Veteran skip Carruthers pulls out of curling Pre-Trials to focus on coaching

Manitoba-Carruthers skip Reid Carruthers reacts to his shot while playing Alberta-Jacobs during the playoffs at the Montana's Brier in Kelowna, B.C., on Saturday, March 8, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

OTTAWA — Team Reid Carruthers has pulled out of the Home Hardware Pre-Trials in October and has been replaced by Team Jayden King, Curling Canada said Wednesday.

Carruthers, from Winnipeg, plans to focus on his coaching commitments with Team Kerri Einarson, the sport organization said in a statement.

It wasn’t immediately clear whether the 40-year-old skip, who won national and world titles in 2011 with Jeff Stoughton, planned to continue curling next season.

Carruthers guided his team to a Manitoba title last winter and an appearance in the Page Playoff 3-4 game at the Montana’s Brier in Kelowna, B.C.

He was eliminated after dropping a 6-5 decision to Alberta’s Brad Jacobs, who went on to win the title.

A message left with Carruthers wasn’t immediately returned. He has served as the Team Einarson coach throughout the current quadrennial.

King, from London, Ont., filled the vacancy in the eight-team Pre-Trials men’s field as the highest-ranked rink that had yet to qualify.

Curling Canada announced the draw schedules for both the Pre-Trials and the Montana’s Canadian Curling Trials on Wednesday.

The winners of the Oct. 20-26 Pre-Trials in Wolfville, N.S., will secure the final berths in the eight-team fields for the Nov. 22-30 Trials in Halifax.

The Trials will determine Canada’s representatives in four-player men’s and women’s curling at the 2026 Milan Olympics.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 25, 2025.

The Canadian Press