Nobody expected the Edmonton Elks to have the season they did.
And hours ahead of the team’s Labour Day rematch against the Calgary Stampeders, the team has the chance to do something they haven’t in 22 years: sweep their provincial rival in the series.
That team was led by Jason Maas at quarterback, the trio of Terry Vaughn, Jason Tucker and Ed Hervey at receiver, Mike Pringle in the backfield and A.J. Gass, Sinor Mobley and Malcolm Frank defensively. Similar to this year, they opened the series in Calgary, posting a 25-7 win, and walloped the Stampeders 44-12 days later in Edmonton.
Now, not only do the Elks have a chance to sweep the series once again, they have a chance to become the first team in the West Division to clinch a spot in the 2026 CFL Playoffs.
“What a great opportunity for us here at home in front of our incredible fans,” quarterback Cody Fajardo said this week. “An opportunity to clinch a playoff spot, which this organization has talked about all off-season.
“There are so many implications in this game: clinching a playoff spot against your rival team at home in front of a great crowd. There’s a lot of reason to be playing football and be excited about it, so guys are going to be excited about this one.”
Surely, Edmonton will look for a better start Saturday evening, after the first half of the series didn’t start so well. In fact, the Elks didn’t even generate a first down until there were five minutes left in the first half — a position the team can’t put themselves in a week later.
Everyone following the league knows this Elks team has consistently found ways to play the full sixty minutes, which led to last week’s comeback, but the time will come where poor starts won’t be able to cut it.
And with the team through both of their bye weeks, having five more regular season games left, the time is now for them to work out the remaining kinks in their game.
Edmonton Elks vs. Calgary Stampeders
- Date: Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026
- Kickoff: 5:00 p.m. MT
- Location: Edmonton, Alta.
- Venue: Commonwealth Stadium
- Watch: TSN
- Weather at kickoff via Environment Canada: 14 degrees, sunny. Winds northwest at 10 km/h.
FIELD GOALS
Elks HC Mark Kilam on the game: “It’s a big deal in the province. It’s a big deal in both cities. It’s a big deal for everybody involved. For some fans that’s the only game that they go to, just because there’s so much tradition to it. But we took care of business down there, and we’re going to try to do the same up here.”
Kilam on a three-game winning streak: “Momentum is a funny thing. It’s more about, we try to go 1-0 every week. We try to prepare ourselves to play winning football every week. You can say that’s cliché, (but) that’s literally how we control ourselves and that’s how the conversations go in our building.”
Fajardo on the tight turnaround: “It’s a chess match, for sure. It’s a ‘what if’ game, and you kind of play all these scenarios through your head. For me, in these back-to-backs, you just want to get back out there, you honestly just want to play, because you spend so much energy and thought into ‘what are they going to do?’ and then you get to the game and it kind of just goes out the window.”
Elks LB Nick Anderson on resetting before games: “It’s just having that 1-0 mindset every single day in everything that you do, just trying to be great at it. Trying to win and just go 1-0 each time you touch this field.”
DEPTH CHARTS
Elks
The Edmonton Elks will be missing multiple players for the rematch.
Right tackle Jordan Murray, a key offseason addition who has started every game, has been placed on the six-game injured list with a foot injury. He is set to be replaced by Joe Cooper. Receiver Carter Kettyle (hamstring) will miss the game, with Zach Mathis suiting up in the rotation.
Defensively, the team will be without Brock Mogensen (hamstring), with Eteva Mauga-Clements dressing in his place.
Stampeders
The Stamps will get an offensive boost Saturday, as receiver Reggie Begelton will play in his first game in 15 months, when he suffered a broken leg against the Toronto Argonauts. He makes his return as receiver Ajou Ajou lands on the six-game injured list with a neck injury.
Defensively, the Stamps will be without rookie halfback Zy Alexander (shoulder), weak-side linebacker Kyle Wilson (bicep), and linebacker Eric Rascoe, who the team selected in the first round of this year’s CFL draft.
