Photo courtesy: Bob Butrym/RFB Sport Photography
Veteran Canadian kicker Lewis Ward was enjoying his wedding celebration in Mexico when reality suddenly came calling. Just days after saying, “I do,” he was still in the picturesque setting with friends and family when he received unexpected news — the Ottawa Redblacks had released him.
“I was still at my wedding destination in Mexico,” Ward told 3DownNation. “I got the call two days after the wedding. I was obviously very shocked, but I was in a beautiful place with friends and family for the rest of the week, so I couldn’t complain too much.”
After spending the rest of the spring searching for his next CFL opportunity, Ward landed one, signing with the Montreal Alouettes’ practice roster on Tuesday. The 33-year-old kicker had expected to return to training camp with Ottawa, especially with two years remaining on his contract. Instead, he found himself training alone, trying to stay motivated.
↑ what lands at 3 p.m. daily
3DownNation Newsletter
Latest news, exclusive analysis, and more daily at 3 p.m.
Latest news, exclusive analysis, and more daily at 3 p.m.
as well as our terms of service and
privacy policy.
1900 Rose St, Regina SK S4P 0A9.
“Missing camp was tough; watching people play and not getting a call,” Ward said. “It’s been hard to stay fully motivated, but I kept training, kicking, and trying to stay ready. I’m happy to be here after getting the call last week.”
The University of Ottawa product was not only surprised by the timing of the move, but also by Ottawa’s decision to part ways without giving him a chance to compete, something the team had previously stated would happen.
“I was surprised in general by their decision,” he said. “Obviously, they wanted to make some changes, and I guess it worked out for them. But it was unexpected to be released without getting the opportunity to compete for the job.”
Due to timing, Ward was unable to land with another team before training camp began. Organizations preferred to evaluate their current options prior to turning to external solutions.
“That’s one of the downsides of the timing. Teams already had their guys in place and wanted to evaluate their younger kickers,” he explained. “There wasn’t much interest early on, so I was definitely surprised to get a call from Montreal.”
While he enters a new environment, Ward will be surrounded by familiar faces and is eager to join a winning culture.
“They’ve had a lot of success over the last couple of years, and being part of that is exciting. It’s a great opportunity to compete for a starting job,” he said. “I’ve worked with Jose (Maltos Diaz) and L.P. (Bourassa) before in Ottawa, so I know the guys, and we have a good relationship.”
Ward was brought in after Maltos Diaz missed the first two days of practice this week, and could have seen first action on Saturday against the Edmonton Elks. However, the Mexican kicker has recovered enough to start.
His emergency replacement won’t dress this week but is open to remaining on the practice roster for the rest of the season, focusing on improving his craft in a competitive setting.
The Alouettes (2-0) visit Edmonton (1-0) at Commonwealth Stadium on Saturday, June 20, with kickoff scheduled for 4 p.m. ET. Montreal comes off an impressive win over the Toronto Argonauts, while the Elks spent Week 2 on bye.
The weather forecast in Edmonton calls for a high of 18 degrees and a 60 percent chance of showers. The game will be broadcast on TSN and RDS in Canada and CFL+ internationally. Radio listeners can tune in on TSN 690 (English) or 99.5 Montreal (French) in Montreal or 880 CHED in Edmonton.
