The Hamilton Tiger-Cats may have made one of their biggest moves of the offseason before CFL free agency begins in February. Earlier this month, the Tiger-Cats looked to keep their improved offensive line together by signing veteran and long-time Hamilton lineman Brandon Revenberg to a 1-year contract extension. As a follow-up, the Tiger-Cats have filled one of the biggest holes along their offensive line, which is at the Center position.

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats announced that they have signed former Winnipeg Blue Bomber National offensive lineman Chris Kolankowski to a 1-year contract.

At the start of the 2025 season, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats found themselves looking for a center on their offensive line after David Beard made the decision to return to the Edmonton Elks. During training camp, the Tiger-Cats were unable to find an experienced center to move into the position, so Hamilton convinced offensive guard Coulter Woodmansey to move to center. While Woodmansey did a serviceable job, the Tiger-Cats’ offensive line would benefit from having an experienced center, which would allow Woodmansey to return to a guard position.

Chris Kolankowski is an experienced CFL center who has played in 98 games for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers since joining the team in 2020. Prior to playing for the Blue Bombers, Kolankowski played in 22 games for the Toronto Argonauts from 2017 until 2018. During his seven-year CFL career, Kolankowski has been part of two Grey Cup-winning teams in 2017 with Toronto and 2021 with the Blue Bombers.

The 6’1″, 290-pound Kolankowski started in all 18 games for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 2025. However, on January 5th, the Blue Bombers released Kolankowski, allowing him to explore his options before the start of the free agency period. Signing with Hamilton allows Kolankowski to return to his home province, Ontario.

Kolankowski played U Sports football at York University, where he was a standout performer for the Lions. In 2016, the Toronto Argonauts selected Kolankowski in the 6th round of the CFL draft. Since starting his career in the CFL, Kolankowski has built a reputation as a durable, reliable, hardworking player with exceptional character.

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