Will entertainment-led Rock League be future of curling?
There will be six franchises - two from Canada, two from Europe, one from Asia and one from the United States. Each will have five men and five women on the roster. The teams will play each other across three disciplines - men's four, women's four and mixed doubles - with all three games happening at the same time.
The franchise that wins at least two of those will win the overall contest. That runs for the first five days of competition - with each franchise facing off - before the mixed fours day, when each team sends out two teams. The top four after all that advance to the semi-finals on 12 April, with the winners of those meeting in the championship match later that day.
"It's another exciting opportunity to show off our sport," Team GB skip Bruce Mouat told BBC Sport Scotland. "It's a new look, with shorter matches and time clocks so there will be a lot more quick-thinking and it will be faster. " Seven Scots will be playing - five of whom were at the Winter Olympics in Cortina and another couple who were at the recent World Championship - while 2022 Olympic gold medallist Eve Muirhead will take on a general manager role.
Mouat skips Northern Shield and is joined by Olympic mixed doubles partner Jen Dodds and Robin Brydone. Muirhead joins Hammy McMillan in the other European franchise, Alpine Curling Club. "I think we've five Olympic medals between us from this recent Games, which is pretty incredible," Muirhead, who was Team GB's chef de mission, said.
Grant Hardie is with American outfit Frontier Curling Club and Ross Whyte joins Canadian team Maple United. Perhaps most interestingly, Bobby Lammie is part of Asian franchise Typhoon Curling Club and will team up with girlfriend Seol Ye-eun. "That could be an interesting dynamic," he tells BBC Sport Scotland.