2 teens, including veteran skip's daughter, to curl for Team N.W.T. at upcoming Scotties tournament

Yellowknife's Sydney Galusha, the daughter of Kerry Galusha, will compete alongside her mom at a national curling tournament in February – which will make Sydney, at age 15, the youngest player believed to ever play in the Scotties Tournament of Hearts. 

"I'm feeling a bit nervous to be the youngest there," the younger Galusha said.

There will be at least one other young player on the sheet in Thunder Bay, Ont., however. Sydney's friend, 16-year-old Ella Skauge, will be Team Galusha's alternate. The N.W.T. team also consists of Megan Koehler as vice-skip, Sydney as second, Shona Barbour as lead and Kerry as skip. Amber Holland is their coach.

The tournament, which takes place at Fort William Gardens in Thunder Bay from Feb. 14 to 23, will be Kerry Galusha's 20th. 

Kerry said she considered retiring last year, but then her thoughts turned to another tournament alongside her daughter instead.

"It's pretty special to have her come with me," Kerry said.

"She was always coming with me to practices. Even when she was born, I'd have her out here in her little carrier. So, you know, it's basically in … her blood. It's in my blood." 

Though it was easy to get her daughter into the sport, Kerry said getting her to listen to her advice is another matter. 

"When we're playing a game, she's great," Kerry said with a laugh. "When we're off the ice, she doesn't listen to me at all. And in practices she doesn't really listen to me … other teammates usually have to give her some tips."

Al Cameron, the communications director for Curling Canada, confirmed to CBC News that the biographical records of early Scotties tournaments aren't complete but the organization believes Sydney Galusha will be the youngest player in the event's history.

On the ice 'with somebody that's super special to you'

Team Galusha's goal at the Scotties the last few years has been to make it to the playoffs. 

This year, however, the objective has changed. 

"It's to go help Ella and Syd learn and just try to have fun," said Kerry. 

Shona Barbour, who along with Megan Koehler came out of retirement to compete this year, said she and Sydney Galusha are close, and consider themselves to be an aunt and niece to one another. 

"That was one of the reasons I came out  … of this retirement, is to be able to step on the ice with somebody that's super special to you," Barbour said. "I'm sure I'll embarrass her a couple of times without knowing I'm embarrassing her." 

Skauge said she, too, is feeling nervous about going to the Scotties for the first time. She's looking forward to playing Kaitlyn Lawes' team from Manitoba, and hopes that she leaves Thunder Bay happy with her team's performance. 

While the younger Galusha isn't sure what the future of her curling career looks like, her mother hopes both she and Skauge continue to curl. The elder Galusha, meanwhile, is hoping to do more coaching. 

"[Curling] is something I love to do, and it just keeps me going," Kerry said. "If I didn't curl in the winter, I'm not sure what I would do."