CALGARY – The University of Calgary curling team makes its official return to the ice this weekend at the 2023 Canada West Championships in Victoria, B.C.
 
The festivities begin Friday and continue through Sunday, where this year's two championship teams will be crowned.
 
FIVE THINGS TO KNOW
 
1. FORMAT – The Canada West Championships run on a round-robin format. Calgary opens with a bye in the opening draw on Friday and will compete Saturday at 10 a.m. MT (vs. Brandon), 3 p.m. MT (Alberta) and 8 p.m. MT (Regina) before a Sunday 10 a.m. MT pairing with Victoria. The top two finishers for each gender will qualify for the national championship in late March.
 
2. HISTORY BOOKS – Curling is not a new sport for the Dinos. In fact, the first-ever Canada West Championship for the Dinos was won in men's curling back in the 1963-64 school year. Calgary also brought home a conference title on the women's side in 1972-73.
 
3. IN GOOD HANDS – Calgary is certainly in good hands with a pair of Olympians coaching the squad. Head coach Jocelyn Peterman – an alumna of UCalgary's Faculty of Kinesiology – has an extensive curling career, headlined by competing for Team Canada at the 2022 Olympics in Beijing. Assistant coach Brett Gallant also travelled to Beijing just over a year ago, winning a bronze medal for Team Canada.
 
4. LAST YEAR – In the first CW curling championship since the return from the pandemic, Alberta posted a 4-0 record on the men's side to claim the crown, while Regina captured the women's title on a tiebreaker.
 
5. UP NEXT – This year's U SPORTS National Championships will be the first since prior to the pandemic. This year's event is scheduled for Wednesday, March 15 to Sunday, March 19 in Sudbury, Ont.
 
-UC-