The excitement is growing as the BKT World Men’s Curling Championship begins in Moose Jaw on Saturday at the Temple Gardens Centre.
The ice has been installed, and the folks at Curling Canada are excited once again to see Moose Jaw host another prestigious curling event.
Since the men’s world championship began in 1959, Canadian cities have played host to the tournament 26 times. Regina has been the only Saskatchewan city to host the event, having done so in 1973, 1983, and 2011.
“All the teams from all over love coming to Canada and love coming to a place like Moose Jaw because it’s just such a big deal and they feel like rock stars for the week,” said Curling Canada CEO Nolan Thiessen.
There will be 13 nations represented at this year’s tournament, including Canada, the United States, South Korea, China, Sweden, Switzerland, Scotland, Austria, Czechia, Germany, Italy, Japan, and Norway.
It’s also an important year for international teams with the 2026 Winter Olympic Games coming up next year in Italy.
“This one is extra special because it’s the second year of the Olympic qualification process. So, at the end of this event, you’re going to have the first eight teams that are going to be in the Olympic Games,” Thiessen said.
For Moose Jaw, this is arguably the biggest curling event to hit the city. However, Curling Canada is no stranger to the city as a host, as the 2015 and 2020 Scotties Tournament of Hearts women’s national championships took place in Moose Jaw.
Tickets for the event are going fast. You can purchase your tickets by visiting sasktix.ca. The action gets underway with the first draw at 2 p.m. on Saturday, featuring Canada’s Team Jacobs taking on Japan. You can download the full draw schedule here.