Curling legend Jennifer Jones, Cornwall’s Lauren Lenentine haven’t parted company just yet 

By Bill McGuire 
Public Relations Chair, 
Cornwall Curling Club 

The curling world hasn’t seen the last of sports legend Jennifer Jones – not by a long shot. 

The Manitoba skip announced her retirement from the 4-person game just days before the  start of the recent Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Calgary and twice came within an inch during two playoff games of defeating eventual champion Rachel Homan of Ontario. 

Jones was on PEI, along with teammate Lauren Lenentine, on February 29^th in support of the announcement that the largest event on the Grand Slam of Curling’s event schedule is coming to UPEI in early October. 

Lenentine, of New Dominion, was a long-time member of the Cornwall Curling Club, before moving to Nova Scotia in 2018 to join the Kaitlyn Jones rink, and two seasons later, headed to Winnipeg to play with Mackenzie and Emily Zacharias. She graduates from university in May with a psychology degree. 

The GSOC’s Hearing Life event will feature 32 men’s and 32 women’s teams in two tiers, and takes place at UPEI’s twin ice surfaces Oct. 1-6, 2024. 

“Thank you so much for having me,” said Jones during the press conference at Charlottetown City Hall. 

“I did just announce my retirement a few weeks ago and if you had made this announcement before that, I might have held off because Charlottetown is one of my favourite places in the entire country, in the entire world, to play.” 

Jones won the Hearing Life event in Niagara Falls last fall and said she would have relished the chance to defend her title on PEI. She now lives with husband and fellow curling legend Brent Laing and their two young daughters in Horseshoe Valley, just outside Barrie, Ont. The couple still plans to compete in mixed doubles competition. 

Jones and her lead stone Lenentine played together the past two seasons and reached the Scotties final both times. Their team will compete a final time when the GSOC’s seasonal wrap-up Princess Auto Players’ Championship takes place at the Mattamy Centre in Toronto, April 9-14, shortly after the world women’s championships in Sydney, NS. later this month. 

“I’m hoping to be in Charlottetown in October in some capacity. I think the Lenentines would host me even if I didn’t have an official role, so we’ll see. I’m hoping to be doing some coaching or consulting or something. If I could do anything in the meantime to help promote this event, to help more dreams come true, to help make this so you want to host it every year. I know it’s that special. I’m here for you.  Thank you for believing in curling and for allowing us to shine.” 

Jones said she owes the sport of curling so much. Her career includes six Scotties championships – tied with Nova Scotia’s Colleen Jones for the most titles by a skip – along with two world championships and an Olympic gold medal. 

She is especially proud that curling led the way in the sports world reaching equality with men’s events. For example, on the GSOC tour, women have equal status in terms of purse money, profile and coverage. The Scotties’ popularity rivals or surpasses the men’s Brier, and across Canada and the world, men’s and women’s curling events share the stage equally. 

Jones said the Tier 2 event associated with the GSOC’s Hearing Life event is important in the growth of the game as it allows 32 up-and-coming teams a chance to compete on the world stage. 

Islanders get the chance to see the top 16 men’s and 16 women’s teams in the world — “the best of the best” — but also the rising stars of the sport from around the world as well, said Jones. “It’s the opportunity for these teams to be able to advance to the next level here.” 

“You’re going to be able to see people who have already kind of achieved their goals of reaching the Olympic stage. And you’re also going to see the Kerri Einarson’s and the Cory Dropkin’s who came up through the Tier 2. 

“The energy that you’re going to feel in the (CARI) building is second to none. You’re going to see the best curlers you have ever seen, both on the men’s and women’s side.  The top teams from around the world are going to come and they will love to experience PEI’s famous hospitality,” said Jones. 

“So, we’re going to be dancing and we’re going to be listening to music. We’re going to be shucking oysters and we’re going to be loving everything that Charlottetown (and PEI) has to offer.” 

She said, “My curling career has been more than I could have ever imagined, really. I was a little girl who was very shy to talk to the person next to me, and now I can come and talk to a room full of people because of curling.” 

As much as the players and teammates, Jones says the fans also played a key role in the thrill of competition. “I remember very vividly back in 2011 in Charlottetown . . . the energy in the building.”  

She said the Tour is grateful to PEI for welcoming the Hearing Life. “And I know that the fans are going to come out, and that’s what makes it special to curlers. And I hope that everyone comes over and says hello, because we have never lost our gratitude for you all in this room for believing in curling, to host this event, cheering on everybody, for growing our game, to having it on TV. We’re so grateful for each of you for helping to make our dreams come true. Curling is truly special and unique.” 

Jones said when the season started last fall, she didn’t think it would be her last year.  

“I know that I’m retiring. It makes me sad to say it. I still can’t believe it. So, to be honest, when we lost the Scotties final and the kids came over the boards to give me a hug, my little 7-year-old just kept saying, ‘please change your mind, please change your mind, please change your mind,’ with tears running down her face.” 

Jones said she felt very grateful to play the last two seasons with Lauren from PEI and mate Karlee Burgess from Truro. “And I’ve had just the best time and I’m going to be cheering for them with everything inside of me to continue on the road to great success.” 

Lauren, a two-time Canadian junior champion, added a world junior title in 2020, claimed her first GSOC event title in Niagara Falls last fall. She said the Hearing Life is the first event of the season, so all the players really look forward to coming. “We’re getting back into the pace of things and we’re just so excited to be back on the tour. And we’re doing it in Charlottetown, so this is extra special.” 

Lauren said she remembers the Scotties in Charlottetown 2011 and the players in 2014 in Summerside and those events “really showed me what curling can be. I’m excited for the next generation of island curlers to be able to experience it as well because we don’t get these big curling events. I’m really excited about that.  

“I had great teammates in Cornwall. I played with the same three girls from when I was 9, so being able to share those memories and experiences with them is special. And I think it just really speaks to the growing curling community that we’re so connected, and we support one another.” 

Lenentine was asked what advice she might have for fans coming to the province in October for the GSOC. “You need to see, not just Charlottetown, but the whole island. There’s such great hospitality here. It’s truly special and you can’t really find it anywhere else. It honestly is magic.” 

Jones was asked if she intends to spend more time in the Sportsnet broadcast booth next season after making a number of guest appearances in recent months as a GSOC colour commentator. 

“Honestly, I don’t have plans yet. I really didn’t decide until the Monday before the Scotties to retire and it just finished. I don’t have any plans yet. Going into the broadcast booth is something I’m interested in. I wanted to get through the Scotties and enjoy it, and now I’m going to figure out what I’m going to do in the future. “ 

She didn’t rule out working with the GSOC on PEI. “I love coming here. I love the grand Slams and anything I can do to support it, I’m all in. “ 

Jones said she didn’t need much persuasion to come to Charlottetown Feb. 29 even though it was just four days after the Scotties and two days before the Brier where her husband Brent Laing is coaching Mike McEwen’s Team Saskatchewan. 

“I wanted to come with Lauren. This is really important to me and I think it was great to be able to spend some time with her and her family. 

“I put a lot of thought into retiring and it wasn’t a decision I came to lightly. I just felt it was the right time. Mixed doubles has a little bit more flexible schedule. It was just hard to do both men and women. I didn’t have a weekend off from the end of August until after Christmas, and so it was just a little bit too much.” 

Lauren said she intends to remain in Winnipeg after graduating from university this spring.  “I’m going to be staying.” 

Lenentine, second stone Emily Zacharias and mate Burgess are returning to play together but there has been no decision on a new skip yet. “I think that Jen is really happy taking a step away from curling so I don’t really see her coming back.” 

Lauren said, “It is so much fun to play in the Scotties. It’s what every female curler growing up wants to do. And so to have the opportunity to play in it again, was really incredible. And to reach the final for the second year in a row was unbelievable.” 

“Last year, I think we surprised ourselves a little bit. We knew that we were capable, but it was our first year together. You never really know what’s going to happen. But this year, we felt like we kind of really had a fair shot of going all the way and yeah, an inch here and an inch there, it’s a different result, but we’re still really proud of what happened.” 

Lauren said, “Last year I think I was quite nervous. This year, I barely felt any nerves at all and I think I just knew that what was meant to happen, was going to happen. I knew it was Jen’s last event, so really just soaking in the moment. Whatever happened in the end is going to be.  

“We’re together for one more event in the Players and that’s our last event and then we’ll see what the future holds. I really don’t know what we’re going to do.”