While their home is being transformed into a temporary hockey rink, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers are going on a business trip, trying to keep their family together.
The Blue Bombers (8-9) and their veteran core are in B.C. to take on the Nathan Rourke-less Lions (10-7) on Friday in what is a win-and-in-the-playoffs, lose-and-out season finale for Winnipeg.
A setback against a Lions team resting many starters ahead of the CFL West semifinal would put the idle Calgary Stampeders into the playoffs, and begin an off-season of questions for a Blue Bombers squad featuring several key players 35 or older —including quarterback Zach Collaros, defensive end Willie Jefferson and offensive linemen Stanley Bryant and Patrick Neufeld.
All four of those men played lead roles in the Bombers' five-season run of trips to the Grey Cup game from 2019-24. But Winnipeg slipped to 10-8 last year before losing in the East semifinal as a crossover team and will finish without a winning regular-season record this year for the first time since the team's last playoff miss in 2015.
"You want to at least guarantee yourself another week with these guys," Winnipeg-born star running back Brady Oliveira told reporters this week.
"Again, you don't know what the roster's going to look like next year, if you're going to have these same guys back. So you need to cherish these moments because you've been with some of these guys the last number of years, you consider them family, you consider them brothers. It's just a really special group."
The Blue Bombers can put their city's sports fans in a much better mood heading into Sunday's Heritage Classic outdoor hockey extravaganza at Princess Auto Stadium by extending the longest active playoff streak in the CFL.
While the Jets have been a bit of a roller-coaster with highs (the 2024-25 Presidents' Trophy) and lows (the Connor Hellebuyck saga) in recent years, the Blue Bombers have become the CFL's model franchise on and off the field in many ways.
Things haven't quite been the same in terms of results this year, though. Collaros missed six games with injuries, and longtime head coach Mike O'Shea's squad wasn't nearly as effective without the two-time CFL most outstanding player.
With a chance to nail down a playoff spot last week, the Blue Bombers lost 35-27 in Edmonton, giving the Elks the division title.
"I didn't think obviously we'd be in a situation like this. But we are. You've got to treat like it's an extension of the playoffs. You lose and you're out," Collaros said.
If the Bombers play to their potential, they should keep their Grey Cup hopes alive.
The Lions are giving most of their top players, including Rourke, the night off with home field for next week's West semifinal guaranteed.
Kaidon Salter starts in place of Rourke, which does bring back bad memories for Blue Bombers fans. It was the fleet-footed rookie who led the then-struggling Lions to a 35-19 win over the Blue Bombers in late July in his first and only CFL start to date. Since that win, the Lions have been the best team in the league.
Granted, that last game had far higher stakes for the Lions. But the Blue Bombers do know Salter can succeed with his arm and legs.
"He's tough to play against, he has the ability to move around like not a lot of other guys," O'Shea said.
But really, this game is all about what the Blue Bombers do. It's a proud team that doesn't want to go out in this kind of fashion.
"I'm confident in our group, I'm confident in our staff, just the make-up of our organization," Collaros said. "We're obviously battle-tested, a lot of the guys are here. We've been through a lot this season. That adversity, we've learned a lot of lessons from it. We've just got to go out there and execute and win a game."
Playoff scenarios
Just one playoff spot remains up for grabs heading into the final week, but the post-season picture remains unsettled.
The reigning Grey Cup champion Saskatchewan Roughriders have clinched a playoff spot, but their destination on Oct. 31 remains up in the air ahead of their game against visiting Edmonton on Saturday.
Here's a look at the four possible outcomes:
Winnipeg win and Saskatchewan win: The Roughriders would go to B.C. for the West semifinal, while the Blue Bombers are the crossover team and would head to Toronto to face the Argonauts in the East semifinal.
Winnipeg win and Saskatchewan loss: The Blue Bombers would finish third in the West and go to B.C., while the Roughriders take the trip to Toronto as the crossover team.
Winnipeg loss and Saskatchewan win: The Roughriders would face B.C., while the Stampeders get a post-season ticket and would travel Toronto.
Winnipeg loss and Saskatchewan loss: The Stampeders move all the way up to third in the West and would go to B.C., while the Roughriders would fly to Toronto.
Week 21 games
Montreal Alouettes (13-4) at Toronto Argonauts (9-8), Friday, 7 p.m. ET
The Als have already clinched first in the East and will host the division final on Nov. 7, while the Argos are locked into second. Backup QB Dustin Crum makes his second start in a row for the Als, while third-stringer Tucker Horn makes his starting debut for Toronto.
Winnipeg Blue Bombers (8-9) at B.C. Lions (10-7), Friday, 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT
The same two teams could meet again in the same venue next week.
Ottawa Redblacks (1-16) at Hamilton Tiger-Cats (5-12), Saturday, 3 p.m. ET
Newly installed Redblacks president Mike Morreale gets to watch his team for the first time in a city where he once played. Rookie QB Bryson Barnes, who led the Redblacks to their first win of the season last week with an outstanding starting debut, gets another shot. The Ticats, with Tre Ford at QB, have also been eliminated from playoff contention.
Edmonton Elks (13-4) at Saskatchewan Roughriders (9-8), Saturday, 3 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. CST
Backup QB Taylor Powell makes his first start of the season for the Elks after Edmonton locked up first in the West last week, giving Cody Fajardo and Co. home field for the West final on Nov. 7. Former Notre Dame starting QB Jack Coan gets his first career CFL start for the playoff-bound Roughriders.
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