9-time N.B. provincial champion Andrea Kelly links up with Team McCarville

Team McCarville narrowly missed a chance to take on Kerri Einarson's rink in the 2023 Scotties Tournament of Hearts final in February, falling to Jennifer Jones in the semifinals.

Just over a month later, Krista McCarville announced on That Curling Show on Monday that Team McCarville would be adding a top reinforcement in nine-time provincial champion Andrea Kelly.

The 37-year-old Kelly represented New Brunswick as a fourth at this year's national tournament, finishing with a 3-5 record that included a tight 11th-end defeat at the hands of her new teammates in round robin play.

The nine-time Northern Ontario champion skip McCarville is still looking to break through on the national level, finishing second at both the 2016 and 2022 Scotties tournaments and third at the Canadian curling trials in 2021 alongside fellow Thunder bay natives Ashley Sippala (second) and Sarah Potts (lead), as well as Sudbury native Kendra Lilly (third).

"Obviously to medal at the Scotties is always a huge accomplishment, but I just felt almost like it wasn't an accomplishment," said McCarville on That Curling Show about the motivation to add to the lineup. "I'm just getting to the point where [I'm wondering] when is my turn? I want to win the Scotties so bad. When are we going to be No. 1?"

The plan for Team McCarville is for Kelly to play third — forming a constant on the team alongside McCarville — with Lilly, Sippala and Potts rotating.

The Perth-Andover, N.B., native Kelly boasts plenty of experience on the national stage, competing on the highest level of Canadian women's curling 11 times between 2006 and 2023.

Kelly leaves behind her squad that competed out of the Capital Winter Club in Fredericton that features third Sylvie Quillian, second Jill Brothers, lead Katie Forward and alternate Heather Smith.

"This wasn't really on my radar," Kelly said on That Curling Show. "After the Scotties this year it wasn't a great week for our team and there were lots of things to think about and consider for how I want to see the next couple of years go in my curling career.

"I'm looking forward to having a different role on the team and the challenges that come with that, what I can do to support Krista, and what I can do to support the rest of the team. I am really excited about the change."