What to watch this weekend in Canadian sports

This is an excerpt from The Buzzer, which is CBC Sports' daily email newsletter. Stay up to speed on what's happening in sports by subscribing here .

There is a lot going on, to say the least. Here's some stuff to keep an eye on:

Curling: Canadian Olympic trials begin

Eight of the top men's and women's teams in the country have been invited to Halifax to decide who represents Canada in the four-player curling events at the winter Olympics in Italy this February. Round-robin play begins Saturday, and the tournaments culminate with the best-of-three finals later next week.

Rachel Homan is the overwhelming favourite to win the women's trials after going undefeated over the last two Canadian championships and winning back-to-back world titles. Her team has won all three Grand Slam events so far this season and has not lost to a Canadian opponent in more than a year.

The men's trials should be much more competitive. Reigning national champion and 2014 Olympic gold medallist Brad Jacobs is more or less a co-favourite with Matt Dunstone, the man he beat in the Brier final last season. Dunstone's rink, which includes two of Jacobs' former teammates, has been the best Canadian men's foursome on the Grand Slam tour this season, winning one title and reaching two finals.

If you missed yesterday's newsletter, here's our analytics-informed preview of the trials. 

Hockey: PWHL launches its third season

The Professional Women's Hockey League returns tonight with an intriguing doubleheader. The Toronto Sceptres visit the back-to-back Water Cup champion Minnesota Frost before the Vancouver Goldeneyes host the Seattle Torrent in the debut of the PWHL's two new expansion teams at a sold-out Pacific Coliseum.

On Saturday, the