Melissa Gordon-Kurz
Melissa Gordon-Kurz
Curler
BornMelissa Gordon (1994-07-24) July 24, 1994Winnipeg, Manitoba
Team
Curling clubAssiniboine Memorial CC,Winnipeg, MB[1]
SkipKelsey Calvert
ThirdBeth Peterson
SecondKatherine Remillard
LeadMelissa Gordon-Kurz
Curling career
Member AssociationManitoba
Hearts appearances1 (2026)
Top CTRS ranking8th (2024–25)

Melissa Gordon-Kurz (born July 24, 1994, as Melissa Gordon) is a Canadiancurler from Winnipeg, Manitoba.[1] She currently plays lead on Team Beth Peterson, which is skipped by Kelsey Calvert.

Career

Juniors

Gordon-Kurz represented Manitoba at the 2011 Canada Winter Games alongside teammates Beth Peterson, Robyn Njegovan and Breanne Yozenko. There, they finished third in their pool with a 2–3 record, not enough to advance to the playoff round.[2] In 2015, the same team won the 2015 Manitoba Junior provincial championship. At the 2015 Canadian Junior Curling Championships, they finished in fifth place with a 6–4 record.[3] The following season, Team Peterson began competing on the World Curling Tour and finished runner-up at the 2015 Mother Club Fall Curling Classic. As Peterson and Yozenko aged out of juniors, Gordon-Kurz and Njegovan brought on Abby Ackland to skip their team at the Manitoba Junior championship with Sara Oliver at lead. Together, the new lineup won the junior provincial title and represented Manitoba at the 2016 Canadian Junior Curling Championships.[4] At junior nationals, the Ackland rink led Manitoba to a 7–3 record through the round robin and championship pools.[5] They then lost to New Brunswick's Justine Comeau in a tiebreaker, eliminating them from contention.[6]

Women's

Back with Team Peterson, Gordon-Kurz won her first tour event at the 2016 Atkins Curling Supplies Classic where her team defeated Darcy Robertson 7–6 in the final.[7] At the 2017 Manitoba Scotties Tournament of Hearts, Team Peterson finished with a 4–3 record, not enough to qualify for the playoff round.[8] During the 2017–18 season, Team Peterson won the Fort Garry Industries Bonspiel, beating out Katie Chappellaz in the final. The team also reached the semifinals of the Atkins Curling Supplies Classic and the quarterfinals of the MCT Championships. Despite their successes on tour, Team Peterson was unable to advance to the 2018 Manitoba Scotties Tournament of Hearts after losing out in their regional qualifiers.[9]

Gordon-Kurz and Peterson added Jenna Loder and Katherine Doerksen to their team for the 2018–19 season. The team had three semifinal finishes on the tour and won the Manitoba Scotties Berth Bonspiel to qualify for the 2019 Manitoba Scotties Tournament of Hearts. There, the team had their most successful provincial championship to date, finishing 5–2 through the round robin and qualifying for a tiebreaker against Abby Ackland. Despite tying the game in the seventh end, Team Peterson would give up three points in the eighth end, ultimately losing the game 8–7.[10] The 2019–20 season was a successful season for the Peterson rink as they qualified for the playoffs in eight of their ten events. They also got to play in their first Grand Slam of Curling event at the 2019 Tour Challenge Tier 2 where they lost in the semifinal to South Korea's Kim Min-ji.[11] Despite entering the 2020 Manitoba Scotties Tournament of Hearts as the fourth seed, Team Peterson finished the round robin with a 2–3 record, failing to reach the championship pool round.[12][13]

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada, many provinces had to cancel their provincial championships, with member associations selecting their representatives for the 2021 Scotties Tournament of Hearts. Due to this situation, Curling Canada added three Wild Card teams to the national championship, which were chosen according to the CTRS standings from the 2019–20 season.[14] Because Team Peterson ranked 12th on the CTRS[15] and kept at least three of their four players together for the 2020–21 season, they got the third Wild Card spot at the 2021 Scotties in Calgary, Alberta.[16] However, Gordon-Kurz opted to not attend the Scotties due to work commitments, and was replaced by Brittany Tran.[17] At the Tournament of Hearts, the team finished with a respectable 7–5 fifth place finish.[18]

In their first event of the 2021–22 season, Team Peterson reached the final of the Mother Club Fall Curling Classic where they lost to Mackenzie Zacharias.[19] They were then semifinalists at the Atkins Curling Supplies Classic. With their successful results over the past few seasons, Team Peterson had enough points to qualify for the 2021 Canadian Olympic Curling Pre-Trials.[20] There, the team missed the playoffs after a 1–5 record.[21] At the 2022 Manitoba Scotties Tournament of Hearts, the team began with two straight wins before losing the rest of their games, finishing just outside the playoffs at 2–3.[22] Team Peterson rounded out their season at the 2022 Best of the West where they lost in the final to Corryn Brown.[23]

To begin the 2022–23 season, Team Peterson qualified for the playoffs at three straight events. They began with a semifinal finish at the Mother Club Fall Curling Classic before winning the Atkins Curling Supplies Classic.[24] The team then played in the 2022 Western Showdown, however, with Robyn Silvernagle sparing for Peterson at skip. At the event, the team defeated many higher seeds such as Kim Eun-jung, Clancy Grandy and Isabella Wranå, ultimately losing in the semifinals to Silvana Tirinzoni.[25] Team Peterson had a strong showing at the 2023 Manitoba Scotties Tournament of Hearts, beginning with a 4–1 record through the round robin. They went on to finish 5–3 after the championship round and then lost a tiebreaker to Meghan Walter to advance to the playoffs.[26] The team ended their season at the Best of the West where they were again defeated by Corryn Brown in the championship game. Peterson was replaced by Kelsey Rocque for the event.[27]

For the 2023–24 season, Team Peterson added Kelsey Rocque to their lineup at third with Jenna Loder shifting to alternate. On tour, the team found moderate success, as they won the MCT Shootout in September and the MCT Championships in January.[28] They also reached a pair of semifinals and made it to the quarterfinals of the Red Deer Curling Classic, before losing to the country's number one ranked team, Rachel Homan, who ultimately won the event.[29] At the 2024 Manitoba Scotties Tournament of Hearts, Team Peterson made it to the championship round with a 3–2 record, and then won four straight to earn a spot in the semifinal, where they defeated Kate Cameron 8–4. That put them up into the final against Kaitlyn Lawes and in a very tight game, they lost 9–8.[30] The following season, they defended their title at the MCT Championships and lost the final of the MCT Curling Cup and the MCT Showdown. They also competed in the 2024 Tour Challenge Tier 2 where they lost in the quarterfinals to Sayaka Yoshimura.[31] At the 2025 RME Women of the Rings, the provincial championship, Team Peterson finished 5–3 through the round robin and championship pools, earning a tiebreaker berth where they eliminated Hailey McFarlane. They then beat Darcy Robertson in the semifinal before coming up short again in the final to Kate Cameron, finishing second.[32]

Team Peterson began the 2025–26 season at the 2025 Masters Tier 2 Grand Slam where they finished 1–3. Next, the team played in the 2025 PointsBet Invitational, qualifying through the CTRS rankings.[33] There, they finished 2–2, securing wins over Kaitlyn Lawes and Myla Plett.[34] They then played in the 2025 Canadian Olympic Curling Pre-Trials where they had a disappointing last place finish.[35] After the event, Peterson and third Kelsey Calvert switched positions, with Calvert taking over as skip of the team prior to the 2026 RME Women of the Rings.[36] This switch paid off as after losing the final for two consecutive years, Gordon-Kurz won her first Manitoba Women's Championship, beating Team Lawes 9–7 in the final.[37] This earned the team the right to represent Manitoba at the 2026 Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Mississauga, Ontario.

Mixed

Gordon-Kurz won the 2020 Manitoba mixed provincial championship as lead for Braden Calvert.[38] However, the team did not represent Manitoba at the national championship. Three years later, she won the provincial championship again, playing lead for husband Kyle Kurz.[39] At the 2023 Canadian Mixed Curling Championship, Manitoba finished the round robin undefeated. In the championship round, they lost just one game (against Saskatchewan), giving them a 9–1 record. After beating Ontario in the semifinal, they played Saskatchewan again in the final and lost 6–4, earning a silver medal in the process.[40]

Mixed doubles

In addition to mixed, Gordon-Kurz and Kurz teamed up in mixed doubles and won the 2019 Manitoba provincial championship.[41] At the 2019 Canadian Mixed Doubles Curling Championship, the pair finished 5–2 in the round robin, enough to qualify for the playoffs. They then lost 7–4 to Kadriana and Colton Lott in the round of 12, eliminating them from contention.[42]

Personal life

Gordon-Kurz works as an early childhood educator at the Stanley Knowles Children's Centre. She is married to fellow curler Kyle Kurz, and has two children.[1]

Teams

Season Skip Third Second Lead Alternate
2010–11[43]Beth PetersonRobyn NjegovanMelissa GordonBreanne Yozenko
2011–12 Beth PetersonRobyn NjegovanMelissa GordonBreanne Yozenko
2012–13 Beth PetersonRobyn NjegovanMelissa GordonBreanne Yozenko
2013–14 Beth PetersonRobyn NjegovanMelissa GordonBreanne Yozenko
2014–15 Beth PetersonRobyn NjegovanMelissa GordonBreanne Yozenko
2015–16 Beth PetersonRobyn NjegovanMelissa GordonBreanne Yozenko
2016–17 Beth PetersonRobyn NjegovanMelissa GordonBreanne YozenkoLindsay Warkentin
2017–18 Beth PetersonRobyn NjegovanMelissa GordonBreanne YozenkoLindsay Warkentin
2018–19 Beth PetersonJenna LoderKatherine DoerksenMelissa GordonRobyn Njegovan
2019–20 Beth PetersonJenna LoderKatherine DoerksenMelissa GordonNicole Sigvaldason
2020–21 Beth PetersonJenna LoderKatherine DoerksenMelissa GordonMeghan Walter
2021–22 Beth PetersonJenna LoderKatherine DoerksenMelissa Gordon
2022–23 Beth PetersonJenna LoderKatherine DoerksenMelissa Gordon
2023–24 Beth PetersonKelsey RocqueKatherine DoerksenMelissa Gordon-KurzJenna Loder
2024–25 Beth PetersonKelsey CalvertKatherine RemillardMelissa Gordon-KurzMeghan Walter
2025–26 Beth PetersonKelsey CalvertKatherine RemillardMelissa Gordon-Kurz
Kelsey CalvertBeth Peterson

References

  1. ^ abc"2026 Scotties Tournament of Hearts Media Guide"(PDF). Curling Canada. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
  2. ^"Women's Curling Results". 2011 Canada Winter Games. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
  3. ^"Ontario women rebound in style at 2015 M&M Meat Shops Canadian Juniors". Curling Canada. January 29, 2015. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
  4. ^Danielle Da Silva (January 18, 2016). "Fort Rouge's Ackland wins provincial junior crown". Free Press Community. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
  5. ^"Nova Scotia women, Northern Ontario men headed to finals at 2016 Canadian Juniors". Curling Canada. January 29, 2016. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
  6. ^"New Brunswick women prevail in 2016 Canadian Juniors tiebreaker". Curling Canada. January 29, 2016. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
  7. ^"2016 Atkins Curling Supplies Classic". CurlingZone. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
  8. ^"2017 Manitoba Scotties: Standings". Sportsnet. January 25, 2017. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
  9. ^"2018 Manitoba Scotties – Winnipeg Regional". CurlingZone. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
  10. ^Connor Njegovan (January 26, 2019). "Ackland Advances to Playoffs in Gimli". Curl Manitoba. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
  11. ^Jonathan Brazeau (November 10, 2019). "Jacobs, Gushue set for showdown in Tour Challenge men's final". Grand Slam of Curling. Archived from the original on November 27, 2024. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
  12. ^Clayton Dreger (January 29, 2020). "2020 Provincial Scotties". Pembina Valley Online. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
  13. ^"2020 Manitoba Scotties Tournament of Hearts". CurlingZone. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
  14. ^"Three wild-card teams added to Scotties, Brier". TSN. January 13, 2021. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
  15. ^"2019–20 CTRS Standings". Curling Canada. Archived from the original on February 22, 2021. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
  16. ^"Wild Card teams set!". Curling Canada. February 1, 2021. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
  17. ^Todd Saelhof (February 25, 2021). "Calgary's Tran soaking up call to Scotties from Cathy O". Calgary Sun. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
  18. ^"Scotties Tournament of Hearts: Scores, standings, schedule". Sportsnet. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
  19. ^"Weagle/Epping clinch!". Curling Canada. September 20, 2021. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
  20. ^"Big events in Ottawa!". Curling Canada. August 10, 2021. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
  21. ^"Women's playoffs determined!". Curling Canada. October 29, 2021. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
  22. ^"2022 Scotties Tournament of Hearts presented by Bayer". Curl Manitoba. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
  23. ^"Brown wins Best of the West". CurlingZone. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
  24. ^"Wins from Tirinzoni and Edin highlight busy weekend in curling". TSN. October 3, 2022. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
  25. ^"Tirinzoni into Western Showdown semifinals". CurlingZone. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
  26. ^Taylor Allen (January 24, 2024). "Peterson out to prove her team has what it takes to win Scotties". Winnipeg Free Press. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
  27. ^"2023 SGI Best of the West". CurlingZone. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
  28. ^"Team Beth Peterson: 2023–24". CurlingZone. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
  29. ^Taylor Allen (January 24, 2024). "Peterson out to prove her team has what it takes to win Scotties". Winnipeg Free Press. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
  30. ^Paul Friesen (January 28, 2024). "Tears on both sides as Lawes takes Manitoba curling crown in a thriller". Winnipeg Sun. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
  31. ^"2024 Tour Challenge". CurlingZone. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
  32. ^Joshua Frey-Smith (January 27, 2025). "Cameron wins first Manitoba title". The Brandon Sun. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
  33. ^"Early Trials preview on tap at 2025 PointsBet Invitational in Calgary". Curling Canada. June 24, 2025. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
  34. ^"Men's final matchup remains undecided after Saturday afternoon chaos at 2025 PointsBet Invitational". Curling Canada. October 4, 2025. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
  35. ^"Team McDonald advances to playoffs at 2025 Home Hardware Pre-Trials". Curling Canada. October 23, 2025. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
  36. ^Gordon Anderson (January 25, 2026). "Beth Peterson and the 'big change' prior to the Scotties". Winnipeg Sun. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
  37. ^Gordon Anderson (January 4, 2026). "Peterson defeats Lawes in Manitoba women's curling final". The Winnipeg Sun. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
  38. ^"Team Braden Calvert wins 2019 Chicken Chef Mixed Open Provincial Championship". Curl Manitoba. April 2, 2019. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
  39. ^"Fort Rouge Team Kurz wins Chicken Chef Mixed". Curl Manitoba. April 4, 2023. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
  40. ^"Hometown Heroes!". Curling Canada. November 12, 2023. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
  41. ^"Kurz/Gordon win the 2019 Mixed Doubles Provincial Championship presented by Dynasty Curling". Curl Manitoba. February 19, 2019. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
  42. ^"Familiar names advance to the semifinals at 2019 Canadian Mixed Doubles Curling Championship". Curling Canada. March 24, 2019. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
  43. ^"Melissa Gordon-Kurz Past Teams". CurlingZone. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
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