Nova Scotia’s Stevens books playoff ticket with win over Armstrong at Scotties

By Canadian Press on January 29, 2026.

MISSISSAUGA — Nova Scotia’s Taylour Stevens is playoff-bound at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts.

Stevens made a game-winning in-off for three points for a 9-7 win over Ontario’s Hailey Armstrong on Thursday in the round-robin finale for both teams.

Nova Scotia joins Canada’s Kerri Einarson and Manitoba’s Kaitlyn Lawes as the playoff teams in Pool A. Manitoba’s Beth Peterson, Alberta’s Selena Sturmay and Nova Scotia’s Christina Black made the cut from Pool B.

The playoffs start Friday and will conclude with the final on Sunday.

Stevens made a soft hit to break a 2-2 tie with four points in the seventh end. But her attempt at a short angle-raise for multiple points in the ninth end backfired.

She was slightly off the nose and took out two of her stones as three Ontario rocks remained. It was her first missed hit of the game.

Stevens rebounded in the 10th end with a walkoff victory after Armstrong chose to guard with her last throw.

In the morning session, Sturmay scored a whopping seven points in the 10th end for a 12-6 win over New Brunswick’s Melodie Forsythe.

Peterson beat Nunavut’s Julia Weagle 10-4, Alberta’s Kayla Skrlik beat Newfoundland and Labrador’s Mackenzie Mitchell 10-4 and Northern Ontario’s Krista Scharf defeated Prince Edward Island’s Amanda Power 6-4.

The Scotties champion will represent Canada at the world women’s curling championship in March at Calgary.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 29, 2026.

Gregory Strong, The Canadian Press