We’ve finally arrived at Week 1 of the regular season! Buckle up with a few Molsons and a bag of all-dressed chips and make yourself comfy for the summer and fall of 2025, folks.

In league news this week:

• Final cuts dropped over the weekend, and there’s always a few prominent names that raise some eyebrows whenever these lists get released. A quick sample of guys who are likely to find a new home includes the following:
  • RB Ka’Deem Carey, TOR
  • DB Ciante Evans, TOR
  • QB Cameron Dukes, TOR
  • WR Alex Hollins, EDM
  • DB Marcus Lewis, EDM
  • WR Luther Hakunavanhu, HAM
  • RB Walter Fletcher, MTL
  • RB Jaylen Samuels, OTT
  • QB Logan Bonner, CGY
• The Edmonton Elks signed the 2024 Most Outstanding Rookie, LB Nick Anderson, to a contract extension through 2026; he had 116 total tackles last year to go along with three sacks, two forced fumbles, and one interception… he’s going to be a stud in this league for a long time.
• CFL Hall of Famer Milt Stegall, who spent his entire career with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, unfortunately lost his 20-year-old son Chase unexpectedly earlier in the week; a soccer player at DePaul, he was found deceased in his dorm room. A very sad story for a true legend of the game and we send our heartfelt condolences to Milt and his entire family.

And with this info out of the way, onto the games!

WEEK 1 PREVIEWS

Ottawa vs. Saskatchewan, Thursday, June 5th, 9:00 PM EDT (TSN, CBSSN, CFL+): We are so, so back. A few pundits this year have picked Ottawa and Saskatchewan as this year’s Grey Cup final; I think both teams will be very good this year regardless of the specific details of the season may play out. What we’ve got on paper here is a promising, bruising Saskatchewan defence, led by a head coach with a reputation as a defensive wizard, up against a team with a deep, varied offence including multiple versatile receivers and a highly effective QB. As with football at all levels, offenses tend to wake up a little slower than defenses; that said, most of last year’s crew is back for the REDBLACKS. In particular I am interested to see how marquee free agent signing Geno Lewis integrates himself into this Ottawa lineup; as the league leader in TD catches last season, he’s coming in with a hefty price tag and lofty expectations.

PICK: Ottawa

Toronto vs. Montreal, Friday, June 6th, 7:30 PM EDT (TSN, CFL+): The Argos will have Chad Kelly ready to start Week 1 after all. Toronto’s going to be looking fairly different on both sides of the ball; the big opening question I have about this team at the start of this season is how they’ll be able to handle so much change to their front seven. For Montreal, Davis Alexander starts the year with the nod as the full-time starting QB. Team brass has insisted he’s going to have a long leash there – and I think this is entirely the right call to make, even when you’re carrying such an expensive backup (McLeod Bethel-Thompson) on the roster. At 26, he’ll still have room to grow, but he did look very sharp last year when taking over for Cody Fajardo during his injuries. The other big question with Montreal is now about their run game; with the release of RB Walter Fletcher following training camp, Sean Thomas-Erlington is probably the lead rusher for now, but rookie Travis Theis has looked promising in camp both as a rusher and as a return man. A rematch of last year’s East final is a nice way to lead off the start of the season.

PICK: Toronto

Hamilton vs. Calgary, Saturday, June 7th, 7:00 PM EDT (TSN, CFL+): It’s our first look at Vernon Adams, Jr. in red and black; the Stamps need a far more consistent passing game this year if they want to climb out of the basement of the West. On paper, it sure looks like that will be better this year, but in addition, the defence as a whole needs to be better as well. I am sure that future games between these two teams will likely be some shootouts; with the Ti-Cats having brought two longtime Bomber weapons in Kenny Lawler and Drew Wolitarsky, Bo Levi Mitchell will have a deep, dangerous receiving corps that already has Shemar Bridges and Tim White. I see both of these teams having probably the widest variability of results this year – but in the East playoff race, Hamilton is definitely on the outset looking in – I still think it’s going to be very tough for them to leapfrog any of their divisional rivals this season.

PICK: Hamilton

Edmonton vs. BC, Saturday, June 7th, 10:00 PM EDT (TSN, CBSSN, CFL+): When you’ve got the power of Snoop Dogg on your side, how can you lose? Besides a heavily-promoted kickoff concert, we’re going to see another rare event in this game, though hopefully that becomes more common in subsequent seasons in the CFL; specifically, it’s an all-Canadian QB matchup. Tre Ford finally – finally! – enters the 2025 season atop the depth chart to start the season, much to the delight of Elks fans looking to rebound after years of mismanagement, while Nathan Rourke, who tore up the league in 2022 before getting injured, jumping to the NFL, and then returning north, will have a full training camp behind him that will hopefully get him back to the mega-elite status he showed three seasons ago. Regardless of the outcome of this one particular game, in the big picture, Canadian football is in a much better place than it was even a decade ago. There are more quality Canadian players, there are arguably more playing opportunities for those players on both sides of the border, and the CFL’s financial footing as a whole is definitely stronger. This game remains quirky and weird in the grand scheme of football across the world – and that, utltimately, is what makes it so great. I predict, beyond simply this game, that we may well see the West’s balance of power shift away from Winnipeg for the first time in six years. While Saskatchewan is still probably the front-runner to win this season, if things go right, one, or perhaps even both, of these teams could leapfrog the perennially front-running Blue Bombers to get into the playoffs.

PICK: BC

BYE: Winnipeg

WEEK 1 PICKS

Reminder that this is your last chance to join the Pick ‘Em Pool before the season begins… click the link below to sign up and join! Remember, for added convenience this year, you can also install PoolTracker’s web app to your phone or desktop – it’s free and available here.

https://www.pooltracker.com/join.asp?poolid=243178

Enjoy the games, everyone. Without any further ado, let’s get to it!