A last Hurrah!

Jones kicks off ‘swan song’ with a win

All great careers in sports come to an end. 

And it will, too, for Jennifer Jones, who has already begun the process of drawing the curtain on her brilliant playing career. 

Jones announced recently that the 2024 Scotties Tournament of Hearts at the WinSport Events Centre in Calgary will be her ‘swan song’ in four-person curling, and she wants to go out with a bang. 

She got off on the right foot Saturday by skipping her Team Manitoba – Jones (1-0, Winnipeg/Altona) rink to a 7-5 victory over Team Nova Scotia (0-1, Halifax) skipped by Heather Smith, in Pool B action. 

Jones, supported by second/vice-skip Emily Zacharias, third Karlee Burgess, lead Lauren Lenentine and coach Glenn Howard, looked in fine fettle and showed that it’s business as usual for her at the Canadian Women’s Curling Championship where she has been a dominant force for what seems like an eternity. There may be a lot of kilometres on her curling odometer, but she still has got plenty of game. 

“Honestly, throughout my career the first time I step on the Scotties ice I get that same adrenalin rush, which is why I’ve been playing for so many years,” said Jones. “ I find myself trying to soak up the atmosphere a little bit more but other than that it just feels like curling in one of my favourite events with some of my favourite people. 

“It’s what I’ve done my whole career, so just soaking up the moment and loving the moment is what it’s all about for me.” 

Six other teams in Pool B got to slide out of the hacks for their first assignments Saturday, and chief among them was Team Ontario – Homan (1-0, Ottawa), skipped by Rachel Homan, which needed a late surge to get past the Kerry Galusha-skipped Team Northwest Territories (0-1, Yellowknife) 9-5. 

Homan, a three-time Canadian champion and former world champion, has enjoyed a banner season and is favoured by many to win it all at by week’s end. 

In other openers, Clancy Grandy’s Team British Columbia – Grandy (1-0, Vancouver) cruised to a 9-5  win over skip Danielle Inglis and Team Ontario (1-0, Ottawa), and Team Manitoba – Cameron (1-0, Winnipeg), skipped by Kate Cameron, withstood the rattle of a furious comeback from skip Melissa Adams and Team New Brunswick (0-1, Fredericton) to post a 10-5 win. Cameron had led 6-0 at one point. A whopping 10 points in the game were steals. 

Team Yukon, skipped by Bayly Scoffin of Whitehorse had the bye. 

Jones made her first appearance at the Scotties in 2002, and since that time has been part of the event, either as Manitoba champion or Team Canada, in 17 more of them. And remember, she missed a possible appearance in 2014 because she was off busy winning an Olympic gold medal for Canada. 

During her career, she’s won six Scotties titles, two world championships and an Olympic gold medal; a staggering record, when you think of it. 

And she would like nothing better than to expand on her winning record . . . one last time. She has a chance, in Calgary, to become the winningest women’s skip in Canadian history as she eyes a seventh title. 

It wasn’t easy for Jones and her Manitobans on Saturday afternoon. They jumped into the lead, scoring two in the first end, and got a huge break in the third end when Jill Brothers, who throws skip stones for the Bluenosers, wiffed on an open hit. Jones drew for three to take a 5-2 lead. 

Usually that’s enough of a cushion for Jones. But not this time. Team Nova Scotia clawed back, and a beautiful through-the-port takeout by Brothers led to a steal of one in the seventh and saved what could have been a game-ender. 

Jones, though, made a great draw in the eighth to the four-foot, facing two, to go up 6-4. Nova Scotia played an open hit for one in the ninth — passing on a difficult shot that could have netted a bundle — but were closed out in the 10th end. 

“That was a clutch one,” Jones said of her draw in the eighth. “It was just because I had to go a little wider so there was a little guess on the speed. We made it. Giving up a steal in seven you definitely don’t want to give up a steal in eight so that was a big one.” 

The 18 Scotties teams are split into two pools of nine, and will play a complete eight-game round robin. The top three teams in each pool advance to the playoffs where it will be further reduced to a Final Four and a Page playoff system. 

 The final goes Sunday, Feb. 23. 

The 2024 Scotties Tournament of Hearts continues with a draw today at 6 p.m. (all times Mountain). 

Live scoring, standings and statistics for the 2024 Scotties Tournament of Hearts are available at www.curling.ca/scoreboard/. 

TSN and RDS2 will provide complete coverage of the 2024 Scotties Tournament of Hearts. CLICK HERE for the complete schedule. 

Broadcast coverage for viewers outside of Canada is available on TSN’s YouTube channel, www.youtube.com/@TSN_Sports. 

For ticket information for the 2024 Scotties Tournament of Hearts, go to www.curling.ca/2024scotties/tickets/. 

This story will be available in French as soon as possible at www.curling.ca/2024scotties/nouvelles/?lang=fr