Team Canada's skip Kerry Einarson brushes Brad Gushue's stone during draw 18 of the Home Hardware Canadian mixed doubles curling championship in Calgary, Alta., on Sunday, March 21.Michael Burns/The Canadian Press
The Canadian mixed doubles curling championship was down to the final four Wednesday with some familiar names in the mix.
Brad Gushue and Kerri Einarson, Laura Walker and Kirk Muyres, John Morris and Danielle Schmiemann and Colton Lott and Kadriana Sahaidak advanced to the Page playoffs with quarterfinal victories in Calgary.
Gushue, Einarson, Walker, Muyres and Morris also all played with their respective four-player teams in the national men’s and women’s curling championship in Calgary.
Einarson defended her Scotties Tournament of Hearts title and continues to play for another national championship in mixed doubles.
The four duos were to participate in playoff seeding games Wednesday for the Page playoffs at night.
Walker and Muyres advanced to face Morris and Schmiemann, while Einarson and Gushue took on Lott and Sahaidak.
The winners earned berths in the Page playoff between the top two seeds while the losers squared off in a sudden-death playoff.
The top seed in the Page playoffs earns a bye to Thursday evening’s championship game.
The second and third seeds meet in an afternoon semifinal with the victor moving on to the championship game.
The winners earn $50,000 and represent Canada at the world championship May 17-23 in Aberdeen, Scotland.
In Wednesday’s quarterfinals, Lott and Sahaidak edged Jocelyn Peterman and Brett Gallant 8-7 in an extra end. Walker and Muyres downed Lisa Weagle and John Epping 9-3.
Einarson and Gushue thumped Jennifer Jones and Brent Laing 11-2. Morris and Schmiemann got by Shannon Birchard and Catlin Schneider 8-7.