Jack Todd: Canadiens, Alouettes unlock success using mind over matter
It's all in the mind.
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The more time I spend observing the world of sports (and the decades on the CV are piling up like a 1970s snowstorm in Montreal) the more I'm convinced that the entire vast apparatus of scouting and evaluation in a multibillion-dollar industry undervalues that substance between the ears.
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Year after year, NFL teams drafted towering prototype quarterbacks who could chuck a football 70 yards downfield. Year after year, Tom Brady won the Super Bowl.
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Closer to home, there is no clearer example than the Canadiens and the shift from the emphasis on physical talent to character and intelligence. If Trevor Timmins had a weakness, it was his tendency to overlook those two factors entirely. From the Kostitsyn brothers to Alex Galchenyuk to Jesperi Kotkaniemi, there were clear issues that should have been flagged.
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Mercifully, the decision to swap Max Pacioretty for Nick Suzuki, Tomas Tatar and a second-rounder was not up to Timmins. In Suzuki, the Canadiens got the player who has set the tone for the entire organization, both in the way he thinks the game and in the way he behaves away from the rink.
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All this was on my mind Friday evening, when I watched Alouettes quarterback Davis Alexander excel as the Alouettes drubbed the visiting Toronto Argonauts. I had my doubts about the decision to let Grey Cup champ Cody Fajardo get away and replace him with Alexander, mostly because the new QB has a meagre sample size in terms of CFL starts.
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Not to worry. Like Jeff Gorton, Kent Hughes and Martin St. Louis, Danny Maciocia and Jason Maas know what they're doing. Alexander plays football like Suzuki plays hockey. He makes his reads quickly. He sees the open receiver. He anticipates. What he lacks in size, he makes up for with quick feet.
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Alexander is also fortunate to have receivers Tyson Philpot and Austin Mack back and healthy. One game doesn't make a season, we know that. But one smart quarterback can make a team.
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A mere 32 years ago Monday, the Canadiens won the most recent of their 24 Stanley Cups on June 9, 1993. I was working on the copy desk at the time and my contribution was to write the headline: 'The Cup Comes Home.'
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Winnipeg Free Press
2 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Kicker Daniel Carlson and punter AJ Cole put best feet forward for Raiders
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Winnipeg Free Press
3 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Early-season growing pains glaring for some clubs in Week 1
The CFL season is already a week old, but for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, the fun is just getting started. As Week 1 unfolded, the Bombers found themselves as the lone club on the sidelines, a consequence of the CFL's nine-team structure, leaving the Blue and Gold as the odd men out. Winnipeg's last Week 1 bye was back in 2017, well before their current, impressive streak of five straight Grey Cup appearances began. Inside the locker room, opinions on the early break were decidedly mixed. 'I don't like it, especially with the camp we had, you want to come out and play right away,' said offensive lineman Patrick Neufeld. 'It's a chance to get your body right,' added defensive end Willie Jefferson. MIKE SUDOMA / FREE PRESS Winnipeg Blue Bombers veteran defensive end Willie Jefferson likes the Week 1 bye week, saying 'it's a chance to get your body right' before the season kicks off. MIKE SUDOMA / FREE PRESS Winnipeg Blue Bombers veteran defensive end Willie Jefferson likes the Week 1 bye week, saying 'it's a chance to get your body right' before the season kicks off. 'I don't know. It could be a gift and a curse,' said running back Brady Oliveira. After an intense training camp, sitting idle for Week 1 would undoubtedly feel strange, particularly for those new to the CFL. Many players admitted they enjoyed watching the games, noting that Week 1 can be a bit sloppy. They hoped to capitalize on the added time to dissect film, aiming to avoid those early-season growing pains when they welcome the B.C. Lions to Princess Auto Stadium Thursday night. While a bit unusual, Week 1 byes are likely here to stay for the foreseeable future, until the CFL can finally secure a 10th team. 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Christopher Katsarov / THE CANADIAN PRESS Alouettes quarterback Davis Alexander led Montreal to a dominant season-opening win against the Toronto Argonauts on Friday. Christopher Katsarov / THE CANADIAN PRESS Alouettes quarterback Davis Alexander led Montreal to a dominant season-opening win against the Toronto Argonauts on Friday. Alexander didn't have to do too much, tossing for just over 200 yards in the victory. When a defence plays that well and special teams are that effective, sometimes a quarterback simply needs to get out of his own way. 2) The Saskatchewan Roughriders earned a convincing win over the visiting Ottawa Redblacks, but at first blush it appeared they suffered the greatest loss on the night. Running back A.J. Ouellette left the game late in the first quarter with a head injury, immediately casting serious doubt on his status for Week 2. However, as the Riders returned to practice this week, Ouellette was already working with the first-team offence after clearing concussion protocol. This is good news for the 29-year-old, who has struggled to stay healthy since arriving in Regina at the start of last season. Saskatchewan signed free agent Ka'Deem Carey as a backup, so it's certainly something to monitor over the weekend. 3) Heading into the 2025 campaign, one question loomed large on everyone's mind: would Nathan Rourke return to his dominating form from 2022? Well, if Week 1 was any indication, he's certainly going to do some damage this year. While the Lions offence had a slow start, Rourke came alive in the second half, leading his team to four straight touchdown drives. Rourke finished 27-for-36 passing for 324 yards and three touchdowns, along with five runs totalling 54 rushing yards. Rourke also appears to have found a new favourite target, connecting with Stanley Berryhill III for six catches, 105 yards and two TDs. 4) You can't say the same about Edmonton Elks QB Tre Ford, who struggled against the Lions in what was his first Week 1 start of his career. Ford has been given the keys to the franchise after years of parachuting into action only when the Elks were already out of playoff contention. It's still too early for definitive statements, but the early signs point to a player who can make highlight-reel plays yet struggles with routine passes. In other words, he makes the hard plays look easy and the easy plays look hard. There's still time to grow for the Canadian kid and one game won't decide the rest of the season. But if Edmonton wants to snap a years-long playoff drought, they need more from their leader behind centre. 5) Vernon Adams Jr. sure looked good in his debut in Calgary, leading the Stampeders to a win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. 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Larry MacDougal / THE CANADIAN PRESS The Hamilton Tiger-Cats were supposed to have improved in the off-season, but the club had no semblance of a run game against the Calgary Stampeders on Saturday. Larry MacDougal / THE CANADIAN PRESS The Hamilton Tiger-Cats were supposed to have improved in the off-season, but the club had no semblance of a run game against the Calgary Stampeders on Saturday. Hamilton was supposed to be improved this season, building on their league-leading offence and bolstering their talent on defence. None of that looked evident this past week, especially on offence, where 35-year-old Bo Levi Mitchell attempted 50 passes and the Ticats had no semblance of a run game. Things don't get any easier this week with Saskatchewan coming to town. 7) I'm going to end this column on a somber note. First, I want to extend my best wishes to Ticats general manager — and former Bombers assistant GM — Ted Goveia as he continues his battle with cancer. Ted is a CFL lifer, and the more we see of him around the league, the better. Also, last week, we received the devastating news of the death of Milt Stegall's son, Chase, a 20-year-old student-athlete who played on the soccer team at DePaul University. Anyone who has had a chance to meet Milt, a Blue Bomber legend, knows what a special human being he is. No one has more fun, or smiles more on the job than Milt, and my heart breaks for him and his family. I wish them nothing but the best as they navigate this incredibly difficult time. The support from Winnipeg and the broader CFL community has been incredible. Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. Jeff HamiltonMultimedia producer Jeff Hamilton is a sports and investigative reporter. Jeff joined the Free Press newsroom in April 2015, and has been covering the local sports scene since graduating from Carleton University's journalism program in 2012. Read more about Jeff. Every piece of reporting Jeff produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Winnipeg Free Press
3 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Saints receiver Chris Olave brushes off concussion concerns and laughs off trade talk
METAIRIE, La. (AP) — Chris Olave, the New Orleans Saints leading receiver in two of his first three seasons, wanted to make two things clear. He is not concerned about the long-term implications of repeated concussions and sees himself spending his entire career with New Orleans. Olave has been a full participant in non-contact, offseason practices and this week's mandatory minicamp, but has not played in an NFL game since last Nov. 3. That was the day he was leveled by Panthers safety Xavier Woods during a downfield route across the middle of the field. Olave remained in a prone position on the field for several minutes, after which he was taken from the stadium to a Charlotte hospital. While he was permitted to return to practice in December, he never returned to the lineup. 'It was tough, man, at first.; I ain't never really sat out that long,' Olave said after practice on Wednesday. 'That was really my first major injury. … Just not being able to go and practice and go to meetings with my guys was the worst part, but I feel like I'm ready. I was training and lifting and everything in December. So, I feel like I'm good.' Olave has had at least four confirmed concussions in his first three seasons. The first occurred when he was a rookie in 2022 during an Oct. 9 game against Seattle. He missed just the following game and finished the season with team highs of 72 catches for 1,042 yards. During the 2023 season, he did not miss a game after a Week 12 concussion against Atlanta and finished that season with team highs of 87 catches and 1,123 yards receiving. Last season, however, he missed nine games because of two concussions. He sat out just one game after his first against Tampa Bay on Oct. 13 before the Nov. 3 one in Carolina ended his third NFL season. Olave consulted with specialists after the most recent head injury. 'They said I was OK back in December when they cleared me. It was just unlucky situations I was being put in,' Olave said. 'God's got me at the end of the day. I'm not worried about nothing. So, just got to go out there 100% and be ready.' Saints rookie coach Kellen Moore, hired in February after winning a Super Bowl with Philadelphia as the Eagles' offensive coordinator, has largely brushed aside questions about Olave's concussion history. 'I don't worry too much about that,' Moore said. 'We feel really really good about Chris. He's had an excellent offseason, an excellent career so far and (has) an excellent future. 'We feel like we've got a good one in him,' Moore added. So, apparently, do some other teams who've reportedly asked the Saints about their willingness to trade Olave as New Orleans rebuilds from a five-win 2024 season. The Saints also have lacked a proven quarterback since veteran Derek Carr's sudden retirement in May. All three of New Orleans current QBs have less than three season of experience and not a single NFL win. But Olave expressed optimism about those young QBs — rookie Tyler Shough, second-year pro Spencer Rattler and third-year pro Jake Haener. Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. 'The young QBs are good,' Olave said. 'I don't think they're going to come in and have hiccups. I feel like they got a good head on their shoulders. They got a good IQ. They're ready to play NFL ball. So, I'm excited.' Olave also laughed off reports that he's the subject of trade offers. 'It's all rumors, man,' Olave said. 'In the offseason, everybody's trying to have something for clicks. So, I love it here. I love the front office. I love my coaches. I'm excited to be here and I want to be here forever.' ___ AP NFL:
