The wait is finally over for fans of both teams. The Montreal Alouettes and Ottawa RedBlacks will take the field for the first time in the 2026 preseason. Many newcomers are looking to prove they belong, including 2-time Vanier Cup-winning quarterback Arnaud Desjardins, out of Laval.
Game Details:
Date/Location: Friday, May 22 / Percival-Molson Memorial Stadium, Montreal, QC
Kickoff Time: 7:00 PM ET, 4:00 PM PT
Channel: RDS (Canada), CFL+ (USA, Global)
Montreal Alouettes: This is the first preseason game for the defending East Division champions. Montreal will get its first game action with several new faces on both sides of the ball. Davis Alexander is expected to see the majority of the reps at quarterback, while a handful of newcomers, including QB Arnaud Desjardins, WR Phillip Brooks, and DL Daniel Wise
. The Als will be looking for clean execution, especially from the young offensive line pieces and the new additions along the defensive line. There are a lot of new names poised to get playing time Friday night who will look to prove they belong.
Ottawa RedBlacks: The RedBlacks are also getting their first look at the 2026 roster in live action. Head coach Dinwiddie has said Jake Maier will get the start, but is only expected to play a couple of series to one quarter. Max Duggan and rookie Bryson Barnes will see action behind him. Ottawa will use this game to evaluate several young offensive linemen and new defensive additions like DE Luiji Vilain, who was a 3rd round draft pick in the 2021 CFL Draft before entering the NFL ranks. The focus will be on execution while giving as many bubble players as possible an opportunity to stand out.
Alouettes Keys to the Game
Evaluate the offensive line
Montreal has several new pieces along the O-line for this contest and needs to see who holds steady in these key game reps.. They need to see how the group holds up in pass protection and creates lanes in the run game.
Get the newcomers involved early
Montreal wants to see them compete and create separation from other roster hopefuls.
Evaluate with a mentality toward competing
Montreal will want to give opportunities for a lot of players to show what they can do while also looking to take this game seriously and play to win.
Special teams execution
Preseason is the perfect time to test returners and coverage units. Clean special teams play will help the Als build confidence heading into the regular season.
Alouettes to Watch
16 QB Dustin Crum
Crum is listed as the 2nd string quarterback in this contest. He played some nice football for Ottawa as a starter for a team that often struggled in pass protection in 2023, prior to taking a backup role when Ottawa signed Dru Brown. He is a dual-threat quarterback with some capacity to make nice throws under pressure.
18 QB Arnaud Desjardins
Arnaud Desjardins was signed just on Monday and has 2 Vanier Cups to his name. He attended a training camp with the Canadian flag football team in Winnipeg earlier this month. Desjardins played in 7 games for Laval in 2025, completing 161 of 213 pass attempts for 1,873 yards with 14 touchdowns.
33 S Arthur Hamlin
Hamlin is entering his 3rd CFL season and has looked very good when relied on thus far. He is expected to be the starter following the retirement of Marc-Antoine Dequoy.
71 WR Nathan Udoh
Nathan Udoh is listed as a starter in this tilt after being a 3rd round selection for Montreal this past CFL Draft. He had a breakout season in 2025 for the Manitoba Bison, catching 57 passes for 773 yards and 3 touchdowns over 9 games. He is Montreal’s highest draft pick from the 2026 CFL Draft in this game.
16 DB Cyrus McGarrell
McGarrell played in 33 games with 2 starts from 2021 through 2025 with Northern Illinois, where he made 31 total tackles, a tackle for loss, 2 interceptions, 2 passes defended, and a fumble recovery. He only played in 1 game in 2025 and is poised to get his first taste of pro football after being a 7th-round pick for Montreal this past CFL Draft.
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Alouettes’ CFL Draft Summary: Montreal Selects Arizona TE Rohan Jones 8th Overall, Alouettes CFL and Global Draft Summary
RedBlacks to Watch
13 QB Jake Maier
Maier has an opportunity to show why he should be at least QB2 for Ottawa and try to play well enough for coaches to potentially pivot to him as the starter if Dru Brown struggles early in the season. Maier started in 45 games for Calgary from 2021 through 2024.
16 QB Max Duggan
The former Heisman runner-up will see action and has familiarity with the system from his time in Toronto.
87 WR Geno Lewis
A veteran weapon who gives Maier a reliable target in this first preseason look, in which he is listed as a starter. He had his 4th 1,000-yard season last year.
44 DE Luiji Vilain
The Ottawa native and new addition will make his RedBlacks debut and is expected to start along the defensive line. He was a 3rd round pick by the Toronto Argonauts in 2021 before entering the NFL ranks. The Ottawa-native’s rights were traded to the RedBlacks in April.
68 G Giordano Vaccaro
The first overall pick in the draft will start at left guard and is a key piece of the future O-line.
Depth Charts:
Score Prediction:
Let’s say 28-25 with Montreal winning it for their home fans and both teams scoring a rouge.