Moose Jaw, Sask., chosen as host of the 2015 Scotties Tournament of Hearts

MOOSE JAW, Sask. – Moose Jaw, Sask., will host Canada’s top women’s curlers for the 2015 Scotties Tournament of Hearts.

The Canadian Curling Association announced the site Wednesday for the Feb. 14-22 event at Mosaic Place, marking the first time the Saskatchewan city will host the Canadian women’s championships.

It’s not the first time Mosaic Place has hosted world class curling, though — the 2012 Capital One Canada Cup of Curling broke attendance records for the event at the 4,465-seat facility.

“The 2012 Canada Cup was a shining example of a city supporting our sport and our curlers,” CCA CEO Greg Stremlaw said in a release.

For the first time, there will be a pre-qualifying event that will determine the final 12-team field for the Scotties. Fifteen teams— the 14 member associations and the defending champion from the 2014 Scotties — will be eligible to compete, meaning Northern Ontario will make its Scotties debut in Moose Jaw. Four teams will compete in the pre-qualifying round just before round-robin play begins to determine the final two entries.

Moose Jaw has played host to several other major curling events, including the 1983 world women’s championship, the 1979 world junior men’s championship and the 1994 Canadian senior men’s and women’s championships.

The 2014 Scotties Tournament of Hearts is Feb. 1-9 in Montreal.