There was a stunning surprise at the 2024 PointsBet Invitational at the Markin MacPhail Center in Calgary, Alberta on Thursday. In this fascinating single-elimination knockout tournament, Allyson MacNutt of Halifax, Nova Scotia defeated No. 14 seed, No. 3 seed and four-time Scotties Tournament of Hearts champion Kerri Einarson of Gimli, Manitoba, 8-6. MacNutt dominated the final four ends of the game, scoring the final four points.
MacNutt qualified for the 2024 PointsBet Invitational by winning the 2024 New Holland Canadian Junior Championship in Fort McMurray, Alberta. In the championship final, MacNutt defeated Julia Markle of Ontario 9-5. MacNutt is currently studying environmental science at Dalhousie University.
Three other lower seeded players were victorious on Thursday. In the women’s event, No. 10 seed Kayla Skrlik of Calgary defeated No. 7 seed Danielle Inglis of Toronto, Ontario, 9-2. Skrlik stole three points in the seventh game and took control.
On the men’s side, No. 11 seed Felix Asselin of Montreal, Quebec, defeated No. 11 seed Reid Carruthers of Winnipeg, Manitoba 5-4, and No. 10 seed Owen Purcell of Halifax defeated No. 11 seed Aaron Sluchinski of Calgary seven seeds. 11-6. Carruthers had won the first two PointsBet Invitational tournaments. In the men’s Elite Eight on Friday, Brad Gushue of St. John’s, Newfoundland will face Rylan Kleiter of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan; Kevin Koe of Calgary faces Jordon McDonald of Winnipeg, Manitoba; Asselin faces Mike McEwen’s team from Regina, Saskatchewan; and Brad Jacobs’ Calgary-based team faces Purcell. In Friday’s Women’s Elite Eight, Rachel Homan of Ottawa, Ontario, will face Corryn Brown of Kamloops, British Columbia; Kaitlyn Lawes of Winnipeg faces Selena Sturmay of Edmonton, Alberta; Kate Cameron of Winnipeg faces MacNutt and Chelsea Carey of Winnipeg faces Skrlik.
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