2009 Tournament of Hearts: Balancing act

No Kelly Scott? No Shannon Kleibrink? Not even Sherry Middaugh or Suzanne Gaudet?

What the heck has happened to the Tournament of Hearts?

Calm down. Though a few big-name players will be absent when the 2009 Canadian women's curling championship begins Saturday in Victoria, there's plenty to like about a balanced field that promises to be among the most competitive in years, says CBC curling analyst Joan McCusker.

"It's a good field because the bottom is better and there is no dominating top," says the woman who won three national titles in the 1990s as the second for the late Sandra Schmirler.

"It makes it very interesting for the spectators because we don't know who's going to win."

So what happened to those star skips? Scott, the 2006 and '07 champion, didn't get past the club level in the qualifying process in her home province of British Columbia. Kleibrink, the 2006 Olympic bronze medallist and last year's Hearts runner-up, dropped the Alberta final to Cheryl Bernard. Middaugh, a four-time national semifinalist, bowed out in the playoff rounds in Ontario. Gaudet, P.E.I.'s representative in five of the last six Hearts, lost to eventual winner Robyn MacPhee in the provincial semis.

But don't worry. Reigning world champion Jennifer Jones is back to try for her third Canadian crown against accomplished veterans like Quebec's Marie-France Larouche and Saskatchewan's Stefanie Lawton.

Plus, all those upsets at the provincial level show that the Canadian Curling Association's new focus on trying to expand the country's depth of talent by spreading resources across more teams may be working.

"I think it's good for women's curling," says McCusker. "If you look at the [World Curling Tour] this year, there was a different team winning every weekend.

"There's been an improvement in the level of play across the board.... All these teams think they have a chance."

Call it the rise of the middle class. And don't be surprised if this increased parity leads to more than a few upsets over the next week. You may even be shocked at who ends up earning a ticket to Korea for the worlds in March, and a berth to the Olympic trials.

"The middle teams are experienced enough to know how to hang in there and beat the top teams," says McCusker.

"The door is open."

Here's a breakdown of the entire field, along with McCusker's take on each rink:

THE FAVOURITES

Team Canada

Players: Jennifer Jones, Cathy Overton-Clapham, Jill Officer, Dawn Askin, Jennifer Clarke-Rouire

Hometown: Winnipeg

Experience: Sixth appearance (2002, '05 champion, '06 finalist, '07, '08 champion)

Jones won her second Canadian title in four years last February in Regina, erasing the bitterness of the last two Hearts, in which she was eliminated  both times by eventual champion Scott.

Jones's victory over Kleibrink in the final also quieted whispers about a perceived lack of mental toughness. That talk was put to rest when the Winnipeg skip battled back from a 3-4 start in the round robin to take eight straight must-win games and the tournament.

"She's an incredible shot maker," says McCusker. "When she falls behind she doesn't lose her focus. It's almost like she relaxes when the happens."

Saskatchewan

Players: Stefanie Lawton, Marliese Kasner, Sherri Singler, Lana Vey, Teejay Surik

Hometown: Saskatoon

Experience: Second appearance (2005)

Lawton had a solid showing in her lone Hearts appearance before getting crushed in the 3-4 Page playoff, but the former Canadian junior champion ranks third on the Tour money list this season despite missing second Singler for a chunk of time due to a back injury.

Lawton also has a big-time title under her belt in the 2008 Canada Cup, and may be ready to cash in on her potential after back-to-back losses in the final of the provincial playdowns.

"They were supposed to be the next team to make it out of Saskatchewan but they kind of plateaued for a few years," says McCusker. "Then they absolutely dominated at this year's provincials. This team is ready. They're going to be very hard to beat."

 Quebec

Players: Marie-France Larouche, Nancy Belanger, Annie Lemay, Joelle Sabourin, Veronique Brassard

Hometown: Quebec City

Experience: Fourth appearance (2001, '04 finalist, '08)

Larouche is the answer to a trivia question, having lost the final of the 2004 Hearts to Colleen Jones, giving the legendary skip the last of her record six national titles.

Larouche also did well in her other two Hearts appearances, making it to the 3-4 Page playoff game in both 2001 and last year, when she ran into the Jennifer Jones wrecking ball. Now the Quebec skip may be poised to take the next step: she's second on the money list and looks to be peaking at the right time.

"She doesn't have a lot of wow factor - she's not making the double angle raise -- but she's making all the simple shots," says McCusker. "This team is very consistent and they work really hard at their game. Definitely they will be contenders."

Alberta

Players: Cheryl Bernard, Susan O'Connor, Carolyn Darbyshire, Corinne Bartel, Karen Russ

Hometown: Calgary

Experience: Fourth appearance (1992, '96 finalist, 2007)

A workhorse on the cash circuit, Bernard ranks fourth on the money list and comes with plenty of experience. Her three Hearts appearances came over a span of 15 years, and she made it to the 1996 final before losing to Ontario's Marilyn Bodogh.

"She has steadily been improving her game," says McCusker. "She's been consistently beating Shannon Kleibrink, who is one of the best skips out there."

"Bernard comes from a tough province, she plays in all the big 'spiels, and she knows what she's getting into. I think this time she's going to settle in quick."

THE DARKHORSE

Ontario

Players: Krista McCarville, Tara George, Kari MacLean, Lorraine Lang, Ashley Miharija

Hometown: Thunder Bay

Experience: Third appearance (2006, '07)

McCarville appeared twice earlier this decade as Krista Scharf, losing a tiebreaker in 2007 to Bernard. She also made it to the final of last year's tour season-ending Players' Championship, losing to Amber Holland.

"I'm so impressed with how this team is maturing and developing," says McCusker. "They have all the right people in the right positions on their team.

"The more McCarville gets into those big pressure situations the better she'll be. This is a team that has figured out how to play to its strengths. People might not see them coming."

THE MIDDLE CLASS

New Brunswick

Players: Andrea Kelly, Denise Nowlan, Jodie deSolla, Lianne Sobey, Melissa Adams

Hometown: Fredericton

Experience: Second appearance (2006)

The 2005 Canadian junior champ went 5-6 at the Hearts in 2006.

"Kelly made the transition from junior to women's events early and was quite successful," McCusker says. "I think she had some bad luck the last few years in trying to get out of her province, and it's very expensive to work the tour when you're out in New Brunswick. But I was very impressed with what a good young shot maker she was."

Manitoba

Players: Barb Spencer, Darcy Robertson, Brette Richards, Barb Enright, Kristy Jenion

Hometown: Winnipeg

Experience: Third appearance (1986, 2003)

Team anchors Spencer and her sister Robertson missed the playoffs in their two previous trips together to the Hearts.

"This is a team that doesn't travel much, but it's been kicking around a strong province for 20 years," says McCusker. "Spencer plays Jennifer Jones and the other top teams on a regular basis, so she won't be afraid. The question is, does she have the team that can make the shots they'll need to pull off an upset?"

British Columbia

Players: Marla Mallett, Grace MacInnes, Diane Gushulak, Jacalyn Brown, Adina Tasaka

Hometown: Vancouver

Experience: Second appearance (1995)

Mallett skipped future Olympian Kelley Law in 1995, and played third for Law at the Hearts in '97. She dodged a bullet when Scott was eliminated before the final stage of the B.C. playdowns.

"The Kellys have dominated B.C., in years past, but Marla was always around and she'd win her fair share of money even though she doesn't play much of the cash circuit," says McCusker.

Prince Edward Island

Players: Robyn MacPhee, Rebecca Jean MacPhee (skip), Shelley Muzika, Tammi Lowther, Nacy Cameron

Hometown: Charlottetown

Experience: Second appearance (2005)

Skip Robyn MacPhee won the 2001 world junior title as the second for Gaudet, and also played under her at the last two Hearts. In between, MacPhee and her sister Rebecca Jean went out on their own to reach the 2005 Hearts, and now they're back together with the latter throwing last rocks.

"They can make a lot of shots, and they can beat people," says McCusker.

Newfoundland & Labrador

Players: Heather Strong, Cathy Cunningham, Laura Strong, Peg Goss, Susan O'Leary

Hometown: St. John's

Experience: Ninth appearance (1998, '99, '00, '01, '05, '06, '07, '08)

There's not much competition in Strong's province, which explains why her rink is making its fifth straight appearance. But the skip showed she can hang with Canada's best last year by reaching a tiebreaker, where she lost to eventual champion Jones.

"I like Heather and I've watched her improve every year just a little bit, but she really can't hold a candle to some of these other teams," says McCusker.

Northwest Territories/Yukon

Players: Kerry Galusha, Dawn Moses, Shona Barbour, Heather McCagg-Nystrom, Sharon Cormier

Hometown: Yellowknife

Experience: Fifth appearance (2001, '05, '06, '07, '08)

Coming out of the traditionally weak territories, they've surprised some opponents in the past. But that 1-10 record in 2008 doesn't bode well.

"They've won a lot of games over the years, so they can knock off teams," says McCusker.

THE ODD ONE OUT?

Nova Scotia

Players: Nancy McConnery, Jennifer Crouse, Sheena Gilman, Jill Thomas, Colleen Pinkney

Hometown: Halifax

Experience: Second appearance (2003)

McConnery went a respectable 5-6 in 2003, and this year claimed her province by unseating Mary-Anne Arsenault, who was a member of those great Colleen Jones rinks.

"They're young, and I think they're the weakest team," says McCusker.