HERE. WE. GO!
It’s the best time of the year for all nine franchises because everyone’s starting from zero.
No losses, no baggage, just a locker room full of players who believe they can be where the Roughriders were last season: on the field with confetti flying and a trophy in their grasp.
Two teams have new head coaches. The REDBLACKS hired Ryan Dinwiddie away from Toronto, while the Argonauts handed the reins to Mike Miller in his first head coaching opportunity.
Chad Kelly returns to Toronto looking to start a season for the first time since his MOP campaign in 2023.
Nathan Rourke is searching for team success after collecting nearly every individual accolade possible in 2025.
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The Roughriders are trying to repeat as Grey Cup champions for the first time in franchise history.
Winnipeg, Calgary and Edmonton all made moves in an effort to close the gap on Saskatchewan and BC.
Meanwhile, the Tiger-Cats and Alouettes will try to remain atop the East Division.
So we begin again. A fresh slate. No history. No results. No real way to know what’s coming.
But let’s fire up the predictor for another season.
MONTREAL AT HAMILTON
Thursday, June 4
7:30 p.m. ET
TSN/RDS/CBSSN/CFL+
The season opens with a rematch of last year’s Eastern Final.
Hopefully the ending is just as entertaining as it was in 2025, when José Maltos Díaz kicked a walk-off field goal to send the Alouettes to the 112th Grey Cup.
Hamilton could potentially begin the season without major off-season addition Wynton McManis, who remains sidelined with a knee injury.
Still, this matchup features two of the early favourites for Most Outstanding Player, with Davis Alexander and Bo Levi Mitchell squaring off.
Both teams return much of the core that made them successful last season, both on the field and on the coaching staff. The biggest change in Montreal may be Anthony Calvillo taking over play-calling duties from head coach Jason Maas.
This feels like a coin flip, but I’ll side with the team that walked into Hamilton and won last year’s Eastern Final.
PICK: MONTREAL
WINNIPEG AT CALGARY
Friday, June 5
9:00 p.m. ET
TSN/CBSSN/CFL+
The Calgary Stampeders enter the season looking to build on the momentum they created after acquiring Vernon Adams Jr., who provided an immediate spark to the offence.
After undergoing significant change on defence last season, Calgary brings back a more established group that should benefit from another year together.
The addition of Jaylon Hutchings is a significant one. His presence inside should create even more opportunities for Calgary’s pass rushers to make an impact.
In Winnipeg, I’m excited to see what Zach Collaros and Tim White can do together after showing immediate chemistry during the preseason. The Blue Bombers also continue to lean on Brady Oliveira, one of the league’s most consistent stars.
New offensive coordinator Tommy Condell should bring fresh ideas and adjustments to Winnipeg’s offence. While his systems have traditionally leaned more heavily on the passing game than what we’ve seen from the Blue Bombers in recent years, Condell has proven he can adapt to the personnel available to him.
Still, I’ll stick with a trend from last season.
The Blue Bombers couldn’t solve Vernon Adams Jr. and the Stampeders in 2025.
PICK: CALGARY
EDMONTON AT OTTAWA
Saturday, June 6
7:00 p.m. ET
TSN/RDS/CBSSN/CFL+
The Week 1 finale feels significant for both franchises.
Each enters 2026 needing a season that ends with a playoff berth.
Ryan Dinwiddie begins his tenure in Ottawa with Jake Maier under centre after the veteran quarterback earned the starting job ahead of Dru Brown.
The REDBLACKS invested heavily in improving their defence by adding Nyles Morgan, A.J. Allen, C.J. Reavis and Demerio Houston. The question now is how quickly those pieces come together.
Edmonton added Malik Carney to strengthen its pass rush, while Cody Fajardo and Austin Mack will look to rekindle the chemistry they developed together in Montreal.
Then there’s the battle in the backfield.
Justin Rankin and Greg Bell are both capable of taking over games, and Bell’s arrival gives Ottawa the balance Dinwiddie is looking for offensively.
That said, Rankin is my pick to emerge as the CFL’s top running back this season.
PICK: EDMONTON
