Two days after the Canadian Football League and the Players’ Association ratified a seven-year collective bargaining agreement, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats will play their first game of the preseason.
Hamilton hosts the Montreal Alouettes Saturday at 7 p.m. at Tim Hortons Field in a game you can listen to on 900 CHML. A half-hour after the final whistle, catch The 5th Quarter postgame show on CHML, 900chml.com and on CHML’s Facebook page.
Quarterback Dane Evans will start the Ticats’ first game since the team lost the Grey Cup on Dec. 12 at home against the defending champion Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
Hamilton is also expected to dress a number of fan favourites against Montreal, including linebacker Simoni Lawrence, the 2021 East Division Defensive Player of the Year.
Tiger-Cats running back Don Jackson, receiver Bralon Addison and defensive tackle Dylan Wynn are likely to see some action as well.
Vernon Adams Jr. will start at quarterback for the Alouettes, who went 7-7 last season before losing 23-12 to the Ticats in the Eastern Semifinal at Tim Hortons Field.
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After going 8-6 in the COVID-19 pandemic-shortened regular season in 2021, the Ticats locked down playoffs wins against the Al’s and the Toronto Argonauts, beating the latter 27-19 in the Eastern Final.
The Tiger-Cats will attempt to play in their third consecutive Grey Cup final when the game in played in Regina on Nov. 20.
Since the CFL was formed in 1950, Hamilton has played in three straight Grey Cup championships on three separate occasions (1957-59, 1961-65, 1984-86) and won four times in those 11 years.
Hamilton will wrap up its preseason schedule on June 3 with a game against the Argos in Guelph, Ont.
The Ticats are set to visit Saskatchewan in their first game of the regular season on June 11.