Grand Slam of Curling season preview

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Jennifer Jones and her team will be front and centre on the women's tour after their heart-breaking loss in the final of the Tournament of Hearts last season. (Frank Gunn/Canadian Press)

What's new in the world of curling for the upcoming Grand Slam season?

Well, there are a few lineup changes worth noting, and we'll find out which teams are the ones to beat as we head towards the 2014 Olympics in Sochi.

Here's what to look for on both the men's and women's tours in 2011-12.

WOMEN

The biggest change from a lineup perspective is that 2010 Olympic silver medallist Cheryl Bernard has a new front end. The amicable split of her former team has allowed Cheryl to pick up Lori Olson-Johns at second and Jennifer Sadler at lead, while third Susan O'Connor stays on for another run at Olympic glory. This Calgary-based team has already had some success with a final and a semifinal finish in their first two cash spiels. They sit fourth on the women's World Curling Tour money list.

Jennifer Jones and her team will always be front and centre when we speak of the best teams in the country. They traveled to Europe to start the season, securing their first victory of the year at the Oslo Cup in Norway. This team returns intact - with Caitlyn Lawes, Jill Officer and Dawn Askin - following their heart-breaking loss in the Scotties final last year. For the first time in four years, JJ and her team are forced to play down through their provincials to get to the Scotties, making things that much more difficult for the rest of the teams in Manitoba.

Another skip starting strong this season is Ontario's Sherry Middaugh. She and teammates Joanne Rizzo, Lee Merklinger and Leigh Armstrong have already won two bonspiels and qualified in a third event. They currently sit second on the money list, with their first win being "unofficial money." This team has its sights on securing a spot in the Olympic trials in a couple of seasons, and being the top Canadian team on the money list is a great way to do that.

Amber Holland and her team of Kim Schneider, Tammy Schneider and Heather Kalenchuk will be wearing a new red-and-white target on their backs as they'll be Team Canada at the Scotties after winning their first national championship last season. That reward will bring some extra attention to them, and may change their schedule a little because they won't have to be concerned about going through the Saskatchewan playdowns. This team has been pretty consistent over the past couple of years, always getting near the top of the money list, and I expect them to do the same this year.

Rachel Homan and her team of Emma Miskew, Alison Kreviazuk and Lisa Weagle, in my opinion, will be the team to beat over the next few years. While it's difficult to have the kind of dominance we've seen in the past from the likes of Jennifer Jones, this Ottawa team certainly has all the ingredients to do so. Although they've only played in one event this season, losing in the final, this team has the ability to go through events without having to be at their best to win. It's the rare team that has this capability, and when they're, look out. In their second full season out of juniors, this team is extremely focused and ready to win.

Other teams to watch for on the women's tour this year are:

Chelsea Carey (Manitoba): Looking to prove that last year's top-five finish on the money list was no fluke.

Stephanie Lawton (Saskatchewan): Always contending, but haven't been able to close the deal on the "big" prize quite yet. Their time is coming.

Shannon Kleibrink (Alberta): Shannon has won everything in sight, except the Scotties. Will this be the year? Her team is one of the top five teams in the country every year.

MEN

Among the Big 3, there's only one lineup change for this season.

Kevin Martin and his Edmonton team return intact, and you'd be hard pressed to find anyone who doesn't think they'll be refocused and rededicated to their craft after a self-described sub-par year in which they failed to reach the final at the Brier and lost the money title narrowly to Mike McEwen's team. But they're still the No. 1-ranked team in the world. Sub-par for this team is fantastic for anyone else.

Jeff Stoughton and his world championship-winning team from Winnipeg also return intact. In my opinion, the team's success was coincidental with third Jon Mead curling as well, and as consistently, as I have ever seen him play. After a few years apart, Stoughton and Mead seemed rejuvenated playing together. Reached the pinnacle of the sport last year, I believe, will fuel this team moving forward towards Sochi. They love the game, are extremely talented and want to be Canada's representatives at an Olympic Games. It's the only thing missing from their stellar resume.

The big talk, and shock, after the season ending Players' Championship was the retirement of two of the best thirds in Canada. Richard Hart of Team Howard and Blake McDonald of Team Koe decided to call it a career (for now anyways) and walk away from the game. Blake let his team know prior to the Players', but Hart's announcement surprised even his teammates.

Glenn Howard wasted no time in naming Wayne Middaugh as his new third. Middaugh and Howard are longtime friends, and have had success in the past together, including a world championship together back in 1993, and more recently as the Canada Cup champions last season, when Middaugh spared for Hart. This Ontario team will not need much time to get their act together, and I expect them to jump right back into the mix as one of the teams to beat this season.

With the departure of Blake McDonald, Edmonton's Kevin Koe has recruited Saskatchewan native Pat Simmons to join him for the run to Sochi. Pat brings a ton of experience and a definite calm to this team. They may take a few events to get their legs under them, but they're certainly very talented and will be a force to be reckoned with.

Winnipeg's Mike McEwen is coming off a huge season in which he beat out Martin for top spot on the money list. His team is already off to a great start, winning the first major event of the year by defeating Martin in the final of the Point Optical season opener in Regina. McEwen's team became one of the elite last season and look like they belong again in the top 10 in the country.

There are a few other noteworthy teams to look at this season as well. The Brad Gushue/Randy Ferbey experiment went just about as well (or poorly, I should say) as everyone expected, and they are now back in their own corners. Brad has a new front end, with Ryan Fry moving up to third. This Newfoundland team travels a ton, and will be everywhere there is a big event. The question is how much Brad will miss Mark Nichols, both from a shot making and team unity perspective. Time will tell.

The bigger surprise in this story is Ferbey going back on the circuit with longtime teammate Dave Nedohin. This back-end combination won four Briers together representing Alberta, and have had some early success on tour this season, ranking fourth on the money list early on. I'm really looking forward to seeing how this team will do.

The men's circuit is so difficult to break into, as we've seen over the years, but a few other teams to watch include:

John Epping (Ontario): Already won a big event to start the season, solidifying its presence in all the Grand Slams.

Rob Fowler (Manitoba): Had a great breakthrough year last season, now looking to move up the world rankings.

Brad Jacobs (Northern Ontario): Third at the Brier in 2010, continuing to improve and gain valuable experience.

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