Pool A Pacesetters!

Team Brunton/Horgan and Team Alberta remain undefeated at 2025 Canadian Mixed Doubles Curling Championship 

Two teams with unblemished records are setting the pace in Pool A at the 2025 Canadian Mixed Doubles Curling Championship at Summerside, P.E.I., so far this week. 

And while both Team Brunton/Horgan (4-0; Sudbury, Ont.) and Team Alberta’s Amanda Sluchinski and Aaron Sluchinski (4-0; Airdrie) are jockeying for pole position in the standings, the two teams represent opposites in many ways. 

Team Brunton/Horgan, comprising Kira Brunton and Jake Horgan, are relative newcomers on the Canadian Mixed Doubles scene with the 2025 iteration of the Canadian mixed doubles championship being its first as an ensemble. 

Mixed doubles rookies? Sure. But the Sudbury tandem is certainly not lacking experience, with Brunton having played vice-skip for Ontario’s Team Danielle Inglis at the 2024 and 2025 Scotties Tournament of Hearts, while Horgan has twice represented Northern Ontario at the Montana’s Brier in 2023 (skip Tanner Horgan) and 2025 (skip John Epping). 

Forming a mixed doubles team was a natural fit for the pair.  

“Kira and I go way back,” said Horgan. “We started curling together when we were fifteen or sixteen years old, around that time. Forming this team, we knew we could kind of pull off anything.” 

With a 9-0 win Tuesday afternoon over Team Québec’s Emily Riley and Jesse Mullen (2-2; Dollard-des-Ormeaux) the duo kept its perfect record so far in pool play.  

The win proved to be an essential one, giving Team Brunton/Horgan the head-to-head advantage against a strong Team Québec that is near the top of the pool standings as well. 

“We were looking at the schedule, this was a big one for us,” said Kira Brunton. “We did everything we could to prepare for this afternoon.” 

Meanwhile just a few sheets over, Team Alberta won a 13-7 barnburner over Team Parmiter/Burgess (1-3; Fredericton) to also stay perfect in pool A. 

Team Alberta had its offensive-game humming, having leapt out to an 13-2 lead after just five ends. 

“We ended up getting lots of rocks in play, which is pretty typical for mixed doubles,” said Aaron Sluchinski. “Draw weight was on in the first three or four ends and they were just missing by a little bit, so we racked up some points.” 

It’s familiar territory for Amanda and Aaron Sluchinski, who represented Team Alberta at the 2024 Canadian mixed doubles last year in Fredericton and are leaning on that previous experience. 

“It’s nice to have that experience from last year,” said Amanda Sluchinski. “Having that feel, you know, getting your groove and then try and carry it through the week. Definitely helps calm the nerves a bit when you’ve played on this stage.” 

And while Team Alberta is absolutely aware of the interim tie atop Pool A, the duo is focused squarely on its own game and securing a potential playoff berth.  

“It’s still too early in the event to know what exactly what you need,” said Aaron Sluchinski. “You don’t know what helps you yet. We just gotta keep winning and hopefully we’re in there at the end of the week.” 

Team Brunton/Horgan and Team Alberta are set to face-off Wednesday at 7 p.m., (all times Atlantic) to finish off the pool play portion of the 2025 Canadian Mixed Doubles Curling Championship. 

In other action Tuesday afternoon, Team Gionest/Dejardins (3-1; Chicoutimi, Que.) blanked Team Nunavut’s Sadie Pinksen and David Aglukark (0-4; Iqaluit) 9-0. Team Peterman/Gallant (2-2; Chestermere, Alta.) claimed an 11-4 win over Team Saskatchewan’s Christie Gamble and Matthew Lang (0-4; Langenburg) while Team Martin/Laycock (2-2; Martensville, Sask.) defeated Team Northwest Territories’ Elizabeth King and Landon King (0-4; Yellowknife) 11-2. 

Additionally, Team Tremblay/Lanoue (2-2; Boucherville, Que.) downed Team Newfoundland and Labrador’s Jessica Wiseman and Greg Smith (1-3; St. John’s) 10-3 while Team Sandham/Craig (2-2; Guelph, Ont.) took home an 8-5 win over Team Prince Edward Island’s Jenny White and Ed White (2-2; Crapaud) and Team New Brunswick’s Melissa Adams and Alex Robichaud (4-0; Fredericton) eked out a 6-5 win over Team Smith/Thomson (3-1; Newmarket, Ont.). 

Action from the 2025 Candian Mixed Doubles Curling Championship continues Tuesday at 4 p.m., and 7 p.m.    

Select games will be streamed live on Curling Canada’s YouTube page found here.    

Live scores, standings, team rosters, schedule information and more can be found at the event website here.    

In Canadian U-21 Mixed Doubles World Qualifier action, Team Vivier/Codner managed an essential 8-4 win over Team Ector/Jacques (2-2) to improve to an even 2-2 record and keep its playoff hopes alive. 

“We knew we kind of had to win out,” said Dominique Vivier. “We don’t really have the best LSD here. We just have to keep winning. That’s what we have to do. We have no choice.” 

In other U-21 world qualifier action, Team Neary/Handcock (2-2) defeated Team Duncan/Keenan (1-3) 9-7.