Marlee Powers slides into curling’s first pro league

Marlee Powers is excited to be joining the first professional curling league in the world.

Rock League, curling’s first professional series, is set to debut April 6 to 12 and Nova Scotia’s Powers, a member of the bronze medal rink in the 2025 Scotties Tournament of Hearts, will play for Shield Curling Club.

Powers will be part of Rock League’s inaugural pool of players.

The six-day first season of Rock League will include a full round robin between six franchises, each representing a different global region — two Canadian, two European, one American and one representing Asia-Pacific. Each team includes five women and five men.  

“It’s going to be exciting,” said Powers on the opportunity to compete in the league created by The Curling Group. 

Powers, 34, has been the second over the past two seasons with Halifax’s team Christina Black, winning a bronze medal at the 2025 Scotties Tournament of Hearts and silver at the 2025 Canadian Olympic Curling Trials.  

Powers also claimed silver with her fiancé Luke Saunders at the 2025 Canadian mixed doubles nationals. Saunders’ mother Colleen Jones coached the pair at nationals.

Jones, a legendary Nova Scotian curler, passed away last November at 65, after a three-year battle with cancer. 

On March 10, Powers hit the ice with Saunders at the Halifax Curling Club for a practice game, part of their preparation for the 2026 Canadian mixed doubles nationals taking place in Surrey, B.C., March 21 to 27. 

After the game, The Signal chatted with Powers about her upcoming venture with Rock League and what it means for the sport of curling. 

The Signal: You head to Toronto soon for Rock League as the only Nova Scotian player. How are you feeling? 

Powers: I think it’s an amazing opportunity not just for me, but for the sport in general. Curling got so much exposure at the Olympics. Hopefully they can kind of tail on to that and get some more buzz around curling and more fans watching. 

Q: I was looking at your team’s roster and there are a lot of big names on it, including your captain Brad Jacobs, who just won Olympic gold for Canada. What is it like knowing they will be your teammates? 

A: You know I still kind of picture those people to be on TV and then I remind myself, Marlee, you’re on TV sometimes too. They’re all amazing and it’s been incredible to watch so many of them at the Olympics. I think it’s going to be a great learning opportunity for me. 

Q: What does it mean to you to be part of the first version of this league? 

A: To be part of the first ever professional curling league is an honour, really. I’m so excited. 

Q: What do you hope Rock League can do to help grow the sport? 

A: At Halifax Curling Club, they had a quick learn to curl on the weekend. They had so many people sign up that they had to expand it, just because of the Olympics and people being curious about curling. Hopefully Rock League can host different events like that too and bring more fans to the game. 

Q: Which curlers did you look up to growing up? 

A: Colleen Jones. Being from Nova Scotia, it was super cool to see a local team do so well. She was just larger than life. Then, with her being Luke’s mom, I got to be coached by her in mixed doubles, and a bit in four-person. It was crazy to go from a little kid watching her as this legendary curler, and then actually getting to learn from her. She did so much for the game. 

Q: Colleen inspired many Canadian curlers, and now young girls are watching you and team Black win medals, hoping they can succeed like you. What is that like? 

A: It’s crazy, I don’t even really think about it that way, but you’re right. I think the big thing about team Black is we work really, really hard. We just really love the game, and we have a lot of respect for each other. Hopefully kids are seeing all those things, and I hope we can get some more girls out curling. 

Q: What would it mean to you to win a national title, and go to worlds? 

A: It would be unreal. Again, something that I never really thought was possible and now it does feel possible. I’m trying not to think about that too much and just stick to the process, but it would be incredible to do it with Luke or with team Black. 

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.