Inside the CFL: Elks will get back to form, and the playoffs

By MEDICINE HAT NEWS on May 15, 2025.

sports@medicinehatnews.com@MedicineHatNews

Shortly after former Edmonton and B.C. executive Rick LeLacheur took control of the Elks last fall, he ended the Chris Jones (now a defensive assistant with University of North Carolina) reign of error, saved the team from bankruptcy and sold the community-owned club to construction magnate Larry Thompson.

At season’s end LeLacheur hired Ed Hervey who had been with him on the West Coast as the general manager.

I have always believed the most important person for a professional sports franchise is the GM.

Ed Hervey has a very checkered past in this regard. In his first stint up north, he hired Chris Jones who won the Grey Cup in 2015 but then took off to Saskatchewan. Edmonton fired Hervey in April 2017.

At season’s end, he took over the Lions. He hired Stampeder defensive co-ordinator Devone Claybrooks as his head coach but fired him when he missed the playoffs in his rookie year. He angered the fan base by cavalierly cutting all-star linebacker Solomon Eliminian. After Hervey resigned in 2020, it was revealed he had improperly signed his quarterback Mike Reilly to a $2.9-million contract, including guaranteed money. When the deal wasn’t registered with the league, Reilly filed a grievance.

Although Lion president LeLacheur at the time was unaware of what Hervey had done, and Hervey was the GM architect of Hamilton’s disastrous 2024 season, he still recommended him to take over the Elks.

The new club president and CEO is Chris Morris who played 14 seasons with the team and was head coach of the University of Alberta Golden Bears the past 10 years. But he has had no front office experience.

New bench boss Mark Kilam has never been a CFL head coach. The combination of COVID-19 and Chris Jones almost destroyed what was once considered the unsinkable flagship franchise of the CFL. At times last year there were barely 10,000 fans in the stands. Job No. 1 is getting the fans back. Morris, Hervey and Kilam must get it right. There is no room for error.

Actually, the GM is off to a pretty good start, especially signing free agents that make the Elks a genuine contender. Last year the team traded All-Canadian defensive lineman Jake Ceresna to Toronto for receiver Kurleigh Gittens, Jr. Hervey got Ceresna back as a free agent in February. He also picked off Argo’s safety Royce Metchie and defensive tackle Jared Brinkman. Next up was Blue Bomber corner Tyrell Ford who made All-Canadian with seven interceptions, one less headache for brother QB Tre Ford when the Elks play Winnipeg.

They join holdover linebackers Nyles Morgan and Nick Anderson who was named CFL Most Outstanding Rookie last year. With the departure of Derrick Moncrief to Calgary, there is an opening at strong side linebacker.

The front four is set with Robbie Smith, Ceresna, Brinkman and Noah Curtis.

Offensively, Hervey replaced receivers Eugene Lewis and Tevon Jones with veterans Kaion Julien-Grant , Alexander Holliman and Steve Dunbar Jr.

Add in Gittens Jr. and you have a potent pass-catching corps for quarterbacks Tre Ford and Cody Fajardo. The running backs are Javon Lake and Justin Rankin. The O-line, good last year, is better with the re-acquisition of centre David Beard, a prodigal son who spent the last two years in Hamilton.

Kicker Boris Bede has been replaced by second-year Laval graduate Victor Blanchard. Former Stamp punter Cody Grace solves their abysmal punting problem.

Canadian quarterback Tre Ford, now in his fourth year, is expected to be the starter with Fajardo who has won two Grey Cups and was All-Canadian in 2019, the backup.

Mark Kilam is the latest CFL head coach who used to hang his hat at the Banff Trail bunkhouse. Although the Lethbridge product is a rookie in that position, he spent 20 years as an assistant at McMahon Stadium and knows what a winning program looks like.

He chose St. Albert’s Jordan Maksymis as his offensive co-ordinator. He is the best in the business but lost his position with B.C. when new Lion tamer Buck Pierce decided to do that job himself. The defensive co-ordinator is J.C. Sherritt who was named the CFL Most Outstanding Defensive Player in 2012.

Edmonton hasn’t made the Western playoffs since 2015. The 2025 Elks will end that drought and could go all the way.

Graham Kelly has covered the CFL for the Medicine Hat News for 53 years. Feedback for this column can be emailed to sports@medicinehatnews.com.

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