The Ottawa Redblacks open their 2026 preseason on the road against the Montreal Alouettes at Percival Molson Memorial Stadium. It is the only CFL game on the schedule tonight.
This Week's CFL Preseason Schedule
Ottawa Redblacks at Montreal Alouettes
When | Friday, May 22 at 7:00 PM ET |
|---|---|
Where | Percival Molson Memorial Stadium, Montreal, QC |
TV / Stream | RDS (French). Streams on CFL+. Not on TSN. |
Line | Preseason – full sportsbook lines not commonly posted |
The two clubs meet in the first of two preseason games, with a rematch set for Friday, May 29 in Ottawa. Montreal finished 10-8 last year, placed second in the East Division, beat Hamilton in the East Final, and lost the 112th Grey Cup to Saskatchewan. Ottawa finished 4-14, placed fourth in the East, and missed the playoffs for the fifth time in six seasons. Ryan Dinwiddie enters his first season as the Redblacks' head coach and general manager after the team fired Bob Dyce.
Montreal will field much of its projected starting lineup early. Davis Alexander gets the start at quarterback. Alexander was the Alouettes' Most Outstanding Player in 2025 and played through a hamstring injury for most of last season, including the Grey Cup. He reported to camp healthy. Arthur Hamlin starts at safety, the spot left open by the retirement of Marc-Antoine Dequoy. Don Callis and Robert Kennedy III take first-team reps at halfback. Newcomer Daniel Wise starts at defensive tackle, and third-round draft pick Nathan Udoh starts at inside slot receiver. Free agent receiver Jerreth Sterns also makes his Montreal debut.
Ottawa lists Jake Maier as the starting quarterback ahead of Max Duggan and rookie Bryson Barnes. Maier signed with the Redblacks in February after backing up Trevor Harris in Saskatchewan in 2025, where he earned a Grey Cup ring. First overall 2026 draft pick Giordano Vaccaro starts at left guard. Receiver Geno Lewis makes the trip to give Maier a target in game action.
Players to Watch:
Davis Alexander (Alouettes, QB) – Montreal's 2025 Most Outstanding Player makes his first appearance since recovering from the hamstring injury.
Jake Maier (Redblacks, QB) – Enters his sixth CFL season after stints with Calgary and Saskatchewan. Won the Grey Cup as Saskatchewan's backup in 2025. Dinwiddie says Maier will play two series and possibly into the first quarter.
Giordano Vaccaro (Redblacks, OL) – The first overall pick in the 2026 CFL Draft starts his preseason debut at left guard. The Winnipeg native won the J.P. Metras Trophy as U Sports' top lineman in 2024.
Arthur Hamlin (Alouettes, S) – Gets the first crack at the open safety job. Has six career starts in 28 games.
Max Duggan (Redblacks, QB) – The 2022 Heisman runner-up played three games with Toronto late last season and figures to see action behind Maier.
Dinwiddie, on what he wants to see, via the Redblacks' official site:
"All three phases we want to make sure we're executing at a high level, we want some guys to stand out and make some tough decisions for us. That's always a good problem to have. I always say when the lights are on, that's when guys kind of separate themselves, so that's what we'll be looking for."
Note: Preseason starters' minutes are limited. Dinwiddie confirmed Maier will play two series and possibly the first quarter before the young passers take over. Montreal's heavier use of projected starters early gives the Alouettes the edge in the opening quarter; the rest of the game comes down to roster-bubble play.
What's Next on the CFL Preseason Slate
Date | Matchup | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|
Sat, May 23 | Toronto at Hamilton (TSN) | 4:00 PM |
Sat, May 23 | Winnipeg at Saskatchewan (Saskatoon) | 7:00 PM |
Sat, May 23 | Edmonton at B.C. | 7:00 PM |
Fri, May 29 | Hamilton at Toronto (Guelph) | 7:00 PM |
Fri, May 29 | Montreal at Ottawa (TSN) | 7:30 PM |
Fri, May 29 | B.C. at Winnipeg | 8:30 PM |
Fri, May 29 | Calgary at Edmonton | 9:00 PM |
The 2026 CFL regular season opens Thursday, June 4 when Hamilton hosts Montreal. Montreal opens its regular season that night; Ottawa opens Saturday, June 6 against the Edmonton Elks.
Quick Hits
Dru Brown, Ottawa's projected regular-season starter, will not play tonight. Dinwiddie said Maier and Brown will split the bulk of the reps in the May 29 rematch.
Dustin Crum, Montreal's backup quarterback, spent the past three seasons with Ottawa before signing with the Alouettes in free agency.
Bryson Barnes joined the Redblacks about a week ago. Dinwiddie said the team will limit the plays it asks the rookie to run.
RDS opens its 2026 CFL coverage with this game. The network plans to air close to 50 games this season, including all 18 Alouettes regular-season games.
TSN is broadcasting only two CFL preseason games in 2026 — Toronto at Hamilton on May 23 and Montreal at Ottawa on May 29. All other preseason games stream on CFL+.
Who wins this preseason opener? Drop your picks in the comments.