Photo: Reuben Polansky/3DownNation. All rights reserved.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders claim to be Canada’s team, and the leader of the country appears to believe it.

Prime minister Mark Carney appeared on TSN’s pre-game show from Princess Auto Stadium in Winnipeg, and begrudgingly acknowledged that he would be rooting for the Riders. That decision is in part because defensive end Malik Carney shares his last name.

“That tilts the balance. We’re frequently mistaken for each other. It’s a good thing he spells his whole name,” Carney joked when asked if he was supporting a team. “Okay, fine. Riders — there you go.”

“We’re frequently mistaken for each other.”

Prime Minister Mark Carney 🤝 Malik Carney!

🗓️: 112th #GreyCup | TONIGHT at 6 PM ET⁣
🇨🇦: TSN, CTV, RDS⁣
🇺🇸: CBSSN⁣
🌎: CFL+ pic.twitter.com/AbxibOtgru

— CFL (@CFL) November 16, 2025

Carney attended the Grey Cup Festival parties at the RBC Convention Centre on Saturday night. He was photographed in Riderville putting on a Saskatchewan hat and hanging with Gainer the Gopher, causing consternation among some fans that he may have cursed the team after his recent interactions with the Toronto Blue Jays and Women’s National Rugby Team.

There may be some validity to those concerns, as one of the previous Grey Cup games that Carney has attended was a dark chapter in Rider history.

“I went to the McMahon Stadium one — Als-Riders, 2009. The famous 13th guy on the field at the end,” he revealed. “It was an incredible game, heartbreaking way to lose, and just sets up this match.”

Overall, Carney attempted to stay relatively political with his answer, expressing hope that the game would be a classic.

“I’m rooting for a great game, James. I think it’s a fascinating matchup,” he told host James Duthie. “Trevor Harris, you’ve got the veteran experience. You’ve got two great defensive teams. You’ve got Davis Alexander, breakout talent. It’s going to be fantastic.”

Carney is a noted fan of the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers, but it appears his love for the CFL dates back just as far. Growing up in the Alberta capital, he watched a number of greats.

“I’ve got a lot of history and allegiances with Edmonton as well. Obviously, I grew up in Edmonton. I used to go to games from time to time back in Clarke Stadium. We’re talking Tom Wilkinson, Bruce Lemmerman, Larry Highbaugh, George McGowan,” he said. “It was fantastic, and it rolled into the Warren Moon days as well. Back when we were the City of Champions, James, if you remember.”

It appears that the Liberal Party leader remains an Elks fan to this day.

“It goes way back, and I’ve kept loyal,” he said. “It’s been a bit difficult in recent years. I’ll admit it would have been easier to be a Bombers fan or an Alouettes fan.”

Carney also weighed in on the CFL’s recent rule changes, expressing some positivity but also some skepticism.

“You’ve got to take risks, so I like the idea that the motivation of the rules is teams are going to take more risks. There’ll be more offence, that’s the estimation. But I’m old school,” he said.

“You go to Clarke Stadium — yeah, so maybe someone might run into the (goal post), that’s part of the interest. I like a rouge and all that. But look, in the end, they’ve looked at it hard. They’re going to give it a go. We’ve got a couple years to bring it in. Plus, it’s still three downs, it’s still a 65-yard wide field. It’s going to be great — still going to be the best product in football.”

The Saskatchewan Roughriders (13-6) and Montreal Alouettes (12-8) will meet in the 112th Grey Cup at Princess Auto Stadium in Winnipeg on Sunday, November 16, with kickoff scheduled for 6:00 p.m. EST.

The Alouettes defeated the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the East Final by a score of 19-16, while the Roughriders came back to defeat the B.C. Lions in the West Final by a score of 24-21. The teams split their two regular-season meetings, though Montreal franchise quarterback Davis Alexander missed both games due to a hamstring injury.

The weather forecast in Winnipeg calls for a high of two degrees with a mix of sun and cloud. The game will be broadcast on TSN, CTV, and RDS in Canada, CBS Sports Network in the United States, and CFL+ internationally.

This marks the fifth time the Grey Cup will be played in Winnipeg and the second time it will be hosted at Princess Auto Stadium. The venue’s first Grey Cup was held in 2015 when the Edmonton Football Team defeated the Ottawa Redblacks by a score of 26-20, and Michael Reilly was named the game’s Most Valuable Player.