OTTAWA \u2013 Finally, the wait is over.<\/p>\n
The Edmonton Elks will kick off their 2026 Canadian Football League schedule on Saturday (June 6), when they visit the Ottawa RedBlacks at TD Place. Catch the action live on TSN<\/a>, 880 CHED<\/a> and CFL+<\/a> at 5 pm MT.<\/p>\n While it was nearly a month ago that training camp opened, preparations for this day really began the moment the Elks concluded their 2025 regular season last October, and continued throughout the offseason, from free-agency to the draft, as the Elks worked to assemble a roster that can compete with the very best in the CFL.<\/p>\n THE JOURNEY BEGINS<\/p>\n The Elks split a pair of preseason games, defeating the BC Lions 34-16<\/a> in Langford, B.C., on May 23, and losing 21-18 to the Calgary Stampeders<\/a> at Clarke Stadium on May 29. Elks coach Mark Kilam spread the reps around in the two exhibition tilts, providing opportunity for players battling for roster spots while also giving veterans a chance to knock the rust off.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \u201cWe haven\u2019t played as a starting group for 60 minutes, so we\u2019re going to find out about ourselves,\u201d Kilam says. \u201cWe know what kind of journey we\u2019re on, we know what our goals are inside the room and now we\u2019ve got to go to the field and see who we\u2019re going to be.\u201d<\/p>\n STRONG START IS CRUCIAL<\/p>\n Hopes are high for the Elks in 2026, Kilam\u2019s second season as head coach. Last year saw Edmonton open with a 1-6 record, before winning 6 of its last 11 games to make a late push for a playoff spot.<\/p>\n If this is going to be the year that they play in November for the first time since 2019, the Elks know how crucial is to get off to get results in June.<\/p>\n \u201cOur talk and our emphasis, and the way our team has been this whole (pre-season) so far and even in the offseason, is urgency,\u201d says Joel Dublanko, a 28-year linebacker entering his third season with the Green and Gold.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re trying to speed things along in the process. We don\u2019t want to start out slow, we\u2019re looking to start out hot. We\u2019re excited to get this opportunity over in Ottawa, and it\u2019s going to be a great challenge.\u201d<\/p>\n NEW LOOK REDBLACKS<\/p>\n Edmonton went 2-0 against the RedBlacks last season, winning by scores of 39-33 at home and 30-20 in the nation\u2019s capital.<\/p>\n The Elks will be facing a much different team on Saturday, however: After finishing at the bottom of the East Division standings in 2025, Ottawa has undergone a host of roster and staff changes under the direction of new coach and general manager Ryan Dinwiddie.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \u201cNew players, but we\u2019ve played against \u2026 them, they might have just been on different (teams), so we have their tendencies,\u201d says Elks veteran defensive back Tyrell Ford. \u201cAs for the coaches, coaches in the league all switch around, so we\u2019ve played against them before, so we\u2019ve got all our stuff together and we\u2019re preparing for them, so we\u2019ll see if we prepared right.\u201d<\/p>\n NOW ITS FOR REAL<\/p>\n Edmonton fans are certainly eager to see how their favourite squad looks, and Elks players are eager for the chance to show them. There are just 18 games on the Green and Gold\u2019s regular season schedule, and every one of those days is like nothing else on the calendar.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m excited to be playing regular season,\u201d says Elks offensive lineman Coulter Woodmansey. \u201cIt\u2019s going to be really good getting to actually compete. There\u2019s a lot of competition in training camp and preseason games, but this is where they start to count.\u201d<\/p>\n Following Saturday\u2019s game, the Green and Gold will return home for their regular season home opener, against the Montreal Alouettes at Play Alberta Field at Commonwealth Stadium on June 20. Tickets are available now<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"OTTAWA \u2013 Finally, the wait is over. 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