Olympic champions Team Muirhead will make their first competitive appearance since claiming gold in Beijing when they take to the ice at the Princess Auto Players’ Championship in Toronto’s Mattamy Centre (April 12-17).
Having been hugely in demand since becoming Team GB’s only gold medallists at the Winter Olympics in Beijing in February, the team that was put together just this season after coming through a testing squad system, but has won every competition it has played together in establishing itself as the top ranked team in the sport, is aiming to finish with a flourish. 
“It’s the first Slam we’ve played this season and to get the chance to take part in the Players Championships going in as Olympic champions and also having reached world number one going into our last Slam makes the team feel very good this week,” said their skip Eve Muirhead.
“It has been a roller-coaster season, but to end it with the Olympics and then the chance to play in the Players Championships in front of big crowds again will be great.”
Muirhead has an impressive track record as a skip in Grand Slams, the most lucrative events in the sport, sharing with former teammate Vicky Adams, the record for most wins by a non-Canadian, having won six titles in all.
The Players’ Championship is a source of particularly happy memories since half of those triumphs have been in that event – in 2013, 2015 and 2016 – but she has not won one since the last of those six years ago and has won none with any of her current teammates.
With Jen Dodds also going into the event as the reigning World Mixed Doubles champion, they know they have the ability to change that, while lead Hailey Duff has become something of a lucky talisman since forcing her way into the line-up in the autumn.
“For Hailey this will be her first Grand Slam event, so she’ll be buzzing and you can’t buy that experience of playing in front of crowds in big arenas,” said Muirhead.
“It’s been a couple of years since any of us have played with a crowd and playing in a big arena is one of the best experiences you can get. 
“Hailey’s definitely stepped up to the occasion. She’s pretty much won every event that she’s played in this season, so hopefully she can continue that.”
Having been in huge demand in the immediate aftermath of the Winter Olympics, their focus has returned to business in the build-up to this 16-team event which boasts a $175,000 purse.
“We have come back to some good training prior to this event and getting to Toronto it’s great to get a Canadian welcome, because the Canadians like the Scots, so that’s always nice,” said Muirhead.
“It’s been difficult with the complete whirlwind after the Olympics, but we managed to focus for the last couple of weeks leading into this, because we know it’s a huge opportunity.”
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Images Team GB / David Pearce
