Canada’s golden wheelchair curling team to be honoured at Rock League

One month after making history at the Paralympics and capturing the hearts and minds of fans across Canada and beyond, the Canadian wheelchair curling team will be honoured during Rock League’s inaugural season on Saturday, April 11.

Led by skip Mark Ideson, the Canadian wheelchair curling team became the first team in history to go undefeated to win Paralympic gold.

In a thrilling final against China, Ideson delivered the winning stone with just 2.8 seconds left on the clock. Ideson, third Jon Thurston, second Ina Forrest, lead Colinda Joseph and alternate Gil Dash celebrated with support staff and family inside the historic curling venue in Cortina, Italy.

They earned the nickname “Cardiac Canadians” for their ability to mount incredible comebacks throughout the Paralympics, including stealing three in the final end of the semifinal to defeat Korea.

Now the team will reunite in Toronto for the first time since winning gold to take in some of the action during the inaugural season of Rock League and will be celebrated on Saturday afternoon inside the TMU Mattamy Athletic Centre.

Rock League tickets are available at rockleague.com/tickets.

“Their gold medal win had us all captivated and yelling at our TVs as the clock ran down. We want to highlight their extraordinary performance in Cortina and remind curling fans of their skill, while also continuing to showcase wheelchair curling as we build toward the second GSOC Wheelchair Invitational this December in Kingston,” said Nic Sulsky, Chief Executive Officer of The Curling Group.

“It made perfect sense to add a little Rock and Roll to Rock League."

Mick Lizmore, Head Coach, Canadian National Wheelchair Curling Program, says it’s nice to see the sport getting the recognition it deserves.

“The announcement of the second annual GSOC Wheelchair Invitational, taking place during the Players’ Cup in Kingston, is another exciting development. It reflects The Curling Group’s strong commitment to supporting a wide range of curling disciplines and creating meaningful opportunities to showcase wheelchair curling on bigger stages,” he said.

“Building on the momentum following the Paralympics, we see real potential to collaborate in ways that expand exposure and connect with broader audiences.”

The Canadian wheelchair curling team will be at the Saturday noon ET game, taking in festivities before taking to the ice. Following the match, the wheelchair curlers will join four able-bodied curlers for an exhibition game. Fans are invited to stay inside the venue to take in the action.

Later that afternoon, following the 3:30 p.m. ET match, the wheelchair curlers will be honoured and celebrated during an in-venue celebration as well as interviews with the curlers.

Immediately after the celebration, fans will then get the chance to recreate Ideson’s winning shot as the clock ticked down. All of the curlers will available to sign autographs throughout the afternoon and festivities. There will also be a jersey auction for fans to own a piece of history.

The Curling Group understands the role it can play in helping profile wheelchair curling and wants to continue to provide the athletes world-class opportunities to showcase their skills.

Last season TCG launched the first-ever Wheelchair Curling Invitational during the Grand Slam of Curling’s AMJ Masters event at the Western Fair Sports Centre in London, Ont. Four teams competed in the inaugural event including two Canadian teams, Great Britain and Italy.

The teams competed in a round robin at the KW Granite Club in Waterloo before playing the championship game inside the Western Fair Sports Centre alongside the Slam finals.

Canada red, consisting of the same foursome who would go on to win Paralympic gold, won the Wheelchair Curling Invitational.

Lizmore wrote in an op-ed piece for thegrandslamofcurling.com that the event was about so much more than medals — it was about momentum.

“The inaugural GSOC Wheelchair Invitational wasn’t just a tournament. It was a statement. A celebration. A catalyst,” Lizmore wrote.

The momentum continues.

“Coming out of the Paralympics, there’s a real sense of excitement around the sport — the energy of the event, the engagement from audiences, and the level of exposure wheelchair curling received made it an incredibly meaningful experience for our team and for the broader community,” Lizmore said.

“The Paralympics capped off a banner season for wheelchair curling that began with the first-ever GSOC Wheelchair Invitational, marking an important milestone in growing the sport and showcasing its elite competition.”

Planning is already well underway for the second Wheelchair Curling Invitational set to take place during the marquee event of the Grand Slam of Curling season, at the GSOC’s Players’ Cup running Dec. 15-20. The championship will take place inside Slush Puppie Place in Kingston, Ont.