SPORTSNET.CA

The first-ever regular-season game played in Canada had a truly Canadian angle.

Defensive lineman Corey Mace, who was born in Port Moody, B.C., was activated for the first time in his one and a half years with the Buffalo Bills and played in the team’s 16-3 loss to the Miami Dolphins at Rogers Centre. Mace made it in the game for a couple of plays toward the end of the game.

"Right now, we lost and everybody is kind of down about it, but the overall experience of suiting up and playing an NFL game in Canada was a blessing and a dream come true," he told Sportnet.ca afterward. "I can’t really ask for a better story, except for a win."

Mace, whose rights are owned by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, found out on Saturday morning he would be bumped up from the practice roster to the active roster and make his NFL debut.

"Stepping on to the field was breathtaking man," he said. "It was a beautiful thing and hearing all the fans singing the national anthem like they did and me singing along with them is definitely something that I could never have dreamed of. I had a feeling something like that was going to happen, singing both the national anthems and us being on Canadian turf, the Canadians are going to represent ourselves. I was singing right along and I’m a proud Canadian, I wish we could have gotten a win for them.

"To step on the NFL field is definitely something I’ll remember forever, but the season’s not over. I’ve still got three more games to go, so hopefully I’ll get in a few more games and do a little better to help this team get some wins."