Stu Sells Oakville Tankard | September 10–14, 2026
There are times when we have to travel a long way, buy an expensive ticket and sit 40 rows from the ice to watch the very best curlers in the world.
And then there are weeks like September 10–14, when many of them simply come to our house.
The Stu Sells Oakville Tankard returns to the Oakville Curling Club this September, and the 2026 field may be one of the strongest we have ever welcomed through our doors. We will have 32 men's teams and 24 women's teams competing over five tremendous days of curling — Olympic champions, World Champions, Brier champions, national champions and some of the brightest young stars in the game.
And you can watch them from just a few feet away.
The Men's Field Is Absolutely Loaded
Leading the way is Matt Dunstone, fresh off capturing his first Montana's Brier championship in March 2026, defeating Kevin Koe 6–3 in the final.
Dunstone is the No. 1 seed in our men's draw, which features a remarkable collection of international talent.
Also coming to Oakville is John Shuster, the skip who led the United States to its historic Olympic gold medal and who has been a familiar and popular visitor to our club over the years. He'll be joined by Canadian stars John Epping, Brendan Bottcher, Tanner Lott, Nathan Young and Scott Howard, along with an outstanding international contingent that includes Italy's Joel Retornaz, Scotland's Kyle Waddell, Switzerland's Marco Hösli and Kim Schwaller, and many more. The men's draw alone reads like something you would expect to see at a Grand Slam.
And remember — these aren't exhibition games. Teams are competing for over $80,000.
They're here to win.
And Then There's the Women's Field…
If you think the men's side is impressive, wait until you see the women.
Headlining the field is Switzerland's Xenia Schwaller, who arrives in Oakville as the 2026 World Women's Curling Champion. Schwaller's young Swiss team defeated Canada 7–5 in the World Championship final in March after an extraordinary tournament in which they won their final 13 games.
Some OCC members might also remember that name for another reason:
Xenia Schwaller already knows how to win in Oakville.
She captured the Stu Sells Oakville women's championship in 2024.
Joining her this September is an exceptional international field including fellow Swiss star Alina Paetz, Japan's Miyu Ueno, Scotland's Fay Henderson, Italy's Giulia Zardini Lacedelli, along with many of Canada's strongest teams — Christina Black, Kayla Skrlik, Chelsea Principi, Kira Brunton, Danielle Inglis, Sherry Middaugh, Carly Howard, Hollie Duncan and more.
In other words, if you enjoy watching world-class curling, clear your calendar.
More Than a Bonspiel — It's Part of OCC History
The Stu Sells Oakville Tankard has become one of the great traditions of the early competitive curling season.
The event traces its roots back more than 20 years, with the Stu Sells organization describing the Oakville Tankard as a premier early-season event since 2005. Over those years, our little corner of downtown Oakville has played host to an astonishing collection of curling royalty.
Just look at some of the names that have won here:
Brad Jacobs. Mike McEwen. Brad Gushue. Niklas Edin. Bruce Mouat. John Epping. Silvana Tirinzoni. Kerri Einarson. Anna Hasselborg. Xenia Schwaller.
Those aren't simply good curlers.
Those are World Champions, Olympic Champions, Canadian Champions and some of the defining players of their generation.