Kerry Galusha鈥檚 last Canadian women鈥檚 curling championship is about the next generation in the NWT.
Her 18 appearances at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts is tied for second all-time with Jennifer Jones behind leader Colleen Jones (21).
Galusha, 47, thought she would retire last year. The chance to play a Tournament of Hearts with her 15-year-old daughter Sydney as a teammate kept the mother playing to 2025.
鈥淚t鈥檚 pretty special,鈥� Galusha said. 鈥淚鈥檝e heard a lot of people say that I鈥檓 passing the torch off to the younger generation, and I think that鈥檚 how it should be.
鈥淭here鈥檚 not a lot of curlers up in the North and NWT and I鈥檓 not sure who鈥檚 going to follow in my footsteps, even Sydney. She probably won鈥檛 move on to ladies right away, so we鈥檒l see what happens.鈥�
Curling Canada states that Sydney is believed to be the youngest competitor ever at a Tournament of Hearts.
She鈥檚 accustomed to 鈥減laying up.鈥� Sydney was 13 at the 2023 Canadian under-18 championship. She was 14 last year in the national under-20 tournament.
Sydney and Galusha鈥檚 16-year-old alternate Ella Skauge, who will get ice time rotating in for lead Shona Barbour, will represent NWT in next month鈥檚 under-20 championship in Summerside, P.E.I.
鈥淚鈥檓 super-excited to compete against the best curlers in Canada, and it鈥檒l help me get experience for the U-20s that I鈥檓 going to in March,鈥� Sydney said.
Sydney throws second stones, but is her mother鈥檚 vice in Thunder Bay, Ont.
鈥淪ydney is pretty young. She doesn鈥檛 always listen to me, so it鈥檚 interesting, but she holds the broom for me and we work really well in the house together,鈥� Galusha said.
鈥淧laying second, it鈥檚 a bit less pressure for her than throwing last rock or playing third. And at 15, she鈥檚 an amazing curler. She鈥檚 going to be a way better curler than I ever was, and I鈥檓 excited to be on the ice with her.鈥�
The teenager said she wasn鈥檛 nervous in her debut Saturday, which was an 8-4 loss to Manitoba鈥檚 Kate Cameron.
鈥淚t was intense, but it was good,鈥� Sydney said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 less misses than in juniors. If a team misses, you really have to capitalize on their miss.鈥�
Curling Canada doesn鈥檛 count the years of the play-in tournament from 2015 to 2017, nor times as an alternate as official appearances.
Add those in and Galusha鈥檚 been in on 22 national championships over a span of 27 years.
Sydney鈥檚 first memory of her mother competing in the Hearts was at age seven, when she was in Penticton, B.C. to watch her compete.
鈥淪he鈥檚 such a good leader and I can鈥檛 wait to learn from her,鈥� Sydney said. 鈥淒uring games, it goes pretty smoothly. During practice, I don鈥檛 always listen, but during games, it鈥檚 good.鈥�
Galusha鈥檚 brother Kevin Koe has won four Canadian men鈥檚 championships curling out of Alberta and her other brother Jamie has played in 17 Briers. The Koe family is synonymous with curling in the NWT.
But the travel, time and expense of competing on the tour in southern provinces are hurdles for northern teams. They arrive at national championships with less experience on arena ice.
Galusha has lost more games than she鈥檚 won at the Hearts, but only a handful of women have played more.
She鈥檚 been a tough competitor too, with upsets of Rachel Homan (2021), Jennifer Jones (2009), Amber Holland (2012) and Heather Nedohin (2012, 2013) along the way. She also took down Kerri Einarson of Manitoba, a four-time Scotties champion, on Tuesday morning by a score of 9-6.
Her team won a tiebreaker to reach the championship round of six in Thunder Bay in 2022.
Galusha鈥檚 expectations in Thunder Bay are more modest this time. She鈥檚 back to throwing fourth stones after three years at lead rocks.
鈥淚t鈥檚 going to be different. I鈥檝e had a team where the last few years, our goal was playoffs,鈥� Galusha said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e just here to help Ella and Sydney learn.鈥�
Sydney鈥檚 other sport is basketball. She鈥檒l be a shooting guard for the NWT in the Canada Summer Games in August.
If her daughter wants to take on the mantle of women鈥檚 curling in the NWT, the mother is ready to mentor her from the coach鈥檚 bench.
鈥淚鈥檓 content to retire and maybe moving onto coaching and pass my knowledge on there,鈥� Galusha said. 鈥淵ou鈥檒l see me again. Just in a different capacity.鈥�
See photos of the team in action on page 11.
鈥擝y Donna Spencer, The Canadian Press
