Kerri Einarson captured her fifth national championship Sunday, defeating Kaitlyn Lawes 4–3 in an extra end to win the Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Mississauga, Ont.
The Team Canada skip forced an 11th end before stealing the winning point to edge the Manitoba rink in a tightly contested final.
Canada’s skip Kerri Einarson delivers a stone during the Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Mississauga, Ont. Einarson was named a second-team all-star at skip following consistent round-robin play
2026 Scotties Tournament of Hearts champions, Canada’s Team Kerri Einarson
“Oh my God, what an amazing feeling,” Einarson said during a post-game interview on TSN. “Just overwhelmed. I’m super proud of us. It was a grind this week and we had to make some big clutch shots to get ourselves into this final. So I’m super proud of my team and thank you to all the fans.”
Lawes entered the championship game undefeated and was appearing in her first Scotties final since 2015, when she won the national title playing third for Jennifer Jones’s Manitoba team.
Einarson struck first in the second end after Lawes’s final stone came up light, allowing Canada to pick up an easy steal. Another Manitoba error proved costly in the fourth end when Lawes attempted a short-angle runback wrecked on the guard, giving Einarson a second steal and a 2–0 lead.
Manitoba tied the game in the sixth following an uncharacteristic miss by Einarson. Her final takeout attempt, her rock did not connect and slid through the house, opening the door for Lawes to draw for two.
Lawes took her first lead of the game in the seventh when Einarson narrowly missed a double takeout, leaving one Manitoba stone biting the red ring for a single.
After two blank ends, the teams reached the 10th end with Lawes holding last rock and four stones in the house. Facing elimination, Einarson executed a precise angle raise for the single and force extra ends — a shot she described as one of the week’s defining moments.
“All I thought in my head was, ‘Just make this one for your team, Kerri, and take it to an extra,’” she said. “So, yeah, it was a clutch one. It’s incredible.”
The championship run capped a demanding playoff path for Einarson, who lost 10–2 in eight ends to Lawes in Saturday’s 1/2 Page playoff and had to advance through the semifinal to earn a rematch.
Einarson sealed the title with a steal in the 11th end, reclaiming the Scotties crown and the right to represent Canada at the upcoming world championship in Calgary — an opportunity she said remains deeply meaningful.
“It feels amazing,” she said. “To wear the maple leaf is an absolute honour, and we’re so looking forward to playing here in Canada.”
With the Scotties title secured, Einarson and her team will now turn their attention to the World Women’s Curling Championship, scheduled for March 14–22 in Calgary. The event will see Canada host the world’s top women’s curling teams, with Einarson once again wearing the maple leaf on home ice.
