NEWS RELEASE

 

Howard Soars to the Top of Capital One Cup Standings


TORONTO, January 26, 2009 – Glenn Howard (Coldwater, Ont.) soared to the top of the men’s Capital One Cup standings following his victory yesterday at the BDO Classic Canadian Open in Winnipeg.

 

After earning 12 points for winning the men’s third 2008-09 Capital One Grand Slam of Curling event, Howard leads all competitors with 25 points.  Kevin Martin (Edmonton, Alta.) and Brad Gushue (St. John’s, Nfld.) sit in a tie for second place with 21 points while Jeff Stoughton (Winnipeg, Man.) is in fourth position with 19 points.  Wayne Middaugh (Midland, Ont.) rounds out the top five with 15 points.

 

Stefanie Lawton (Saskatoon, Sask.) continues to lead the women’s standings with 29 points.  Cheryl Bernard (Calgary, Alta.) and Jennifer Jones (Winnipeg, Man.) remain in a tie for second place with 23 points. Cathy King (Edmonton, Alta.) sits alone in third place with 19 points.   Michelle Englot (Regina, Sask.) and Kelly Scott (Kelowna, B.C.) are two points back of King with 17 points apiece.

 

The Grey Power Players’ Championship, set for April 14-19, 2009 in Grande Prairie, Alta., is the final event where men’s and women’s teams can earn points towards the Capital One Cup.

 

The Capital One Cup is a points-based competition that awards each curling team a point value based on their performance during each 2008-09 Capital One Grand Slam of Curling event.  Following the conclusion of the curling season, a purse totalling $170,000 (CDN) will be awarded to the top three men’s and women’s teams which record the highest cumulative results during the Capital One Grand Slam of Curling events. 

 

In 2008-09, men will receive Capital One Cup points based on their results in the Masters of Curling, The National, the BDO Classic Canadian Open and the Grey Power Players’ Championship.  Women will receive Capital One Cup points at the Trail Appliance Curling Classic, the Casinos of Winnipeg, the Wayden Transportation Classic, the Sobeys Slam and the Grey Power Players’ Championship.

 

Following the conclusion of the season ending Players’ Championship, the top men’s and women’s teams in the Capital One Cup standings will each receive $50,000 (CDN).  The second and third place men’s and women’s squads will each receive $25,000 (CDN) and $10,000 (CDN) respectively.

 

The following is an overview of the current leaders in the Capital One Cup standings as of January 26, 2009.

 


Men

 

Team

Hometown

Masters of Curling

The National

BDO Classic Canadian Open

Grey Power Players’ Championship

Total Points

Glenn Howard

Waterloo, Ont.

12

1

12

 

25

Kevin Martin

Edmonton, Alta.

5

7

9

 

21

Brad Gushue

St. John’s, Nfld.

7

9

5

 

21

Jeff Stoughton

Winnipeg, Man.

7

5

7

 

19

Wayne Middaugh

Midland, Ont.

1

12

2

 

15

Randy Ferbey

Edmonton, Alta.

5

7

2

 

14

Kerry Burtnyk

Winnipeg, Man.

3

5

5

 

13

Kevin Koe

Edmonton, Alta.

9

2

2

 

13

Mike McEwen

Winnipeg, Man.

1

5

7

 

13

Joel Jordison

Moose Jaw, Sask.

5

1

5

 

11

 


 

Women

 

 

Team

Hometown

Trail Appliances Curling Classic

Casinos

of Winnipeg

Wayden Transportation

Ladies Classic

Sobeys Slam

Grey Power Players’ Championship

Total Points

Stefanie Lawton

Saskatoon, Sask.

7

4

9

9

 

29

Cheryl Bernard

Calgary, Alta.

9

5

7

2

 

23

Jennifer Jones

Winnipeg, Man.

3

5

12

3

 

23

Cathy King

Edmonton, Alta.

2

7

3

7

 

19

Michelle Englot

Regina, Sask.

-

12

5

-

 

17

Kelly Scott

Kelowna, B.C.

2

9

5

1

 

17

Shannon Kleinbrink

Calgary, Alta.

12

1

3

-

 

16

Sherry Middaugh

Coldwater, Ont.

7

1

-

7

 

15

Crystal Webster

Calgary, Alta.

2

2

5

5

 

14

Amber Holland

Regina, Sask.

4

2

4

2

 

12

Marie-France Larouche

Quebec City, Que.

-

-

-

12

 

12

Julie Reddick

Brantford, Ont.

3

2

4

3

 

12

 

 

The following is an overview of the point system for the Capital One Cup.  Following the first seven Capital One Grand Slam of Curling events, the point values are doubled for the Grey Power Players’ Championship.

 

Tournament Result

First Seven Events

Grey Power Players’ Championship

First Place

12 points

24 points

Second Place

9 points

18 points

Third Place

7 points

14 points

Fifth Place

5 points

10 points

Non-Playoff Teams

1 point per preliminary round win

2 points per preliminary round win

 

The Capital One Grand Slam of Curling events are closely tied to the Canadian Curling Association's qualifying process for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver. Through their performance in the Capital One Grand Slam of Curling events, rinks can earn a significant amount of points towards securing a berth at the 2009 Canadian Trials.

 

About Capital One

Located in Toronto, Ontario, Capital One has offered Canadian consumers a range of competitive MasterCard® credit cards since 1996, when the company first introduced the Platinum MasterCard® in Canada.  Capital One Canada is a division of Capital One Bank, a subsidiary of Capital One Financial Corporation of McLean, Virginia (NYSE: COF).

 

About Insight Sports Ltd.

Insight Sports Ltd. is a leading North American sports media and entertainment company which owns, creates, aggregates and distributes sports and entertainment content across multiple platforms, including broadcast television, events, on-line, mobile, in-arena and video on-demand. Among its event assets, Insight Sports owns and operates the Capital One Grand Slam of Curling (www.worldcurlingtour.com), a series of eight high-profile men’s and women’s events that feature Canada’s deepest and strongest curling fields.

 

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For additional information, please contact:

Eric Michalko
Communications Director
Capital One Grand Slam of Curling
(416) 669-2401
emichalko@rogers.com