Once the annual kickoff to another CFL season, in 2026 it’s hard to imagine any scenario where July 1 marks the start of Week 1.

Canada Day will come and go on Wednesday, before Week 5 of the CFL season kicks off Thursday for the first of four games in four days for the league, the Saskatchewan Roughriders playing the Ottawa Redblacks on Friday night as part of the new usual.

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Roughriders looking to get back on track in Ottawa 

Set to hit the road to the nation’s capital, the Saskatchewan Roughriders haven’t been shy on providing excitement in their first three games of the season.

The Roughriders held on to beat the BC Lions 31-27 in Week 1, followed a similar script in Week 2 where they went to overtime but came out on top 40-37 against the Calgary Stampeders, and then in Week 3 the Roughriders played another early season classic where they fell 40-33 to the Toronto Argonauts for their first loss of 2026.

The Roughriders enter Friday’s game 2-1, good for second place in the West Division behind the undefeated Edmonton Elks at 3-0. Winnipeg and Calgary are both 1-2, to sit tied for third, ahead of a surprising 0-3 record for the BC Lions to place last. The current East Division standings have the Montreal Alouettes first at 3-1, Toronto and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats tied for second at 2-1, and this week’s opponent for Saskatchewan the winless Ottawa Redblacks in last.

Friday’s game against Ottawa will be a great chance to get back on track, but a hungry Redblacks team with former Roughriders A.J. Allen and C.J. Reavis on defense, and Jake Maier at quarterback for Ottawa after spending last season in the backup role behind Trevor Harris.

Kickoff is set for 5:30 PM on Friday. 

Wiebe comments on first career score 

A fourth quarter touchdown on Friday brought the Roughriders within two points, hauled in by none other than former Rosetown Royal, and University of Saskatchewan Huskies standout wide receiver Daniel Wiebe for his first career touchdown in his first career game.

Although it came in a loss, Wiebe said after the game he will always remember his first career touchdown. 

“It was exciting… Dream of mine to play in a pro game for sure. Meant a lot,” he said. “Obviously wanted to get the win, so it stings not being able to get that done.”

No matter the result, the 17-yard touchdown connection with quarterback Trevor Harris will be etched in his memory.  

“I’ve been dreaming about these moments since I was a kid, and to be able to do it with the Riders means everything.”

Wiebe’s debut performance should have him in line to make career start number two on Friday in Ottawa. 

Mace, Harris field speak after first loss 

Both quarterback Trevor Harris and head coach Corey Mace spoke to the media after the game.

It’s a tall task to go undefeated, something the Roughrider veteran pivot Harris knows well as he talked about facing adversity.

“Just a few plays here, few plays there… The only guaranteed in pro football is adversity,” said Harris. “Great teams respond better than others… We’ve been able to overcome mistakes the first couple of weeks. This week we shot ourselves in the foot in all three phases really. Got to make sure we watch the film, get better from it, and respond next week.”

Mace echoed his quarterback’s comments.

“That was a tough one to give up, but I thought there was a few momentum steals. It just wasn’t complimentary,” said Mace, pointing to inconsistent defense, offense, and special teams,” finished coach, pointing to a Toronto touchdown at the end of the half as one the team would like to have back.

July 1 in the CFL

Once the annual kickoff to another CFL season, the first week of July is now reserved for just another week of the regular season.

Canada Day weekend games used to be a staple on the CFL calendar, and one of the best games of all time took place back on July 1, 2010, between the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Montreal Alouettes in a 2009 Grey Cup rematch, that one unfortunately known to Rider fans as the Too Many Men game. 

In front of a sold-out crowd at the old Mosaic Stadium at Taylor Field, Saskatchewan beat Montreal 54-51 in a double overtime game that no doubt earned its spot in the CFL history books.