Lillie Keenan executed her plan to precision to win the 1.55m CANA Cup during the Masters show-jumping tournament at Spruce Meadows on Thursday.
Of the 54 athletes who stepped through the Clock Tower, only three horse-and-rider combinations managed to produce clear rounds and advance to the jump-off.
The last to return to the International Ring, American rider Keenan and Kick On delivered a fast, fault-free performance, crossing the finish line in 41.03 seconds for the title.
“What makes our sport so special is it’s also an art,” Keenan said of her enjoyment of a tight time allowed. “And it’s about that unison of the horse and the rider, and you have to do that under time pressure.”
With the victory, Keenan also secured a coveted spot in Sunday’s CPKC grand prix.
Longtime Spruce Meadows competitor Conor Swail showed his experience aboard Casturano to win the 1.50m ATCO Cup in an 11-horse jump-off.
The Irish rider and Casturano left all the rails in place and stopped the clock in 41.30 seconds for the win.
For athletes hoping to compete in Sunday’s Suncor Winning Round, the ATCO Cup was an important opportunity, with the top 30 placed athletes from the 46 entries earning their place in the field.
Other winners on Thursday were:
- Canadian Katherine Wray and Caviar of Picobello Z in the 1.40m PwC Cup.
- Mexican Francisco Lomelin and T Chacoon Van De Ultrahoeve in the 1.45m PH&N Cup.
- American Samia Staehle Foxtrot Semilly in the 1.20m Friends of the Meadows.
- American Kimberly Coyle and Dartani in the 1.10m Friends of the Meadows.
There was no “setback,” but Calgary Flames fans shouldn’t expect Jonathan Huberdeau to start the 2026-27 season.
A week after GM Craig Conroy said Huberdeau had suffered a setback in his recovery from hip surgery , he clarified that he’d misspoken in a media availability at the Flames Charity Golf Classic.
“That was my mistake,” Conroy explained. “There’s a time frame of a few months where you were hoping he’ll come back. He’s not going to start the regular season, but he’s pain-free, he’s doing well, it’s just that was a mistake I made.
“He’s looking good, he’s feeling good, it’s just maybe going to be a little longer. I was hoping it would be before the dates and maybe it’s going to be a little longer. No setback; he’s on schedule. A guy like Patrick Kane, it was nine months and that’s worked well. We were hoping for the early side but it might be a little longer. We’ll just wait and see, it’s going to come down to when he feels ready, but I do want him to be 100%.”
There is no hard timeline for Huberdeau to return to game action. He’ll skate on his own during training camp, but not with his teammates, and he won’t be in the lineup when the Flames kick off their regular season on Oct. 1 against the Seattle Kraken.
With all that said, the 33-year-old should be back “sooner than later,” according to head coach Ryan Huska, and he’s been making real progress since getting hip resurfacing surgery earlier this year.
“I don’t think there was a timeline at first. Obviously I wanted to be ready for training camp, that was my goal, but with this kind of surgery there’s not a lot of data I feel out there where you know you’re going to come back at some point,” Huberdeau said. “For now, I won’t be starting training camp, but I think (the goal is) to be able to come back as soon as possible. I can only do it once, so I want to come back and really be 100%, and when I come back I know I’m really ready instead of pushing it a little early. So that’s my goal.”
After scoring 10 goals and adding 15 assists in 50 games last season, Huberdeau was shut down for the campaign in early February so that he could go under the knife. He’d been dealing with chronic pain in his hip for more than a year and there was some hope that if he got the surgery done early, he might be able to be back in time for training camp.
There was never any guarantee that would happen, though, and the Flames are insistent that they won’t rush him back.
Related
“I think he looks great,” Huska said. “It was a tough surgery, I think that’s very well-documented, but I think he’s doing just fine. When he’s on the ice right now he’s able to do everything that’s asked of him and he’s doing everything and more in the gym.
“It’s just part of the process, he’s working his way back to feeling comfortable enough to get himself back full-time. That’s a process for him, mentally, physically, all the things. We have a great plan for him moving forward and he’ll be up and running with our team sooner than later.”
How soon that will be is unclear, but everyone who spoke on Thursday reiterated that Huberdeau’s recovery continues to go well. The hope is that when he’s ready to return to the lineup, he’ll be pain-free and capable of more than he was last season.
“Hopefully, that’s the goal,” Huberdeau said. “The hip was bothering me for a little bit; it’s just nice to go out there and walk around and not have any pain. That’s the main thing I wanted to have and after, on the ice, I’m sure it’s going to help me move freely out there.”
Get more Calgary Flames coverage delivered directly to your email inbox: Sign up here for our Playing With Fire newsletter.
]]>They say close only counts in horseshoes and … well … hand grenades.
Leading the Labour Day Classic, the Calgary Stampeders tossed a bomb Monday night that blew up in their face, turning victory into defeat.
Close but no cigar … again.
And that’s become a disturbing trend for the Canadian Football League club in what’s fast becoming a sinking season that began with Grey Cup hosting hopes.
“Yeah … all I can say is the fight was there,” said Stampeders GM/head coach Dave Dickenson, following Monday’s 38-28 home loss to the rival Edmonton Elks. “But not in a manner that it’s winning football.
“So we’ve just got to play winning football.”
That was most definitely not what the Stampeders played over the final quarter-plus against the visiting Elks in front of 25,698 fans at McMahon Stadium.
Up 25-7 late in the third quarter on a wet afternoon, the Red and White had its provincial rival wobbling. The Elks needed 23 minutes to record their first first down and looked nothing like the West Division leader they had been through the first half of the season.
Then the Stamps opened the door.
And the Elks kicked it off the hinges.
A needless rough-play penalty by Clarence Hicks kept alive an Elks touchdown drive. The Stamps’ offence stopped moving the football, and the defence stayed on the field, ran out of gas and lost its tackling form.
The Elks piled up 31 points over the final 18:15 and left with a stunning victory.
“I mean … played terrible in the fourth quarter,” said Stamps defensive lineman Folarin Orimolade. “We turned the ball over. We gave up big plays. Everything you can do wrong, we probably pretty much did it in the fourth quarter.”
The problem is that Labour Day does not stand alone.
The Stamps’ season opened with a 30-28 loss to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on a walk-off field goal. The Stamps then dropped consecutive one-score games to the Montreal Alouettes in July, 37-30 and 38-32, with late comeback opportunities having slipped away.
Against the host Toronto Argonauts on Aug. 6, they lost 33-30 on another field goal in the dying seconds. A week later, they surrendered another late lead in a 30-26 loss to the visiting BC Lions.
Different opponents.
Different mistakes.
Same empty feeling.
So why can’t the Stamps capture victory when it’s within their grasp?
The Stampeders are now 5-7 because they have repeatedly played well enough to stay close but not consistently enough to finish. On Monday, they turned an apparent runaway into their ugliest missed opportunity yet this season.
“We lost rhythm,” Dickenson said. “We weren’t playing great offensively, but we were making some big plays, and we couldn’t stack plays together. Kept our defence on the field too long, and then they wore out.”
The effort was there.
The execution disappeared.
And another close game went the wrong way.
WHO’S THE FOE IN WEEK 15?
The good news — if the Red and White is willing to see any — is that the wait for another shot at the Elks lasts only five days.
The Stampeders and the Elks meet again Saturday at Commonwealth Stadium (5 p.m., TSN, QR Calgary 770 AM).
In between time, the teams have only one real practice day, and Dickenson says the Stamps will be operating “a little bit on fumes” after the physical and emotional drain of Monday’s collapse.
“You’re not really going to change a lot of scheme,” Dickenson said. “You can try to mix it up, and you can have counter-punches to what you’ve done. But you only have one day of practice.
“You’ve got to dig deep. You’ve got to dig deep and get the job done.”
The good news is the Stamps know they can hang with the Elks. In fact, they were the better team — albeit not by much — for most of three quarters Monday. The Stamps pressured Cody Fajardo, limited the Elks to seven first-half points and built an 18-point advantage.
But Fajardo settled in as the game went along, and the Elks eventually found success on the ground when they turned to running back ShunDerrick Powell. That led to the rally, capped by Justin Rankin’s 50-yard touchdown run — punctuated by a series of missed tackles — after the Elks’ defence forced a critical fourth-quarter turnover.
“We just gotta go through the film and make sure we get better,” Orimolade said. “That’s the only thing you can do right now, and let the process take care of itself.”
The rematch carries far more than vengeance. The Stamps missed a chance to climb to 6-6 and pull even with the Lions and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the West Division race. Instead, they head north with less margin for another collapse over the final six regular-season games.
“It sucks, because we understand where we are,” said Stamps quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. “It’s a win that would have been huge for us and for the organization.
“We see them again in five days. That’s a good team, man — coached well, and they play hard. We’re a good team, too. So we just have to finish.”
STAMPS NEED ACTION, NOT WORDS
Dickenson wants to see finish.
Not just fight, and not compete.
It’s not about hanging around until the fourth quarter.
They need to finish.
The Stampeders have demonstrated that they can build leads, create explosive plays and trade punches with good football teams. Their record says none of it matters unless they learn how to close.
The Red and White can’t rebuild its offence, reinvent its defence or install a new identity before Saturday. The fix has to come from doing familiar things properly when pressure rises.
That’s stay on the field offensively …
Protect the football …
Keep defensive leverage …
Wrap up tackles …
Cut out the penalties that extend drives …
And make the play when it arrives.
“We know the things to do,” Orimolade said. “Just got to do them. Just got to do them over and over. We practise them … It’s not like we haven’t gone over it in practice. We’ve got to execute it in the biggest moments.”
Dickenson agreed, saying there’s not much that needs to be said after a loss like Monday’s.
“Words are words, and to me, it’s got to be about action,” Dickenson said. “We just got to keep competing and fighting. Talking’s just talk, and action to me is what it’s about.
“As a coach, it’s keep working, get them in better situations, find out how to take less penalties and try to win ball games.”
The offence has to carry a larger share of that burden.
It produced enough big plays to build Monday’s lead but could not put enough solid drives together, especially in the second half. Early in the fourth quarter, a Nick Anderson sack of Adams stalled a possession that could have helped put the game away. The Stamps settled for a field goal, then went two-and-out on three straight possessions while the Elks gathered speed.
“That fourth quarter, I don’t think we really did too much,” said Adams, who was 15-of-29 for 214 passing yards and two TDs, to go along with 33 rushing yards. “It was tough, just trying to find the playmakers, trying to give them an opportunity to do what they do. Got to watch the film and see where I could be better at to help this team out.”
The defence has its own corrections. Tired or not, the missed tackles on Rankin’s winning touchdown cannot happen. And Orimolade refused to use the wet weather as an excuse.
“They had the same conditions,” he said. “Their defence played really well in the fourth quarter, and we didn’t, so we can’t really blame the conditions.”
The Stampeders do not need another explanation. They need a fourth quarter that looks like winning football.
Their playoff hopes are still alive in a crowded West. But Grey Cup dreams cannot survive forever on close calls, late collapses and lessons learned.
Saturday in Edmonton offers a chance.
This time, the Stamps have to finish the job.
]]>Off to an unbeaten start and ranked No. 4 nationally, the University of Calgary Dinos women’s soccer team hosts the Alberta Pandas before closing out the weekend against the MacEwan Griffins.
The first match is set for Friday (6:30 p.m.) and the second for Sunday (noon) at McMahon Stadium.
Calgary swept a pair of matches against the Manitoba Bisons to open the Canada West season last week, opening with a 2-1 comeback win before following it up with a 5-0 rout.
Alberta enters at 1-1-0 after falling 3-0 to Saskatchewan in its opener, then bouncing back with a 1-0 win over Regina. MacEwan opened with a 3-0 win over Regina before dropping a 2-0 result to Saskatchewan.
Calgary swept both Alberta and MacEwan in the same weekend last season, its first sweep of that pair since 2021.
Player to Watch: Kaleigh Major. Coming off the bench in both games last week, Major scored the game-winning free kick in the opener and capped the win over Manitoba with a long-range strike.
Dinos Men’s Soccer
The Dinos have a busy weekend on tap, hosting the Lethbridge Pronghorns before a quick rematch with the MacEwan Griffins.
The first match goes Saturday (7 p.m.) and the second on Sunday (3:30 p.m.) at McMahon Stadium.
Calgary moved to 2-1-0 last week after falling 3-0 to Alberta, then rebounding with a 4-3 win over MacEwan.
The Dinos raced to a 3-0 lead against the Griffins inside 21 minutes on goals from Jacob Hunter, Josiah Walter and Josral Frederick, and held on despite a MacEwan rally that included a red card and two second-half goals, with William Omoreniye’s strike proving to be the difference.
Lethbridge opened its own season with a 3-2 loss to Saskatchewan, a match suspended in the 85th minute due to weather.
Player to Watch: Josiah Walter. Playing his second game of the season on Sunday, Walter contributed a goal and an assist.
Dinos Field Hockey
Jenn Wishart makes her head-coaching debut this weekend as the Dinos open the 2026 season with a two-game set against the visiting Victoria Vikes .
The games are set for Saturday and Sunday (both 11 a.m. starts) at Hawkings Field.
Wishart, a five-year Dinos student-athlete before joining the coaching staff in 2023, takes over a program looking to build on last year’s foundation.
Victoria comes in as one of the toughest possible season-opening tests: the Vikes went 5-1-2 last season and advanced all the way to the U SPORTS Championship final, where they were crowned silver medalists.
Player to Watch: Victoria Zaccagnini. One of Calgary’s returning Canada West all-stars, Zaccagnini brings a steady presence to the Dinos ‘ midfield. She also gained valuable international experience this summer, competing with Canada’s senior women’s indoor team at the CanAm Indoor Hockey Series.
Dinos Football
Coming off a 32-7 win over the UBC Thunderbirds in their season opener, the Dinos hit the road against a Saskatchewan Huskies squad ranked No. 8 in the latest U SPORTS poll.
Friday’s game is set to kick off at 7 p.m.
Calgary’s offence was in control from the opening whistle a week ago, with receiver Matt Sibley earning Canada West Offensive Player of the Week honours with seven receptions for 106 yards, including a touchdown.
Reigning Hardy Cup-champion Saskatchewan enters off a 40-22 loss to the Manitoba Bisons, a game in which the Huskies actually outgained Manitoba 433 yards to 311 but were undone by a big second quarter from the Bisons.
Player to Watch: David Jordan. Back for his second season under centre wit the Dinos , Jordan completed 18-of-24 passes for 221 yards and three touchdowns in the season-opening win over UBC.
Dinos Women’s Rugby
The Dinos are on the road at Alberta (Friday, 6 p.m.) after opening the season with a 21-12 loss to Lethbridge.
Calgary led 5-0 at halftime on Keira Andasol Dubyk’s opening try before the Pronghorns answered with two converted tries to go up 14-5. Bomi Lawal cut the gap to two points on a try set up by a kick from Allysen Stachiw , but Lethbridge closed out the win with another score.
The Pandas will be playing their season opener after capping the previous campaign with a Canada West bronze medal.
Player to Watch: Larae Benoit. Highlighted by head coach Simon Chi for her performance in the season opener, Benoit was a workhorse for the Dinos with her ball carrying and tackling.
]]>As a kid, Kyle Timm’s family used to take him to Spruce Meadows each year for his birthday.
At 37, he’s finally back, riding in the Masters tournament five-star ring for the first time.
“We came one time innocently, then after that I remember seeing the signs on the overpasses and that’s what I would ask for as a gift,” smiled Timm. “Spruce Meadows gave me the first love of horses.”
Now based out of France, Timm doesn’t exactly consider himself a dyed-in-the-wool Calgarian.
“I’m Canadian at heart, for sure,” he noted. “I’ve lived out of Calgary longer than I lived in; my family is here; I’m very happy to come back here. The Southerns gave me chances early in my career. And coming from Europe now, and to have Spruce Meadows support me, that’s my tie and my gratefulness and my humility for Calgary and what it’s done for me.”
Timm left at 17. Between 2009 and 2011, he worked at a stable in New Zealand; from there, he plied his trade in both Germany and the Netherlands, before settling in Raleigh, N.C. In 2017, he made a move to Barbizon, France, working at the Ecuries du Grand Veneur stables.
Now he has his own facility in Fontainebleau, Haras de Fourches, with 25 horses. Much of his career has involved the development and sale of horses, not solely the riding.
“We keep a lot of horses for their whole career,” Timm explained. “That’s my dream for my stable; build the horses to the biggest level they can be. Even if another rider takes over, that’s OK with me. I enjoy seeing that.
“I developed a strong love for that because just riding wasn’t an option for me. With horses, you have two options: you can grow with a strong financial background or you can grow up in a legacy family that is involved with horses. I came from neither.
“When I can ride these types of shows, I don’t think, well, I deserve to be here. It’s like wow, this is a heck of an experience, lucky to be here, but next week I’m back riding my five and six-year olds.
At heart, I like producing horses. That is the real passion of life for me; this (riding) is just the cherry on top.”
In another first, last November Timm won the Canadian show jumping championship at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto, also the first time he’d ever set foot in Ontario.
“My goal is, if I can jump every big show in the world one time, just to know how the arenas ride, the stories that people tell, not coming from a strong financial background, I feel that would be incredible; to say we’ve done it one time.”
Timm was a member of Team Canada at the recent world championships in Aachen, Germany, and one of just two to advance to the individual competition.
“My first championship, I was nervous,” he admitted. “A lot of pressure but positive pressure. Aachen is hallowed ground for show jumpers, like Spruce Meadows Masters. We did everything we could. The horse (Casino Calvin) really, really impressed me. He was very solid. And that opened the door to come here.
“He’s the most experienced. I’ve done big classes with him. He was the alternate for the Paris Olympics. His whole life has been with me; he knows me well, I know him well. We have a bit of a love-hate relationship but he’s a good boy. He has a lot of character.”
Canada’s team for Saturday’s BMO Nations’ Cup has not yet been announced, but Timm is hoping to be part of the equation.
“My goal for sure is to jump the Nations’ Cup; my preparation is around that, having the horse where he needs to be, and having my second horse ready to jump in case something happens,” he said. “Of course, I dream to jump the grand prix on Sunday, but the most important for the team is to be here on Saturday and fully focused.”
Sunday will feature the CPKC grand prix, the next stop in the Rolex Grand Slam. All eyes will be on Germany’s Richard Vogel, as he attempts to win three Rolex grand prix in a row.
Vogel got things off on the right foot Wednesday, winning the first class in the International Ring, the TELUS Cup, aboard Chember 3.
]]>“Saddle up, Calgary.”
The 2026 Grey Cup Festival is in place for one of Canada’s annual traditions.
Organizers rolled out the party plans Wednesday, highlighting what will be a spirited handful of days in The Stampede City come November.
The only hitch in the dream week is whether the home team can make the national dance at McMahon Stadium.
“We’ve got a hole to dig ourselves out of,” said Stampeders president Jay McNeil, during the festival’s schedule announcement at The Big Four Roadhouse.
“But if we start to win and continue to win, we can be where we want to be at the end of the year.”
That hole became deeper on Labour Day.
The Stampeders owned an 18-point lead in the third quarter against the Edmonton Elks but were overwhelmed during a 24-point Elks fourth quarter, losing 38-28 at McMahon.
The result dropped the Stampeders to 5-7 with six regular-season games remaining. Meanwhile, the Elks strengthened their grip on first place in the Canadian Football League’s West Division at 9-3, followed by the defending Grey Cup-champion Saskatchewan Roughriders at 8-4. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers and the BC Lions are both 6-6, leaving the Stamps one win behind both clubs in a crowded fight for the two final playoff spots.
It makes Saturday’s Labour Day Rematch in Edmonton more than a chance to settle a score. A win would avenge the Stamps’ latest stumble, improve their chances for a post-season berth and provide momentum for a stretch drive with little room for error.
It could also reignite them on that year-long bid to play for the Grey Cup on home turf.
“Yes … we’ve got a little work to do there,” said McNeil. “We’ve got some work to do there. Obviously, we’re not happy with, you know, our outcome of Labour Day. We still control our fate. And we’ve got an opportunity to go back up to Edmonton, show some character and get that win. And then, we’ve got a hold.”
Such positivity was certainly a part of the buzz during the unveiling of the Grey Cup Festival schedule.
“As someone who calls Calgary home, I’m excited to see the Grey Cup returning to our city,” Census Energy senior vice-president Jeff Lawson, whose company is the main sponsor of the 2026 Grey Cup Festival at Stampede Park, told the crowd. “Jay, I hope you have a perfect record through the balance of the season and our team’s there challenging for the Cup.
“That’s my wish for you, sir.”
It’s a wish that’s shared by all Stampeders fans.
But after Monday’s decision, it’s become a tougher one to see come true.
The priority is avoiding a season sweep by the rival sitting four victories ahead. Beyond Saturday, the Stamps must find the consistency that has escaped them through the first two-thirds of its schedule.
The playoff math is straightforward, even if the path is not. The top three teams in each division qualify, subject to the CFL’s crossover rule. The Red and White must climb past at least two Western rivals to secure a berth through their own division. A crossover route would require the fourth-place team in the West to finish with a better record than the third-place club in the East.
Once in, the task to play for the championship at home doesn’t get any easier. A second- or third-place Western finish would send the Stampeders into the division semifinal, followed by the West final. Two playoff wins would put the Stampeders in the Grey Cup on their home field. A first-place finish brings a bye to the division final, but the Stamps’ four-win deficit behind the Elks makes that the least realistic route.
That is why GM/head coach Dave Dickenson is shrinking the challenge.
“His motto has been, ‘Win the play, win the day,’” said McNeil of Dickenson’s blueprint for success. “Let’s not focus on the end. Let’s focus on what’s in front of us.”
Trouble is the Grey Cup is impossible to ignore.
Festival organizers have announced four days of concerts, team parties, family programming, rodeo and CFL traditions at Stampede Park from Nov. 11-14. The championship game follows Nov. 15 at McMahon.
For the Stampeders, qualifying would turn a national celebration into something intensely local. Missing would mean watching two visiting teams use their stadium and command Calgary’s biggest football stage.
McNeil knows that feeling. The former offensive lineman played 14 seasons with the Red and White and won two Grey Cups but never reached the championship when Calgary hosted it. He recalled the sting of giving up the Stampeders’ locker room to a visiting finalist.
“You don’t want that,” McNeil said.
He also understands the event differently now.
As a player, he says, he was somewhat sheltered from the festival. As president, he sees its effect on supporters, businesses and the wider community, along with the responsibility of presenting Calgary as the city he knows it to be to the country.
Hosting the Grey Cup also gives the club a chance to put the Stampeders’ brand in front of new supporters, particularly Calgarians who have not previously connected with Canadian football.
But actually seeing his horses play in the game would be the most powerful advertisement of all.
“Regardless of where it is, getting to the Grey Cup is the ultimate goal,” added McNeil. “And it’s what our players are working towards, and it’s the commitment of our players.
“Although we haven’t had the record that we want so far this year, we’ve watched them fight game-in and game-out. You know … I’m proud of who they are and the character that they’ve shown.”
If Mikael Backlund stays completely healthy and doesn’t miss a game this season, he’ll pass Jarome Iginla for the most games played in Calgary Flames history on March 17 of next season.
That would be his 72nd game of 2026-27, officially bringing his career total to 1,220, one more than Iginla.
And given Backlund’s recent history, who would bet against him being on the ice for every game this year? Even at 37 years old, the Flames captain has played all 82 regular season games in four of the last five seasons, with the only exception being in 2024-25, when he was only sidelined for six games.
It would be a remarkable accomplishment for a guy who will surely have his number hanging from the rafters at Scotia Place arena when his career is through and will be one of the stories that injects a little extra excitement into a season where the Flames are expected to struggle to stay in contention.
Backlund’s impact on the season goes well beyond his longevity, though, and there’s little doubt the Swedish centre will be one of the most important players who defines the season ahead.
More important than ever
It really wasn’t that long ago that the talk around the Saddledome was about the Flames’ leadership group and the six veterans who formed the team’s foundation.
But since the beginning of last year, the organization has traded away Rasmus Andersson, MacKenzie Weegar, Nazem Kadri and Blake Coleman. That leaves only Backlund and Jonathan Huberdeau still playing in Flames colours, and given that Huberdeau is recovering from major hip surgery , there’s no telling what we can expect from him.
For obvious reasons, that places a lot of leadership responsibilities on Backlund’s shoulders. Yes, guys like Zach Whitecloud and Ryan Strome can help out and are valuable voices in the locker room, but there won’t be anyone more important at establishing culture and helping young players find their way than Backlund.
The Flames are expected to bring in at least three or four recent draft picks once the NCAA season is complete, so that veteran voice will only become more valuable.
Related
Here, for sure?
Around this time last year, Backlund signed a two-year extension that kicks in this season and will keep him in Calgary until the end of 2027-28.
He was very clear about wanting to end his career with the Flames at the time and there’s absolutely no reason to think he’s changed his tune.
If the Flames stumble out of the gate and finish as far down the standings as some are predicting, there are inevitably going to be rumours about every veteran on the roster getting moved. That’s how these things go.
It’s best to take any of those rumours with a massive grain of salt when it comes to Backlund, though.
Model of consistency
There haven’t been any signs of drop-off from Backlund, despite his advancing age.
Last year, he put up 17 goals and 26 assists while posting a +7 and playing against opponents’ top lines night after night. It’s what he does.
The Flames did trade away Coleman in July, which means he’ll be without his longtime linemate going forward, but Backlund has already developed chemistry with Joel Farabee late last season. That line should be fine and the two will form the foundation of the Flames’ penalty kill, as well.
You know what you’re going to get with Backlund, and for a Flames organization that’s had a lot of moving pieces recently, that’s exactly what you need from your captain.
Get more Calgary Flames coverage delivered directly to your email inbox: Sign up here for our Playing With Fire newsletter.
]]>It has, indeed, been a while since the Labour Day Classic between the Calgary Stampeders and Edmonton Elks could truly be deemed a ‘big’ game.
The Elks have struggled mightily the last few years but, with Mark Kilam at the coaching helm, the rejuvenation of quarterback Cody Fajardo and the Justin Rankin running factor, Edmonton has become the class of the West in the Canadian Football League.
The latter brought a special fan down from Edmonton.
“I do have an added bonus to come,” smiled Mark Rankin, father of Justin. “From what I’ve heard, the rivalry is bigger for Edmonton, because they do have a better record than in the past. Does it mean more? I think it means more because it’s a rivalry game; it doesn’t matter if it’s CFL or college or high school, rivalry is rivalry.”
Calgary, meanwhile, has had its share of struggles this campaign, coming into the Classic at 5-6 and needing an overall momentum swing for this crucial part of the season.
And that, according to head coach Dave Dickenson, is what is most critical about the Labour Day Classic … timing.
“We’ve always said, if you can get hot from Labour Day on, you have a chance to win it,” suggested Dickenson before the game. “So you want to make sure to start playing your best football from this point forward.
“When I first got into the league, I felt the West was an Edmonton and Calgary thing, whoever would win that season series was going to win. There was a lot of animosity. I don’t know about a bigger game … but I felt with the crowds, with the flyover, with the jerseys being talked about, I always felt it was a big, big game.”
That was reflected on Monday. The game was preceded by one of the most anticipated moments in a Classic: the flyover. Since 1993, two CF-18 Hornets have flown over McMahon Stadium at the conclusion of the national anthem and then again just prior to kickoff. They did not disappoint.
Sartorially, the Stamps wore their black unis, which they debuted on Labour Day in 1994.
The conditions were wet and cool, yet attracted an announced crowd of 25,698. A couple of fan buses drove down from Edmonton, so there was a share of Green and Gold in the stands, including Brett Litke and his friends.
“The Elks have struggled for a few years, so now it’s renewed. There’s a good vibe in Edmonton with the Elks,” said Litke, who wasn’t going to let a little gloomy weather keep him away. “This is more important because the Elks are finally back to where they should be. They have new ownership, a new spirit; it’s a lot better than what it used to be. The Stampeders have been up and down this year, but they’ve got (starting quarterback) Vernon Adams back, so this is a big clash, playoff implications. This is a major, major CFL game.”
And, as it turned out, a major win for the visitors, 38-28. Papa Rankin watched his son elude a number of would-be tacklers and rumble for 50 yards for the winning touchdown with less than five minutes left in the game. Calgary led by 18 at one point.
As far as the combatants are concerned, the Labour Day Classic is just a name for another game.
“For me, I’m an older guy, I’ve been around a long time. I’ve been in the Labour Day Classic in Saskatchewan, too,” said Derrick Moncrief, the Stamps’ 33-year-old linebacker who was on the other side with the Elks in both 2021 and 2024. “It’s a Western opponent. It’s that time of the year where you want to play your best ball. In order to get to the playoffs, you have to knock out one opponent at a time and they’re the next opponent.”
The outcome not in the Stamps’ favour, they now look to the rematch Saturday at Commonwealth Stadium where the Elks will once again be “the next opponent.”
TORONTO — Calgary Wild FC extended its unbeaten streak to six matches Sunday, earning a hard-fought scoreless draw against AFC Toronto.
It was the first time Toronto has not been able to defeat Calgary in the Northern Super League’s two-year history, which now includes nine matchups between the clubs.
“That’s a great accomplishment for us. It is a whole team effort,” said midfielder Taylor Otto, who was one of five players to arrive to Wild FC over the last month. “Defensively we are a lot more structured. Obviously, we would have loved to get three points, but we are headed in the right direction for sure.”
The result at BMO Field marks another important moment in Wild FC’s second season and continues the team’s strong run of form as the club remains unbeaten in its last six matches.
“For us there has been a lot of little changes, so I think the staff has done a great job adding a little more structure and credit to the girls coming in with a great attitude after a tough start to the season,” added Otto. “We found a way to turn it around. For us it is the next game ahead of us every time.”
Goalkeeper Sarah Keilty-Dilling made her second consecutive start for Wild FC, and remains unbeaten.
One of the first signings in club history, the Calgary-born Keilty-Dilling earned her first start on Aug. 29 and helped Wild FC battle to a 2-2 draw with Vancouver Rise FC. She followed that performance with another strong outing as Calgary secured a clean sheet against AFC Toronto.
“The first half we didn’t play how we expected. Once we addressed things at halftime, the momentum started to shift and we had more control. Getting a point here is amazing for us,” said Wild FC assistant coach Kory Babington. “Things are moving in the right direction. I think one of the things is the vibe amongst the squad is outstanding. Everything seems to be heading in the right direction.”
The match was evenly contested, with both teams sharing 50% possession. AFC Toronto (9-5-5) generated 22 shots, including five on target, while Calgary (2-12-5) created 10 shots and put four on goal.
Wild FC’s defensive effort and determination throughout the match helped secure the historic result.
“You are not going to dominate all games,” added Babington. “The first half was heavily in Toronto’s favour. We haven’t had trouble scoring of late until today. I wish we had one up our sleeve to take the three points back to Calgary.”
Wild FC’s current streak began with a 4-0 victory over CS Mont-Royal Outremont in a W Canadian Championship quarterfinal on Aug. 5. Calgary then earned a 3-2 road win over Vancouver before returning home to defeat league-leading Ottawa Rapid FC 4-3 in a thrilling contest. They earned back-to-back 2-2 draws with Montreal Roses FC two weeks ago, and then Vancouver.
Wild FC will return home to McMahon Stadium for its next match, welcoming Halifax Tides FC for the Active Girls Match on Saturday (noon, TSN).
David Jordan threw three touchdown passes as the University of Calgary Dinos football team opened the season with a 32-7 win over the UBC Thunderbirds in front of 5,234 fans at McMahon Stadium on Friday night.
The Dinos needed just two possessions to get on the board.
After UBC went three-and-out to open the game, the Dinos rode four carries from Matthieu Clarke, capped by a one-yard touchdown run, to go up 7-0.
On the ensuing drive, Jordan connected with Matt Sibley for a 34-yard gain before finding him again from 15 yards out for a touchdown, making it 14-0 before the first quarter was over.
Calgary kept the pressure on in the second quarter. A 15-yard penalty on UBC moved the Dinos to the UBC 13, and two plays later Jordan found Evan Smith for a 13-yard touchdown to make it 21-0.
UBC finally got on the board when Drew Viotto hit Marvyn Larozar for a 10-yard score, and Boaz Comeau drove home the first field goal of his career from 32 yards to send Calgary into halftime up 24-7.
The Dinos’ defence delivered the key moment of the third quarter, stopping UBC on downs at the Calgary six-yard line.
The offence answered right away, going the length of the field on a drive Dinos head coach Ryan Sheahan called his favourite of the night, “something superb,” that “chewed up the entire third quarter,” finished off by a seven-yard touchdown pass from Jordan to Tim Duerr.
That made it 31-7, and a single point off a punt in the fourth quarter rounded out the scoring.
Running backs ‘just phenomenal’
Jordan finished 18-of-24 passing for 221 yards and three touchdowns without an interception and credited the group in front of him and behind him for the clean night.
“Everybody from the boys up front to my guys catching routes, the running backs were just phenomenal today. I’m just glad they let me do my job even better,” Jordan said.
Sibley led all receivers with seven catches for 106 yards and a score, Clarke ran for 72 yards on 18 carries to go with his rushing touchdown, and Duerr and Smith each added a touchdown catch.
Viotto threw for 332 yards on 30-of-47 passing, with Larozar and Trey Montour combining for 19 catches, but the Thunderbirds could only turn just one of two red-zone trips into points.
“When the defence can hold them to seven points and be disruptive,” Sheahan said. “I thought they were resilient. They bent a little but didn’t break.”
Calgary converted all four of its own red-zone chances into touchdowns and forced two turnovers, including a fourth-quarter interception by Thomas Glanville off Viotto.
The home opener carried extra weight for both coach and quarterback.
“Playing in Calgary is huge. We love our fans,” Sheahan said. “It always feels great running out of the Dino head, the tunnel, and seeing the crowd roar, and seeing how much it amps up our players. So opening the season at home was definitely a benefit that we felt we took advantage of, and we felt the crowd’s energy right away.”
“This university deserves everything,” added Jordan. “This university deserves victory, success, and I’m just glad the students got to come out, even the new students, the freshmen, and got to see an actual football game the way the Dinos finish.”
The Dinos will return to action Friday, Sept. 11, when they travel to face the reigning Canadian West champion Saskatchewan Huskies.
]]>