Global Game Preview | Moose vs Lion

Almost a month after they gathered for training camp, the moment has finally arrived for the Edmonton Elks: It’s game time.

The Elks begin their 2022 CFL regular season schedule Saturday in Vancouver at BC Place, where Edmonton take on the BC Lions in a West Division clash.

For all those long days of exercises, meetings, watching movies and reading playbooks, then going to bed, waking up and doing it all over again, that’s what it’s worth.

“I’m just excited to finally get it going,” said veteran receiver Manny Arceneaux. “Last year is last year, the past is in the past, we’re all about moving forward. The word is culture and that’s something we want to build and bring back.”

The game marks the start of head coach and general manager Chris Jones’ second tenure on the Edmonton touchline. Jones was hired during the offseason and tasked with bringing the Elks back to prominence after last season’s 3-11 record.

Jones last coached the Green and Gold at the 2015 Gray Cup, two pre-season competitions ago this year, where he led Edmonton to their most recent championship.

“It’s exciting because it’s the first game of the year and we have something to prove,” says Jones. “Nobody expects us to do anything and the only people that really matter are the people in this room and I just hope we’re in the right frame of mind to do what we need to do. “

Jones has made his mark on the Elks, with many new faces in the EE dressing room. Despite being new to each other, they bonded quickly.

“The locker room is very tight and that’s special because you’re only as good as the relationship to the game that’s in that locker room,” says Arceneaux.

“As it stands, we don’t have a lot of ‘I’ types. It’s “us” guys, and guys trying to help in any way they can, no matter where they’re put on the list, no matter what position they’re in… no one cares who gets the credit as long as it does how we can get in the win column.”

The Elks player, who featured last season, has fond memories of ending his 2021 season with a 10-43 loss to the Lions in Edmonton’s final game. Now they can restart for 2022 while getting a small payback for 2021.

“They’re a good football program,” Jones says. “(Lions head coach) Rick Campbell has won a lot of games and comes from the CFL pedigree and it’s tough every time you go to Vancouver to play in the dome so they and we have a lot of things in their favor I have to get on a plane and fly there with one goal, and that is to win the damn game.”