The Montreal Alouettes ownership is once again in limbo. Majority owner, Sid Spiegel passed away last year leaving minority owner, Gary Stern at the helm.

Gary Stern announced this Monday that he will no longer be an owner of the Alouettes and will remove himself both from the day-to-day operations of the team and also from the CFL’s board of governors. It has not been immediately made aware as to why exactly Stern is choosing to step away from the team mid-season but there has been speculation that it is related to the costs that Alouettes incurred from a cancelled 2020 CFL season and shortened 2021 season.

Stern will keep his 25% ownership of the team for the time being but will no longer be involved with the team besides that. Stern had been a very vocal supporter of the club and had been challenging other owners, such as Hamilton’s Bob Young on Twitter. His charismatic and passionate fandom for the Alouettes had been a welcome reprieve from the traditional CFL ownership groups.

In Stern’s open letter to fans he wrote the following:

“Today, I am forced to share with you my current reality; I can no longer be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Montreal Alouettes,” Stern stated. “This was a very tough decision for me and my family, but it is a final decision.

“I love this team. I love Montreal and our fans. As a lifelong sports fan, my role with the Alouettes was a dream come true. I loved every minute of it.”

Alouettes’ president Mario Cecchini later addressed Stern’s announcement. Cecchini noted that the ownership structure of the team remains the same with Stern & Spiegel’s estate owning the Alouettes. He also went on to say that there has not been any conversations as of yet surrounding changes to the Alouette’s ownership.

Stern’s announcement has sent shockwaves through the CFL with many wondering what this will mean for the future of the Montreal Alouettes and the CFL as a whole? Will this result in any major changes to the league?

Full coverage of the 2022 season on CFL News Hub.