Oakville to host 2023 PointsBet Curling Invitational

A unique, exciting curling event that offers players and fans new ways to enjoy curling heads to Southern Ontario.

The second annual PointsBet Invitational will be held from September 26th to October 1st, 2023 at the Sixteen Mile Sports Complex. This was announced today by Curling Canada.

Sixteen men’s and sixteen women’s teams from Canada will enter the competition and compete in a sudden death single knockout format for over $350,000 in prize money.

“Last fall’s inaugural PointsBet Invitational in Fredericton exceeded our expectations for drama and intensity on the ice, and we anticipate the excitement will rise to new levels in Oakville,” said Katherine Henderson, Chief Executive Officer by Curling Canada.

“It’s a unique event unlike any other in curling and with the exceptional support of our official sports betting partner PointsBet, fans will be in for a great show both on and off the ice.”

The PointsBet Invitational 2023 will be the first major event of the 2023-24 season, giving fans the chance to see the results of off-season roster changes as Canada’s top teams make their push towards qualifying for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy strengthen.

It also offers fans a chance to win a $1 million prize through the Sweep 16 Bracket Challenge. Fans who correctly predict a perfect men’s and women’s bracket will win $1 million from PointsBet Canada.

“We are very excited to bring the PointsBet Invitational home to Ontario. It’s a unique event featuring the best curlers in our country and we can’t wait for it to start in September,” said Nic Sulsky, Chief Commercial Officer for PointsBet Canada.

“2023 will be an amazing year for curling fans in Ontario. In partnership with the Curling Canada team, we will offer fans new and exciting ways to connect with their favorite curlers and athletes at Brier, the Men’s World Championship and PointsBet Invitational to join.”

The Sixteen Mile Sports Complex should have hosted the 2021 Continental Cup, but that event fell victim to the COVID-19 pandemic. Most recently, in December, it hosted Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling WFG Masters.

“Oakville City Council looks forward to welcoming the thirty-two teams and spectators alike to Oakville,” said Mayor Rob Burton.

“Our state-of-the-art and fully accessible facility at the Sixteen Mile Sports Complex was built to host international and domestic events such as Curling Canada’s PointsBet Invitational 2023, as part of the city’s vision to become a premier destination for tournaments and events that is national and internationally recognized.”

Full fields will be announced at a later date, but for now the 16 teams of each gender will include:

• The top 10 ranked women’s and men’s teams in the final standings of the 2022-23 Canada Team Ranking System.
• The 2022-23 Ontario Women’s and Men’s Champions (Team Rachel Homan, Team Mike McEwen).
• The women’s and men’s champions of the New Holland Canadian Junior (U21) Championships 2023.
• The 2023 Canadian Colleges Athletic Association/Curling Canada College Championships Women’s and Men’s Champions.
• The 2023 U SPORTS/Curling Canada Canadian University Championships Women’s and Men’s Champions.
• The women’s and men’s champions of the Curling Canada U25 NextGen Classic in early September.
• The Champion Women (Team Shaelyn Park of Moncton, NB) and Men (Team Greg Balsdon of Richmond Hill, Ontario) at the 2022 Everest Canadian Curling Club Championships,

If any of the six championship winners are already in the CTRS top 10, they will be replaced by the runner-up from their respective events.

All 32 participating teams will receive $5,000 to cover travel and accommodation expenses. Teams receive more money for each consecutive win in the Singles Knockout Tournament – $3,000 for a first round win, $6,000 for a quarterfinal win, $12,000 for a semifinal win and $24,000 for the winning women’s and men’s teams, i.e. the The two winning teams will each collect a total of $50,000.

At the first PointsBet Invitational in Fredericton in September, Team Jennifer Jones won the women’s title while Team Reid Carruthers took the men’s title.

“The format of the PointsBet Invitational is truly unique and exciting for players and fans alike,” said Brendan Bottcher, Tim Horton’s 2021 Brier Champion to get and I hope we will be there.”

“I love what PointsBet made of this event and it was really top notch from the perspective of the players in Fredericton,” added Kerri Einarson, three-time Scotties Tournament of Hearts champion. “Every game is about a win or a home game and that kind of experience is invaluable. We hope to be part of the show in Oakville.”

Opened in 2010, the Sixteen Mile Sports Complex features four ice rinks, including the 1,800-seat Olympic arena that will host the 2023 PointsBet Invitational. The arena is also home to the Junior A Oakville Blades.

“On behalf of the Visit Oakville team and Board of Directors, we would like to thank Curling Canada for selecting Oakville as the venue for yet another prestigious event,” said Sean O’Meara, Visit Oakville Chairman of the Board.

“We look forward to welcoming you all back to the Sixteen Mile Sports Complex and making the 2023 PointsBet Invitational an event to remember.”

Aside from watching Canada’s best teams compete in a high-stakes championship, fans have many other ways to enjoy the PointsBet Invitational 2023.

“Any chance to have world-class curling in your backyard is a thrill and I know Oakville is ready to put on an outstanding show for the 2023 PointsBet Invitational,” said CurlON Executive Director Stephen Chenier.

“Having our reigning champions from Ontario, as well as Team Balsdon, in the field means we will have a supportive home province crowd and it will be a fun event for our fans.”

The first packets of tickets are slated to go on sale to the public on Thursday, March 23 at 10:00am ET.

Curling fans can choose from the following options:

• Complete Event Package ($220-250): A single ticket to each drawing of the PointsBet Invitational.
• Weekend Package ($100 – $120): A single ticket to the Final Four and Championship Final draws.
• Weekday Package ($40 – $50): A single ticket to two draws on either Wednesday, Thursday or Friday for the Sweep 16 and Elite Eight draws.

All ticket packages are subject to standard ticket service charges.

Tickets are available online through Ticketmaster at curling.ca/tickets. There is no on-site ticket office at the Sixteen Mile Sports Complex prior to the event. All ticket inquiries should be sent to [email protected].

Fans are encouraged to subscribe to the Curling Canada Collective for updates on ticket sales and volunteer opportunities.

Single lot tickets are expected to go on sale in early September.

Customers are encouraged to sign up for the Curling Canada e-newsletter at curling.ca for a rolling ticket and volunteer information.

Entertainment information will be made available in the coming weeks.

“The curling community here in Oakville always supports big events and we will be working hard over the next seven months to prepare for the 2023 PointsBet Invitational,” said James Francolini, President of Oakville Curling Club.

“We welcome this opportunity and are proud of the trust that Curling Canada and PointsBet have in our curling community. It’s a great way to build our sport in Oakville and attract new curlers and new fans. We can’t wait for September!”

TSN/RDS2, the official broadcast partner of Curling Canada’s Season of Champions, will televise the action from Oakville.