It’s no secret that the Calgary Stampeders’ 2024 season was a disappointment. 

At 5–12–1, they missed the playoffs for the first time since 2004. 

That, combined with their 6–12 season in 2023, points to a need for change in Calgary. 

A three-day rookie camp isn’t enough to make any big predictions about the season. But, it is enough to see some changes. Whether or not those changes are enough to get them back to the playoffs is to be determined. 

New Faces

The trade that landed Vernon Adams Jr. was the biggest offseason acquisition. But he’s not the only new face in Calgary this season. 

Six of the ten coaches on staff are new. New to the team, not to football. The incoming coaches have a combined 63 years of CFL sideline experience.

Another big change that Calgary is trying to make is the size of the players they target. 

“I think as a whole we decided we wanted to get bigger. I think we did that not only with the rookie class this year, but with the draft and the free agents we signed. Let’s get bigger, taller, longer and I think we accomplished that for sure. I’m excited to see all of them come on out and compete for jobs.” –Cole Hufnagel, Director of U.S. Scouting

The players and coaches aren’t the only new things. 

The newly laid turf has drawn rave reviews from the players so far. 

“We’ve got a brand new weight room. We’ve got a brand new players’ lounge. The turf is nice. A lot of fresh faces. A lot of new coaches.” –Dave Dickenson, HC/GM

Rookie Camp

The Stampeders managed to sign all 10 of their draft picks before the start of rookie camp. That means they were all present, which is helpful for their development. 

When it comes to the goals for the three-day camp, the coach had a simple one: find athletes. 

“For us, the rookie camp is like a tryout camp. We don’t want to do too much of who’s a smart player, we’re looking for athletes. Who can cover, who can pass rush, who can block, who can catch the ball. Then when regular camp starts, a little more game plan specific and learning schemes.” — Dave Dickenson, HC/GM

Now that the rookie camp is over, focus switches to training camp, which begins Sunday morning. 

Once camp gets started, the preseason will be upon us before we know it. 

Preseason Game #1

The wait for the first preseason game won’t be a long one. 

The Stampeders will be on the road against the BC Lions on Monday, May 19. 

Their home opener will follow six days later. 

Training camp and preseason games typically don’t mean all that much in the grand scheme of things. But when a team is trying to make changes to rebound from a disappointing season, they matter more. 

For fans, it’s nice to see the changes, big and small. Because they hope that the changes will be for the better.