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Jennifer Jones , The Canadian Press

Jones, Fleury open Scotties with winner-take-all matchup

With Manitoba being the curling powerhouse it is, it’s no surprise the 2020 Scotties wild card will feature two rinks from the prairie province.

Kerri Einarson edged Jennifer Jones in a thrilling Manitoba final to earn the right to don the Buffalo in Moose Jaw. As a result, Jones will battle Tracy Fleury in the wild-card game, the woman she defeated in the provincial semifinals.

Watch the Wild Card Draw LIVE tonight from Moose Jaw, SK. at 8:30pm ET/5:30pm PT.

This matchup will be evenly matched as Fleury has taken four of their seven clashes against each other this season. Jones beat Fleury in the Shorty Jenkins Classic final back in September before Fleury answered back in the semifinals of the Colonial Square Ladies Classic and the quarterfinal of the Curlers Corner Autumn Gold Curling Classic. They split their two most recent games at playdowns.

Overall, Team Fleury hold a record of 55-22 this season compared to Team Jones’ record of 41-25. The winner will be placed in Pool B as the No. 3 seed and will instantly become a top contender to capture the Tournament of Hearts title. If the 45-year-old Jones can get past Fleury, she’ll have a chance to pass Colleen Jones for the most national championships of all-time with seven.

The wild-card game should be one of the best during the week in Moose Jaw.