The 2022 CFL season has begun and the fans are ready to see some Canadian Football action. Recapping last year, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers defeated the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 33-25 in overtime in the Grey Cup Finals.
The kickoff game last night, Thursday June 9 featured the Montreal Alouettes and the Calgary Stampeders facing off in Calgary. The Stampeders were able to come back and win with a last second field goal 30-27.
Now we will look at the power rankings for every team heading into the 2022 CFL season.
9. Edmonton Elks
The Edmonton Elks went 3-11 last season and were the worst team in the league. This year the question about the starting quarterback or lack thereof, is still there. The Elks remain in a rebuilding phase and they are hoping the road back to contention is in sight, but only time will tell for the Elks.
The Elks face the BC Lions in their first game of the season on Saturday June 11.
8. BC Lions
The BC Lions went 5-9 last season and lost star quarterback Michael Reilly to retirement. The unproven Nathan Rourke is now under center for the Lions and the future of the team is uncertain.
As said above the Lions will face the Elks in their first game of the season.
7. Montreal Alouettes
The Montreal Alouettes are off to a bad start, already losing their first game of the season against the Stampeders. However many believe they can bounce back. The Alouettes went 7-7 last season. Vernon Adams Jr started the game in Calgary and played relatively well last night as the Alouettes scored 27 points and had the lead going into the final minutes.
6. Ottawa Red-Blacks
Even though the Ottawa Red-Blacks only won three games last season and tied with the Elks for worst team of 2021, there is some talent brewing in Ottawa. With lots of free agency players coming in like quarterback Jeremiah Masoli and running back William Powell. So even though the Red-Blacks were not that good last year, they might exceed expectations this year.
The Red-Blacks face the Winnipeg Blue Bombers Friday June 17.
5. Calgary Stampeders
The Calgary Stampeders went 8-6 last season and while that sounds good it’s actually kind of a down year for the Stampeders. Veteran quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell is entering his tenth season in the CFL and with the Stampeders and even though it’s hard to know what to expect with this Stampeders team they will be fun to watch.
4. Saskatchewan Roughriders
The Saskatchewan Roughriders went 9-5 last season and were tied for the second best record in the league. The Roughriders are hosting the Grey Cup this year and have one of the best quarterbacks in the league in Cody Fajardo. Really the sky’s the limit for the Roughriders this season.
The Roughriders face the Tiger-Cats tomorrow Saturday June 11.
3. Toronto Argonauts
The Toronto Argonauts finished 9-5 last season. The Argonauts have brought in some experienced veterans to help them achieve the Grey Cup title such as running back Andrew Harris from the Blue Bombers and wide reciever Brandon Banks from the Tiger-Cats. These two should really add some fire power to an already decent offense.
The Argonauts face the Montreal Alouettes in their first game Thursday June 16.
2. Hamilton Tiger-Cats
The Tiger-Cats went 8-6 last season but despite the less than stellar record they were able to not only make it to but host the Grey Cup Finals. Unfortunately for them, they lost to the Blue Bombers. They also lost their star quarterback Jeremiah Masoli in free agency. Despite this the Tiger-Cats are poised to strike again.
The Tiger-Cats will play their first game against the Saskatchewan Roughriders tomorrow June 11.
1. Winnipeg Blue Bombers
The Blue Bombers are the defending champions this season and even though they’ve lost a few players like Andrew Harris, they can still dominate this league with the players they still have. These players include running back Brady Oliveira and wide receiver Brendon O’Leary-Orange.
