Marquee matchups headline CFL’s Week 1 on TSN | TSN

Week 1 of the Canadian Football League season kicks off on Thursday, June 6 and TSN has you covered with all of the exciting action as the new year gets underway.

Alouettes vs. Blue Bombers 

The Montreal Alouettes travel to Manitoba for a rematch of last year’s Grey Cup game against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

 

Watch the Alouettes and Blue Bombers battle it out on LIVE on June 6 at 8:30 p.m. ET/ 5:30 p.m. PT on TSN1/3, TSN.ca and the TSN App. 

 

Montreal was victorious in the 110th Grey Cup after a touchdown in the dying seconds of the fourth quarter helped secure the franchise’s first championship since 2010.

 

Alouettes pivot Cody Fajardo is back under centre, and fans across the league will be eager to see whether he can replicate the success he found in the playoffs last year.

 

The Blue Bombers, led by quarterback Zach Collaros and 2023 Most Outstanding Canadian Brady Oliveira, will have some lofty expectations this season after making the Grey Cup game in each of the past four CFL campaigns. 

 

They will get the chance to avenge their most recent championship loss to start the new year in a marquee matchup between two of the league’s best. 

Tiger-Cats vs. Stampeders 

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats will look to get their season started off on the right foot when they face off against the Calgary Stampeders at McMahon Stadium.

 

Watch the Tiger-Cats face the Stampeders LIVE on June 7 at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT on TSN 1/3/4, TSN.ca and the TSN App. 

 

Starting quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell only started six games due to injury last season, and the team’s hopes for a Grey Cup took a drastic hit after the 34-year-old veteran underwent surgery to repair a leg fracture. 

This marks Mitchell’s first start back in Calgary, where he played from 2012-2023. The pivot led the Stampeders to a pair of Grey Cup victories, and is the franchise leader in passing yards with 32,541 and completions with 2,496. He also holds the record for most consecutive wins by a starting quarterback with 14.

 

The Ti-Cats went 8-10 during the regular season and lost 27-12 to the eventual champion Alouettes in the Eastern semifinal.

 

The Stampeders played to a 6-12 record last year for their worst regular season in almost two decades. Still, they were able to sneak into the playoffs before being eliminated by the B.C. Lions in the Western semifinal.

 

Calgary received some tough news in the pre-season, as it was announced that star receiver Malik Henry will miss the entirety of the year with a patellar tendon injury suffered in practice. 

 

The 27-year-old wideout played in just three games in 2023 due to a ruptured Achilles, and Calgary will have to overcome the loss of one of their best weapons on the offensive side of the ball if they are to return to their winning ways.

Roughriders vs. Elks 

The new-look Saskatchewan Roughriders will open their season on the road when they take on the Edmonton Elks. 

 

Watch the Saskatchewan Roughriders play the Edmonton Elks on June 8 at 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT on TSN1, TSN.ca and the TSN App. 

 

After a busy off-season that saw the team add A.J. Ouellette, Malik Carney, Jameer Thurman, and a new head coach in Corey Mace, the Roughriders will look to return to the playoffs after failing to qualify in each of the past two seasons. 

 

The Elks’ roster looks different this season as well, highlighted by a change under centre. 

 

Quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson makes his return to the league after spending a year in the USFL. He has previously led the league in passing yards and touchdowns, while earning East Division all-star honours twice over the course of his five-year career.

 

The Elks have gone a disappointing 4-14 in back-to-back seasons, and have not made the playoffs since 2019. 

Lions vs. Argonauts

Two of the most exciting teams in the Canadian football League will close out the Week 1 slate when the BC Lions take on the Toronto Argonauts on Sunday night.

 

Watch the Lions take on the Argonauts on June 9 at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT on TSN1/4, TSN.ca and the TSN App. 

 

Last season’s passing yards leader, Vernon Adams Jr., looks poised to lead the Lions back into the playoffs after a 12-6 season in 2023. Running back William Stanback signed as a free agent after winning the Grey Cup last year, and will look bolster the Lions already high-powered offence. 

 

On the defensive side of the ball, Matthieu Betts has left the organization for an opportunity with the Detroit Lions. Leading the league with 18 sacks and four forced fumbles, BC will need to find ways to overcome the loss in pass rushing production that Betts brought to the roster. 

 

The Argonauts’ season ended in disappointing fashion with a 38-17 loss at home in the Eastern final. 

 

Big losses to the roster include Ouellette, Qwan’tez Stiggers, and Adarius Pickett, while quarterback Chad Kelly is set to miss at least the first nine games of the season after being suspended by the league’s head office. 

 

Key addition Ka’Deem Carey has been brought in to lead the backfield in Ouellette’s absence. The 31-year-old missed time after going down with an injury last June, but led the league in rushing during the 2022 season.

 

The offensive line is still considered to be the best in the league behind the stellar play of Dejon Allen, Darius Ciraco and Ryan Hunter.

While the Argos might not boast the same level of high-end talent that led them to a 16-2 record last year, Toronto is still one of the most dangerous teams in the league and will look to win their second Grey Cup in three years when the new season begins later this week.