The 2023 Princess Auto Players' Championship was held from April 11 to 16 at the Mattamy Athletic Centre in Toronto, Ontario. It was the fifth Grand Slam event and final major of the 2022âÂÂ23 curling season.
In the women's final, Sweden's Isabella WranÃÂ¥ won her first Slam title, defeating the World Champion Silvana Tirinzoni rink from Switzerland 6âÂÂ5. In the game, WranÃÂ¥ took a commanding lead in the fourth end, making an open hit for three to take a 4âÂÂ1 lead. Tirinzoni scored a single in the fifth, but WranÃÂ¥ replied by getting a deuce in the sixth. The Tirinzoni rink had a chance to score three in the seventh to even the gap, but fourth thrower Alina Pätz missed a split attempt, but did end up getting two, as at least her shooter rolled in the house to score. In the final end, WranÃÂ¥ only had to hit one Tirinzoni rock on her last to win the title.
In the men's final, Calgary's Kevin Koe rink, defeated Switzerland's Yannick Schwaller team 5âÂÂ4, giving Koe his fifth Grand Slam title as a skip. Up 1âÂÂ0 after the first, Koe missed a long raise takeout in the second, allowing Schwaller's last rock thrower Benoît Schwarz to draw for two. Schwaller went up 3âÂÂ1 after Koe missed an angle raise double in the fourth. Koe made a hit and stick for one in the fifth, and Schwarz replied with a draw to the button in the sixth to go up 4âÂÂ2. The seventh end was blanked, and in the eighth and final end, Koe with his clock in the single digits on his last rock, made a triple takeout to score three to give his team the win. Koe was in a similar situation in the semifinal, where he had to make a slash double against the Brad Gushue rink with only seconds on remaining on his clock. The game would be the last for Koe's second Bradley Thiessen who stepped back from the game.
Both Teams WranÃÂ¥ and Koe won $40,000 with their wins.
The top 12 ranked men's and women's teams on the World Curling Federation's Year-to-Date rankings as of March 13, 2023 qualified for the event. In the event that a team declines their invitation, the next-ranked team on the world team ranking was invited until the field was complete.
Top Year-to-Date men's teams:
Top Year-to-Date women's teams:
The teams are listed as follows:
Final Round Robin Standings
All draw times are listed in Eastern Time ().
Tuesday, April 11, 11:30 am
Tuesday, April 11, 3:00 pm
Tuesday, April 11, 6:30 pm
Wednesday, April 12, 8:00 am
Wednesday, April 12, 11:30 am
Wednesday, April 12, 3:30 pm
Wednesday, April 12, 7:00 pm
Thursday, April 13, 8:00 am
Thursday, April 13, 11:30 am
Thursday, April 13, 3:30 pm
Thursday, April 13, 7:00 pm
Friday, April 14, 8:00 am
Friday, April 14, 11:30 am
Friday, April 14, 3:30 pm
Friday, April 14, 7:30 pm
Saturday, April 15, 11:30 am
Saturday, April 15, 3:30 pm
Saturday, April 15, 7:30 pm
Sunday, April 16, 5:00 pm
The teams are listed as follows:
Final Round Robin Standings
All draw times are listed in Eastern Time ().
Tuesday, April 11, 11:30 am
Tuesday, April 11, 3:00 pm
Tuesday, April 11, 6:30 pm
Wednesday, April 12, 8:00 am
Wednesday, April 12, 11:30 am
Wednesday, April 12, 3:30 pm
Wednesday, April 12, 7:00 pm
Thursday, April 13, 8:00 am
Thursday, April 13, 11:30 am
Thursday, April 13, 3:30 pm
Thursday, April 13, 7:00 pm
Friday, April 14, 8:00 am
Friday, April 14, 11:30 am
Friday, April 14, 3:30 pm
Friday, April 14, 7:30 pm
Saturday, April 15, 11:30 am
Saturday, April 15, 3:30 pm
Saturday, April 15, 7:30 pm
Sunday, April 16, 1:00 pm