Steal the deal!

Record-setting steals secure victory for Team Québec in Scotties opener

Team Québec skip Laurie St-Georges may be known as “smiley Laurie” to curling fans across Canada, but don’t let her on-ice zest be mistaken for weakness.

The 27-year-old skip from Laval is a proven competitor and comfortable navigating even the most oblong of situations, including never once having the hammer in a fiercely fought 8-2 win over Team Manitoba–Lawes in Saturday afternoon’s 2025 Scotties Tournament of Hearts Pool B opener.

“The momentum was just on our side the whole game,” said St-Georges. “We try to put pressure on them as much as we could and I don’t think (Team Manitoba–Lawes) had their best performance during that game.”

The hammerless win for her team, composed of vice-skip Jamie Sinclair, second Emily Riley, lead Lisa Weagle, and coach François Roberge (Laval-sur-le-lac/Glenmore) set a Scotties record of seven ends stolen in a single game, breaking the previous record of six set by both Manitoba in 1985 and New Brunswick in 1987.

The record was certainly not top of mind for St-Georges, who didn’t learn of the feat until the post-game media scrum, but was elated to learn her name was freshly etched into the annals of curling history.

“I didn’t even know that,” said St-Georges of the feat. “I’m glad that I have a record now but we’re far away from the job done here now. That first game was a good performance, but teams are just going to get stronger and more confident on the ice. We just need to keep it up and keep making shots.”

St-Georges is considered a seasoned veteran of the game to some, but not to herself despite five Scotties Tournament of Hearts appearances for Québec and a World Mixed Curling bronze medal for Canada in 2023.

“I still feel like a rookie,” said St-Georges. “I’m playing against women that have so much experience and I have so much to learn from them. This is the spot that I like; to be a rookie. At the beginning of the game, for two ends, I still have butterflies and I have to breathe more because I feel like I get a little stressed.”

Team Québec will look to continue its winning ways and next faces Team Nunavut, skipped by Julia Weagle, Sunday at 9 a.m. (all times Eastern).

In other Saturday afternoon action, Team Manitoba–Cameron (skipped by Kate Cameron; Winnipeg) took down the Northwest Territories’ Team Kerry Galusha (Yellowknife) by an 8-4 score. Team Manitoba–Einarson (skipped by Kerri Einarson; Gimli) earned a 6-4 win over Team Newfoundland and Labrador’s Brooke Godsland (St. John’s) and Nova Scotia’s Christina Black (Halifax) bested Team Ontario’s Danielle Inglis (Ottawa) by a 7-5 score.

The 2025 Scotties Tournament of Hearts continues this evening at 7 p.m. (all times Eastern).

Live scoring, standings and statistics for the 2025 Scotties Tournament of Hearts are available at www.curling.ca/scoreboard/.

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For ticket information for the 2025 Scotties Tournament of Hearts, go to www.curling.ca/2025scotties/tickets/.

This story will be available in French as soon as possible at www.curling.ca/2025scotties/nouvelles/?lang=fr