Game of Stones Podcast

As the Season of Champions rolls on, the guys start out by talking about Rachel Homan's 5th Scotties title and everything else that happened over the course of the week in Thunder Bay, including a roller coaster event for Kerri Einarson, a tough week for Krista McCarville, and a farewell to Kerry Galusha. Then (at 24:01) they shift to this week's Montana's Brier, which kicks off Friday in Kelowna....

With the Scotties in full swing, the guys get together for some trivia about the Canadian Women's Curling Championship. Play with Scott as he tries to navigate a rather challenging trivia game created by Sean. Let us know if you beat Scott's score. For more, visit us at  GameofStonesPod.com

This week the Season of Champions kicks off with the 2025 Scotties Tournament of Hearts and the guys are here to give you a full preview of what should be a very fun week in Thunder Bay, ON. They go through all 18 teams in the field looking at their strengths and weaknesses before making their picks for who they think will represent Canada at the world championship. For more, visit us at  Gam...

With the Season of Champions kicking off next week, the guys look at how games at the rec level tend to change at this time of year. From different shot selections to pace of play, they look at the pros and cons of rec players incorporating some of what they see on teevee into their own games. The guys wrap by talking about last weekend's U.S. championship and the remaining provincial championship...

This week, the guys catch up with Jeff Salmons, the chair of the Sawtooth Outdoor Bonspiel organizing committee. The 'spiel, which took place this past weekend, takes place in beautiful Stanley, Idaho, in the shadows of the Stanley mountains. Jeff talks about the challenges of associated with running an outdoor bonspiel, including the ice, getting the rocks there, and lighting. The guys also talk...

With the provincial championships in full swing, Sean catches up with Northern Ontario Curling Association Executive Director Laura Forget. They discuss the role of executive directors for member associations, how provincial championships are put together, and the challenges of streaming provincials. They also chat about some of the financial challenges facing member associations, how the associat...

It's time for one our favourite annual traditions as we go around the world of curling and offer up some bold predictions for 2025. From Olympic qualifying to broom foam density, there's a lot going on in the sport that will shape how the year plays out. Let us know if you agree with our predictions and what you think will happen this year. For more, visit us at  GameofStonesPod.com

We are kicking off 2025 with a roundup of what has been a very busy time in the world of curling. Sean and Scott start by talking about the Canadian Mixed Doubles Curling Trials that wrapped up on the weekend, including what happened in the final, before getting into the most recent major lineup shuffle with Teams Carey and Einarson and the implications for both squads. They then discuss the draft...

With just over 13 months until the 2026 Olympics, the Canadian Mixed Doubles Trials kicks off Monday in Liverpool, NS and Sean and Scott are here to highlight some of the things to keep an eye on over the course of the week. From the strength of the two pools to the weather, they discuss some of the factors that could determine who is standing at the top of the podium at the end of the week. Check...

It's a tradition like no other! Sean and Scott are back to go through the best in the world of curling from 2024. They go through 10 categories giving out awards for everything from Biggest Oddity to Best Team. Who would you award a prestigious Stoney Award to for 2024? For more, visit us at  GameofStonesPod.com  

After a week off, the guys are back to do a tour around the world of curling. They start with the recent lineup change to Team Dunstone before talking about the Grand Slam in St. John's, which included a great moment where Team Jacobs was booed by the home crowd. They also talk about the field being set for the Canadian Mixed Doubles Olympic Curling Trials, the Canadian Senior Championship, and a...

With the 2024 European Curling Championship in the rearview mirror, Sean and Scott look back on the week that was in Lohja, Finland.  They talk about a surprising win for  the German men, the continued dominance of the Swiss women, and who struggled during the week. They then discuss the other news in the world of curling, including a new event from Curling Ontario, the Candian Mixed Dou...

Come along with Sean and Scott as they play in the 2024 Rideau Curling Club 1-day Oktoberfest Bonspiel. With a 6-person team, they take you through the day as they play 2 games, comment on the third, and talk about the pros and cons of the 1-day format. For more, visit us at  GameofStonesPod.com

It's time for the 2024 European Curling Championship! Ryan from Rocks Across the Pond joins Sean and Scott for the 5th Annual Bad Beer Bet! They go through the fields for both the A & B events before giving their picks for who will win, who will get relegated, and who will be promoted. For more, join us at  GameofStonesPod.com

Sean is joined by Elaine Dagg-Jackson, the Chair of Women in Curling, to talk about the initiative's re-brand. Formerly known as the Women in Curling Leaders' Circle, the re-brand has come with four new pillars that the group is focusing on to help foster greater women's representation at all levels of curling. More information - including on how to apply to be part of the executive council and co...

In recent years, the guys have talked about how it seems like shooting percentages have been inflated, so today they talk about how percentages are calculated based on the instructions for scoring each individual shot. They discuss the Curling Canada guidelines for scoring a game and how that could be influencing the stats we see during broadcasts. Sean also scored a game using these guidelines an...

This week the guys chat about the differences in the strategies you see on teevee compared to what is advisable in your regular leagues. What parts of strategy can you incorporate from the top levels and which ones should you leave the pros? They also chat about the Pan Continental Curling Championship, which kicks off on Sunday, and the news that Curling Canada is still looking for a title sponso...

The guys are back to talk about another week of bombshell news in the world of curling. They talk about Brendan Bottcher joining Team Gushue as second and what that will look like on the ice. They then chat about whether this is part of a larger trend in the sport and what that means for elite-level curling moving forward. For more, visit us at  GameofStonesPod.com

Sean and Scott chat about last weekend's Grand Slam before talking about the state of streaming in the world of curling, including the World Curling Federation's new season pass. They debate the value of streaming games and whether it's a good idea to keep all games behind a paywall. They then discuss a couple of big - and rare - in-season lineup changes for Teams Koe and Gushue and chat about wha...

This week the guys are joined by  John Robertson , author of  Curling for Beginners and Improvers . John talks about his passion for the sport, why he wanted to write a book for new players, and the best way to introduce people to curling. John also talks about some of the key topics in the book, including best ways to practice, introducing the rules, introducing strategy, and keeping up...

The guys are set to hit the ice next week and are talking about what they do to get ready for the season. From physical prep to checking equipment to team dynamics, they go through all the pre-season steps that can help once the games get started. They then talk about what they are most excited to see at the elite level before Sean describes how he tracks his games through the course of the year....

The 2024-25 season is underway and the guys are back with their annual look at how teams are setting up their schedules. They look at a couple of the top Canadian teams, some of the best international teams, and a couple of the 'middle class' and up-and-comers to see which events are being targeted and how teams are managing travel. They wrap up by talking about some of the early season results al...

Sean talks with Michelle J. Manno, author of  Denied: Women, Sports, and the Contradiction of Identity . They talk about Michelle's personal experience with collegiate basketball, how personal identity mixes with team identity in sports, and how players navigate contested spaces. They also discuss how coaches police players' identities, the role of TItle IX, and how these issues exist across...

This week, we are running a conversation from 2017 between Sean and Jean-Marie Leduc, who had one of the world's largest private collections of skates. Mr. Leduc passed away on August 12, so we wanted to share this conversation as a tribute to him - a man with an incredible passion for sports on ice.  If you're so inclined, check out  Lace Up  or the French version  Coup de pat...

This week we take a couple questions from the listeners before checking out what's being asked over on the curling sub-reddit. From new schedules to best positions to how to improve your club, we offer up our answers to these questions. For more, visit us at  GameofStonesPod.com