacific region and the United States.聽
There was no word on host cities but events are planned for Canada, the U.S., and Europe.聽
Each team will include five men and five women. Captains include Canada's Rachel Homan and Brad Jacobs, Scotland's Bruce Mouat, Switzerland's Alina Paetz, American Korey Dropkin and Japan's Chinami Yoshida.
Additional athletes and team names were expected to be announced later this year. The Curling Group said it will be the initial owner of each franchise.
Six-time Brier champion Brad Gushue said he was approached about participating but didn't feel ready to commit, adding he felt "there's still some questions and some uncertainty there."
"I'm hopeful that it works but I'm certainly interested to see how it's going to be marketed, how it's going to showcased," he said from St. John's, N.L. "I think from my standpoint, I think an important aspect is we still want the sport to be the sport. That's why people love it. I think the packaging around the sport can certainly change, but hopefully the on-ice product isn't changed too much.聽
"Obviously every sport needs to evolve and adjust. But we get great viewing audiences for a reason. I think it's because people enjoy the game."
World Curling Hall of Famer Warren Hansen, a former Curling Canada event operations director, said the news left him with more questions than answers.
"There's not too many details there," he said from Vancouver. "I'm not sure exactly what the gameplan is. I'm curious to know more. And I guess the big thing would be what I would think is going to be enormous financial backing that's going to required to get something like that off the ground."
Elite curlers generate income from team sponsorships and event earnings, but many also juggle regular jobs with their athletic pursuits.聽
Curling greats John Morris and Jennifer Jones will serve as strategic advisers for the new league and help with the creation and selection of the teams and formats.
"As we continue building out the teams in the months ahead, our goal is to create a one-of-a-kind experience that brings out the very best of curling 鈥 where longtime rivals might end up as teammates, and rising stars have the chance to cement their legacy as professional athletes," Morris said in a statement.
The new league would start at the end of the traditional season for the next campaign. Several events have unusual dates given that the 2025-26 season includes the Winter Olympics on its calendar in February.
The final stop on the five-event Grand Slam schedule, the Jan. 6-11 AMJ Players' Championship, is being held four months earlier than normal. That competition has been moved from its longtime home in Toronto to Steinbach, Man.
The Canadian women's curling championship will conclude the week before the Games while the Montana's Brier will begin the week after.
The women's world championships are set for mid-March and the men's playdowns will wrap up on April 5.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 24, 2025.聽
