Championship season continues with CW Curling Championships

Jan. 14, 2026 – The stage is set for the largest curling championship in conference history, as student-athletes from nine different schools prepare to compete at the 2026 Canada West Curling Championships in Edmonton.

The event returns to the Saville Community Sports Centre for the second time in three years, with the Alberta Golden Bears and Pandas set to defend home ice. Round-robin play will take place Thursday through Saturday, followed by semifinal and medal games on Sunday.

The championship field continues to expand, with nine schools represented at the competition. The UBCO Heat will make their debut, joining Alberta, Calgary, Regina, Lethbridge, Victoria, UBC, and Brandon in the field. Thompson Rivers University will be represented in the men’s competition only.

A new format delivers an action-packed round robin, with each team set to play every other team in the field.

Live scoring and scheduling information are available on the championship homepage.

Fans will be able to stream each match for free on the Curling Zone YouTube Channel. 

Alberta aims to reclaim conference dominance

The Alberta Golden Bears and Pandas will be hoping to recreate the magic of the last time they hosted the event, which saw them sweep the banners with a double-gold performance in 2024.

Alberta has been the conference’s most successful program since curling became a Canada West sport in 2019. The Bears have captured five of six possible championships, with their perfect run interrupted by Regina at last year’s event in Calgary. The Pandas have secured three conference titles, winning in 2019, 2020, and 2024.

The teams have proven formidable on home ice, with the Bears and Pandas compiling a combined 13–0 record in Canada West Championships held at the Saville Centre (2019, 2020, 2024). Both the men’s and women’s teams are coming off appearances at the 2026 Alberta Provincial Championships last week in Okotoks.

It is a year of transition for the Pandas women’s team, with third-year student-athlete Gracelyn Richards stepping into the skip role following the departure of Serena Gray-Withers. Richards served as second at last year’s championship, where the Pandas fell to Victoria in the semifinals. She will be joined by lead Sophia Ryhorchuk, second Rachel Jacques, third Emma Yarmuch, and alternate Emma DeSchiffart.

The Golden Bears will also feature a new lineup, with Zach Davies’ rink set to make its Canada West championship debut. Davies will be joined by lead Adam Naugler, second Will Butler, third Ronan Peterson, and alternate Peter Hlushak.

Regina enters with both titles to defend

Both Regina Cougars teams delivered standout performances at last year’s championship, sweeping the conference titles. The men claimed their first Canada West championship, building on a U SPORTS national title the year prior, while the women captured the second conference title in program history.

Regina expects to remain competitive despite transition on both sides. The men’s team will be skipped by lone returner Carter Williamson, alongside newcomers Rhett Whittmire (third), Andrew Moulding (second), Evan Arnold (lead), and alternate Nathan Weiss.

On the women’s side, the Cougars return skip Chloe Johnston, along with Tesa Silversides and Hannah Rugg from last year’s title-winning squad. They will be joined by third Lauren Speidel and alternate Makena Bailey.

UBCO set to make debut

Making its Canada West Curling Championship debut, UBC Okanagan will field both men’s and women’s teams at this year’s event.

On the women’s side, skip Jillian Evans leads a young but accomplished rink that includes third Abbigail Paetsch, second Parker Rempel, and lead Melanie Webster. Evans and Rempel recently competed together at the BC U20 Championships as members of Team Bartlett, earning a silver-medal finish. The duo will represent their province again later this season at the 2026 Canadian U20 Curling Championships in Ontario.

The UBCO men’s team will be skipped by Tyler Antunes, alongside third Neil Imada, second Dylan Hyshka, and lead Evan Isaac. Isaac brings recent provincial championship experience as well, having competed at the BC U20 Championships last week, and is also a dual-sport student-athlete who represents UBCO in men’s rugby.

WolfPack men look to build on early program success

Thompson Rivers was one of the feel good stories of last year's championship, with the WolfPack men going 4-0 in the round robin before falling in the semifinals.

The WolfPack will send an entirely new team to Edmonton this year, skipped by Brandon Makar. Erik Sdoutz serves as lead, with Jayden Moore at second and Maguire Williams as third.

"This is the first year that the boys have played together as a team," says head coach Monica Makar. "They are currently playing practice games in the Thompson Rivers University Curling League at the Kamloops Curling Club. As this is only the second year of the revitalization of men’s curling at TRU, they are still in the building phase of the program."

U SPORTS Berths on the Line

The top two teams from both men’s and women’s competitions will qualify for the 2026 U SPORTS/Curling Canada University Championships, which will be hosted in Regina, Sask. from Feb. 17 - 21.