Team Martin and Team Jones Crowned Victors at the Players' Championship

- Legendary skip Kevin Martin closes his playing career with win over Team Jacobs in the final, takes home $73,500 -

- Sochi Olympic Winter Games gold medallist Team Jones takes home $36,000 -

SUMMERSIDE, PEI, April 20, 2014 /CNW/ - A golden season and a legendary career came to a triumphant close today in Summerside, PEI. Emotions ran high as Edmonton's Team Martin and Winnipeg's Team Jones captured the title at the Players' Championship - the fourth and final Grand Slam of Curling event of the season.

Edmonton's Team Martin successfully edged out Sochi Olympic Winter Games gold medallist Team Jacobs of Sault Ste. Marie in today's final with a 4-3 victory, taking home $23,500 for the Players' Championship win and an additional $50,000 bonus for leading this season's Grand Slam of Curling in points. Skip Kevin Martin leaves his playing career on a high note with his eighteenth Grand Slam win, as he announced he will be retiring following the Players' Championship to join Sportsnet as broadcast insider and analyst.

"Other than the Olympics, the Players' is my favourite event in curling. It's always the best against the best," said skip Martin. "The emotions of the day were all about trying getting that eighteenth Grand Slam win. It was a hard fight to win it today but we did it and nobody can take it away now."

Sochi Olympic Winter Games gold medallist Team Jones of Winnipeg capped off a storybook season with a 5-2 win over Masters winner Team Homan of Ottawa in the final. For the win, Team Jones takes home $23,500 with an additional $12,500 in Grand Slam bonus money for leading the women's teams in points this season.

"It really has been an unbelievable season for us. We've won all the events we've set out to win and more," said skip Jennifer Jones. "To come into our favourite event, the Players' Championship, and end with a win is a perfect way to head into the summer."

A combined purse of $200,000 was awarded to the 24 men's and women's teams competing in the six day tournament, which was held at Credit Union Place in Summerside, PEI.

Owned and operated by Sportsnet since 2012, the Grand Slam of Curling is an elite series of men's and women's curling events which are part of the World Curling Tour and feature the best teams from across Canada and around the world. In 2014-15, the Grand Slam of Curling will expand to five events, with Sportsnet broadcasting up to 200 hours of curling coverage, including all Grand Slam of Curling events, as well as the Alberta, B.C., Manitoba and Ontario Provincial Curling Championships.

For detailed scoring and information, please visit http://www.thegrandslamofcurling.com/ Images from the Players' Championship are available for download at http://bit.ly/1llT7q4

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