HAMILTON — Off-season roster construction is complete, preseason tune up games are over, and it’s now time to kick off the 2026 Canadian Football League season.
A rematch of last season’s Eastern Final between the Montreal Alouettes and Hamilton Tiger-Cats gets the 81-game slate underway.
The Alouettes are on a mission to avenge a 25-17 loss in the 112th Grey Cup, while the Tiger-Cats are eyeing its first championship campaign since 1999.
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MONTREAL ALOUETTES
1. A-GAME WITH DAVIS ALEXANDER UNDER CENTRE
Not that he needs it, but a year under his belt as a starter should only benefit Als’ quarterback Davis Alexander. Fresh off a season in which he threw for 2,024 yards and 10 touchdowns in just eight games, Alexander is searching for better health above all. After being pulled from a preseason game for precautionary reasons, staying healthy is critical to his own and the team’s success right out of the gate.
2. DEPTH AT WIDEOUT
Led by star receiver Tyson Philpot, Alexander has a plethora of playmakers when guiding the offence downfield against the Ticats secondary. Tyler Snead is coming off a career-year where he totalled 1,129 yards through the air. Add in Cole Spieker and the recently acquired Jerreth Sterns, and that’s 2,268 receiving yards from last season that will surely be a handful.
3. IT CAN GET LATE, EARLY
It’s as early as it gets, but divisional games count the same in June as they do in October. The Ticats took both regular season meetings a year ago and won the division by two points, so the opener serves as a reminder of just how important every game is. A stout start defensively and quick points can go a long way in settling nerves on the road.
HAMILTON TIGER-CATS
1. AS BO LEVI MITCHELL GOES, SO DOES THE O
When discussing Hamilton’s keys to victory, it’s hard to start anywhere but at quarterback. Bo Levi Mitchell led all pivots with 5,296 yards and 36 touchdowns in 2025. He’ll look to continue to perform right from the get-go against a defence that held him to an average of 235.6 yards over three games during his standout season.
2. NEW CONTRACT, SAME KENNY LAWLER
Receiver Kenny Lawler was a huge part of the offence’s success during his first season in the Black and Gold, pulling down 1,443 yards and 14 touchdowns. With a new three-year contract in-hand, Lawler will try to replicate his Eastern Final performance where he finished with nine catches and 117 yards. It’s safe to say the Als secondary won’t have to look far for Mitchell’s first read.
3. LIMIT THE BIG PLAYS
Stopping the run will be a focus for the Ticats defence and it’s up to defensive linemen Julian Howsare and Philip Ossai to keep running back Travis Theis from creating space on the outside.
NEED TO KNOW:
- Montreal has won three straight season openers.
- Thursday’s game is the first of three meetings between the Alouettes and Tiger-Cats.
- Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET, and can be watched on TSN and RDS in Canada, on CBSSN in the U.S., and on CFL+ internationally.
