We’re now just a week away from the kickoff to the 2022 CFL season! Last week, I previewed the four teams from the CFL’s East Division – Hamilton, Montreal, Ottawa, and Toronto; this week I’ll be bringing you a quick overview of each of the five West Division teams. Reminder as well to those who are interested – the weekly pick ’em pool is linked below, if you feel like predicting game matchups this season – PoolTracker also has a web app for phones and desktops available here!

https://www.pooltracker.com/join.asp?poolid=205786

In good news from last week, the new CBA is officially done. While the core of it remains virtually identical to the previous tentative agreement that was voted down by players on May 25th, this one upped the ante by including a ratification bonus of $1.225 million to be split amongst all players, and for the Canadian player ratio to remain unchanged for this season. Beginning in 2023, teams will be allowed to include two veteran American players (who have been with their CFL team for three years or more) to be counted towards the seven Canadian starters for up to 49% of snaps played. It’s not perfect, but it’ll prevent labour strife for the next seven years – which I sincerely hope will give the CFL the time it needs to further refocus itself as a hip, modern football league and sports and entertainment entity. Football rules, and we need as much of it as we can get.

I’ll be getting back to doing full league-wide news next week as the season kicks off; tune in June 9th to catch the first matchups of Week 1, 2022! And now, onto the main event.

BRITISH COLUMBIA LIONS

Founded: 1954

Home Stadium: BC Place, Vancouver, BC (54,500)

Grey Cups: 6 (1964, 1985, 1994, 2000, 2006, 2011)

2021 Record: 5-9, fourth in West Division; missed playoffs

GM: Neil McEvoy and Rick Campbell

Head Coach: Rick Campbell

Starting QB: Nathan Rourke

Famous Alumni:

• Doug Flutie, QB
• Joe Kapp, QB (once fought Ti-Cats defensive lineman Angelo Mosca at an alumni banquet when they were in their 70s!)
• Austin Collie, WR
• Jim “Dirty Thirty” Young, WR/RB (first Canadian Interuniversity Sport [CIS] player drafted to the NFL – Minnesota Vikings, 1965, from Queen’s University. Also a great nickname, though I don’t know where it comes from.)
• Cameron Wake, DE

Fun Facts: One of the main rivals of the BC Lions is actually the Montreal Alouettes, clear across the other side of the country; the two teams have a long-running Labour Day series that is similar to the game traditionally played between Toronto and Hamilton that same weekend. The Lions are also the first team from Western Canada to win a Grey Cup at home, in 1994, and also the only team to beat an American-based team in a Grey Cup, also in 1994 against the Baltimore Stallions.

The Training Camp Scuttlebutt: After longtime CFL all-star QB Michael Reilly retired at the end of last season, sophomore Nathan Rourke will now be in the spotlight as the team’s new #1. What makes this QB situation all the more unusual for the Lions is that their top two guys – Rourke and Michael O’Connor – are both Canadians. In a league that has, in recent decades, struggled to find elite Canadian talent at football’s most important position, this is a really interesting development that could allow for some interesting roster ratios and offensive schemes to come into effect. Rourke has two elite receivers to throw to in Lucky Whitehead and Bryan Burnham, and the pass game will hopefully remain consistent. The Lions’ Achilles heel last year was their defence; they’ve greatly reshaped the front seven and hopefully will be far more effective in preventing yards from piling up. That said, they’re playing in a tough division, but preliminary moves look promising. New owner Amar Doman, a local Vancouver businessman of South Asian descent, is already taking some steps to try and change the direction of the franchise by trying to make it more appealing to the diverse population of the Lower Mainland – something that I hope will be useful for the league as a whole to learn from and adapt.

Key Additions: DT Woody Baron, Steven Richardson (FA); DL David Menard, Mathieu Betts (FA); LB Micah Awe (FA); DB Kevin Francis, Delvin Breaux (FA); QB Michael O’Connor, Antonio Pipkin (FA); K Sean Whyte (FA)

Key Subtractions: QB Michael Reilly (retired); WR Shaq Johnson (FA); OL Hunter Steward (FA); DL JR Tavai (FA); RB/KR Chris Rainey (FA)

2022 Record Prediction: 9-9

CALGARY STAMPEDERS

Founded: 1945

Home Stadium: McMahon Stadium, Calgary, AB (35,400)

Grey Cups: 8 (1948, 1971, 1992, 1998, 2001, 2008, 2014, 2018)

2021 Record: 8-6, third in West Division; lost in West semifinal to Saskatchewan

GM: John Hufnagel

Head Coach: Dave Dickenson

Starting QB: Bo Levi Mitchell

Famous Alumni:

• Doug Flutie, QB (won the 1992 Grey Cup as the starter)
• Jeff Garcia, QB (played 1994-98, won the 1998 Grey Cup, and was a 4-time All-Star before jumping to the San Francisco 49ers)
• Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, LB (was on the 1995 practise roster)

Fun Facts: The 1948 Stampeders are the only professional Canadian football team to ever have a perfect season, when they went 12-0 and won the Grey Cup in Toronto against the Ottawa Rough Riders; the celebrations were so epic that they had a giant pancake breakfast on the steps of Toronto’s City Hall and even rode horses through the lobby of that city’s famous Royal York hotel.

The Training Camp Scuttlebutt: The story of the 2021 season was injuries. The Stampeders found themselves in a hole at the start of the year when longtime starter Bo Levi Mitchell went down with a shoulder injury, leaving rookie Jake Maier to take the reins for several weeks; fortunately, even in losses, he looked good and showed a lot of promise. When Mitchell returned, the Stampeders were able to turn things around in the second half and make the playoffs, but it’s reasonable to say that their organization likely feels the team as a whole did not play up to their potential last year. Calgary is always a threat, but they need to ensure that their offensive line fixes some of the issues it had last year with pass protection – and to make sure there are enough weapons to throw to. The Stamps lost a heart-breaker in last year’s playoffs to Saskatchewan due to normally rock-solid kicker Rene Paredes shanking a field goal in overtime… I think they’ll be back to make up for that unusual mistake in this season. Calgary remains arguably the CFL’s most consistent franchise of the last two decades, and that’s for extremely good reason.

Key Additions: WR Jordan Williams-Lambert (FA); LB Cameron Judge (trade); DB Elie Bouka (FA); OL Derek Dennis (FA)

Key Subtractions: QB Michael O’Connor (FA); WR Markeith Ambles, Hergy Mayala (FA); OL Justin Lawrence, Ucambre Williams (FA); DB Royce Metchie (trade); LB Darnell Sankey (FA)

2022 Record Prediction: 11-7

EDMONTON ELKS

Founded: 1949

Home Stadium: Commonwealth Stadium, Edmonton, AB (56,302)

Grey Cups: 14 (1954, 1955, 1956, 1975, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1987, 1993, 2003, 2005, 2015)

2021 Record: 3-11, fifth in West Division; missed playoffs

GM: Chris Jones

Head Coach: Chris Jones

Starting QB: ???

Famous Alumni:

• Warren Moon, QB (longtime Houston Oilers QB and 5-time Grey Cup winner, 2-time Grey Cup MOP, 1983 CFL MOP)
• Joe Anoa’i, DT (now famous as current WWE superstar Roman Reigns)
• Henry “Gizmo” Williams, RB (5’6″, 185 lbs, a forerunner to Darren Sproles & Devin Hester – one of the greatest kick returners in CFL history with 31 kick return touchdowns – 26 punts, 2 kickoffs, and 3 on missed FGs)
• Chris Getzlaf, WR (brother of NHL Anaheim Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf)
• Willie Pless, LB (greatest defensive player in the history of the CFL; five-time Best Defensive Player, 11-time all-star, Grey Cup winner, and the league’s all-time leading tackler with 1241)

Fun Facts: The Elks won 5 straight Grey Cups between 1978-82, and this streak of dominance is considered to be the best that the CFL and all of Canadian football has ever seen in its history. The team also made the playoffs in 34 consecutive years between 1972-2005, a feat no other team has equalled in any North American pro sports league. Commonwealth Stadium is the largest stadium in the CFL, and is also the traditional home of the Canadian national soccer teams due to its size and its use of a real grass field until 2009.

The Training Camp Scuttlebutt: Last year was one of the worst seasons on record for Edmonton; rookie head coach Jaime Elizondo was in way over his head after Scott Milanovich abruptly resigned his post in the offseason without ever coaching a game for the team. Elizondo and GM Brock Sunderland managed to alienate a number of key vets on their roster, and the team essentially quit on him; worse still were two incredibly embarrassing losses to similarly inept Ottawa. After trading away starting QB Trevor Harris partway through the year, the team had to simply play out the string – and it was obvious. Elizondo, Sunderland, and team president Chris Presson were all fired, and the 2022 version of the Elks is going to be vastly different. With new president and CEO Victor Cui working hard as one of the lynchpins of the CFL’s efforts to revitalize itself as a young, appealing brand, and with Chris Jones back in Canada to take over the team he coached to a Grey Cup victory in 2015, there’s reason to be optimistic for the future. That said, two important things hinge on the rebuild being successful – Jones sticking around (he’s developed a rep for himself as a man who will bolt for virtually any NFL opportunity) and the team finding a new starting quarterback. Taylor Cornelius and Dakota Prukop looked pretty bad after the team traded away Trevor Harris, and the former front office brought in Nick Arbuckle from Toronto at the trade deadline, though he didn’t suit up for a game. The Elks also drafted promising Canadian pivot Tre Ford out of the University of Waterloo; it’s a crowded room right now and we’ll see how the last few days of training camp pare things down for Edmonton.

Key Additions: OL Tony Washington, Mark Korte (FA); DL Stefan Charles (FA); K Sergio Castillo (FA); DB Ed Gainey (FA); LB Deon Lacey, Adam Konar (FA); QB Tre Ford (draft); WR Kenny Lawler (FA); DB Duron Carter (FA)

Key Subtractions: QB Trevor Harris (traded); DL Kwaku Boateng, Mathieu Betts (FA); WR Armanti Edwards (released), Greg Ellingson (FA); OL Matt O’Donnell, SirVincent Rogers (retired), Derek Dennis (released); DB Jonathan Rose (released), Trumaine Washington (FA); K Sean Whyte (FA); LB Derrick Moncrief (FA)

2022 Record Prediction: 7-11

SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS

Founded: 1910

Home Stadium: Mosaic Stadium, Regina, SK (33,000, expandable to 40,000)

Grey Cups: 4 (1966, 1989, 2007, 2013)

2021 Record: 9-5, second in West Division; lost in West Final to Winnipeg

GM: Jeremy O’Day

Head Coach: Craig Dickenson

Starting QB: Cody Fajardo

Famous Alumni: 

• Ron Lancaster, QB/DE (led Riders to the 1966 Grey Cup; 4 time CFL All-Star, 2-time CFL MOP)
• George Reed, RB (9-time CFL All-Star, 1965 CFL MOP, CFL record-holder for rushing TDs with 134)
• Kent Austin, QB (won the 1989 Grey Cup as the Riders’ starter and served as OC in 2007; later served as Hamilton’s HC from 2013-17)

Fun Facts: The Roughriders are one of only two CFL teams currently owned by community shareholders. They are the #3 overall sports team in Canada in merchandise sales, behind only the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens. Until 2013, you could joke about my alma mater, the Queen’s University Golden Gaels (Kingston, ON) having won the same number of Grey Cups (3) as the Roughriders, despite not playing for the trophy since the 1920s. Finally, it’s very easy to upset Ottawa fans about the Rough Riders/Roughriders controversy of the 20th century, especially since Saskatchewan lawyers blocked the new expansion team in Ottawa from taking their old name back (WE HAD IT FIRST, DAMMIT!).

The Training Camp Scuttlebutt: Fans in Regina are steaming mad about their hated prairie rivals’ recent successes on and off the football field; the Roughriders lost every single game they played against Winnipeg last season, including a heartbreaker of a West Final where the Bombers most certainly did not play up to their potential and still won anyway. Saskatchewan heads into this year with a secondary that looks much different than last year’s edition, which was led by ballhawk Ed Gainey – which may mean some work to do to rebuild defensive chemistry. More pressing is the issue of the offensive line; star Brendon LaBatte, who sat out all of last year, appears to not be returning again for 2022; despite his advanced age, his presence was sorely missed as a pass protector, and Cody Fajardo needs much better protection if he wants to play up to the level of similar Western star pivots like Zach Collaros and Bo Levi Mitchell. The Riders will, barring disaster, be right back in the thick of things again this year, but if they can’t make any further steps this season, we may see some changes on the horizon.

Key Additions: LB Darnell Sankey, Larry Dean (FA); DL Charleston Hughes (FA); RB Shaq Cooper (FA); OL Jamal Campbell (FA)

Key Subtractions: DB Ed Gainey, Kevin Francis, Elie Bouka (FA); QB Isaac Harker (FA); DL Micah Johnson (FA); WR Brayden Lenius (released), Jordan Williams-Lambert (FA); RB William Powell (FA); OL Brendon LaBatte (sitting out)

2022 Record Prediction: 10-8

WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS

Founded: 1930

Home Stadium: Investors Group Field, Winnipeg, MB (33,500)

Grey Cups: 12 (1935, 1939, 1941, 1958, 1959, 1961, 1962, 1984, 1988, 1990, 2019, 2021)

2021 Record: 11-3, first in West Division; won Grey Cup

GM: Kyle Walters

Head Coach: Mike O’Shea

Starting QB: Zach Collaros

Famous Alumni: 

• Milt Stegall, WR (played 3 seasons in the NFL for the Bengals before coming north to Winnipeg, where he holds the CFL record for all-time touchdowns with 144; also a 9-time CFL All-Star but never won a Grey Cup)
• Tom Clements, QB (won 1976 Grey Cup with the Ottawa Rough Riders, as well as the 1984 Grey Cup with the Bombers; currently serving as the Green Bay Packers’ assistant head coach)
• Bud Grant, Head Coach (4x Grey Cup champ as Bombers’ leader, and later coached the Minnesota Vikings for 18 years and won the 1969 NFL championship)

Fun Facts: The Blue Bombers are owned by a community-based collective, in extremely similar fashion to the Green Bay Packers, and are the second of two CFL teams still with this model of ownership. They were also the first team not from Ontario or Quebec to win a Grey Cup, with their initial 1935 victory. The Bombers have the most Grey Cup game appearances of any CFL team, with 25 title games played.

The Training Camp Scuttlebutt: When you’re the back-to-back Grey Cup champions, it’s safe to say you have a target on your head. The Bombers return much of their 2021 team to this new season, but one notable name missing from the roster is longtime Canadian running back Andrew Harris – he was injured for much of last season, and while a stout performer in their successful playoff run, he wanted too much money to re-sign with the team for this upcoming season – and as such, is off to Toronto. At age 34, it’s reasonable to assume his best years might be behind him by now, but all the same, durable running backs are hard to find – if he can contribute well for the Argos, perhaps he can make the Blue Bombers regret their decision. All the same, the core remains in place for another deep run for Winnipeg – and as long as they continue to play with a team-first mentality, it’s not hard to imagine them making another title run this season.

Key Additions: WR Greg Ellingson (FA); OL Liam Dobson (draft); QB Dakota Prukop (FA)

Key Subtractions: RB Andrew Harris (FA); WR Darvin Adams, Kenny Lawler (FA); DL Tobi Antigha (FA); DT Steven Richardson (FA); OL Drew Desjarlais (released to NFL); K Sergio Castillo (FA); DB Mike Jones (FA); DE Jonathan Kongbo (released to NFL)

2022 Record Prediction: 12-6

And that concludes your 2022 team previews, folks! I look forward to kickoff next Thursday, June 9th – hope to see you back here, same bat-time, same bat-channel.