The winter Olympic sports season is upon us — here's a quick guide

Not to be the bearer of bad news, but winter is coming. And the winter Olympic sports season arrives even sooner, with the top-end tours in curling and figure skating getting started over the next couple of weeks.

Here's a quick overview of when things get going and some storylines to anticipate in a few sports where Canada excels. We'll get into more detail in future newsletters as the various seasons come on line.

Curling

The Grand Slam season begins next week with the Invitational in Victoria and will include a total of five events, culminating with the Players' Cup in mid-December.

Then it's time for the Rock League, which is owned by the same company that now controls the Slams. The fledgling Rock League debuted last April with a one-off event in Toronto after nixing its plans for a six-stop international tour. Its first full season will be made up of five tournaments in Canada and the United States, beginning in early January in Moose Jaw, Sask., and ending in April in Kalamazoo, Mich. The Rock League differentiates itself from the Slams by featuring six "franchises" made up of 10 players (five men, five women) from different countries, a novel format and some quirky rules. 

The Rock League takes a break from early February to early April to accommodate the Scotties Tournament of Hearts, the Brier and the women's and men's world championships. The men's worlds will take place in Saint John, N.B., while the women's worlds are still looking for a host.

Canadian star Brad Gushue retired after the Brier last winter in his hometown of St. John's, finishing his career with a record six Brier titles as a skip, one world championship and an Olympic gold. Canada's Brad Jacobs returns with the same team that captured the