We enter Week 2 of the CJFL season and here are some of the headlines:

emotional home opener

The defending Cullen Cup champion Westshore Rebels will play in front of their hometown crowd for the first time this season.  It will no doubt have a bit of a different feeling after the passing of General Manager Roger Wade earlier this week. 

The Rebels will honour the life of Roger and have a moment of silence. They will also play the game, because that’s what Roger would have wanted. He would also want the Rebels to be celebrated for an incredible season they had last year.  Starlight Stadium will be a buzz on Saturday. 

A sub-headline to this story is the Prince George Kodiaks are the Rebels opponent and are making their first appearance in Westshore in franchise history.  Now in their third season the Kodiaks will try and knock-off the defending BC Conference champions.  They find themselves with their first ever winning record after a solid win last week at home. 

Their offence will need to play mistake-free football against a very strong and talented Rebele defence.  They did score 39 points last week in their win, something they are hoping to see again on Saturday.

CHILDREN OF THE CORN

The Valley Huskers will see their first action of the new CJFL season after having a Week 1 bye.  They have some of their returning key pieces on the offensive and defensive sides that many people are excited to see.  

Quarterback Tyran Duval leads a talented group, and will no doubt look to Payton Lake when they need some yardage.  On the defensive side linebacker Andy Ofosuhene will be the leader and needs to have a big season for the green clad Huskers. 

They have never had a home playoff game but many think this is the year they could get over the hump.  They will host the Kamloops Broncos on Saturday night under the lights. 

BATTLE AT THE HAT

A pair of teams in the Prairie Conference will get a chance to show off their skills in an exhibition game in Medicine Hat, Alberta.  The Regina Thunder and Calgary Colt rivalry has started to grow over the last several years and Saturday they will get to know each other when they lock horns.  

Medicine Hat is an amazing football community and has welcomed these two CJFL teams with open arms.  The CJFL brand will be on full display giving the fans a chance to see high caliber football in their own backyard.   

This could be the first of many showcase exhibition games between these two teams and they have already looked at Swift Current, Saskatchewan as a possible guest venue in 2025.
 

The CJFL is under 30 days until the kick-off of the 2024 season with the BC Conference opening on Saturday July 20th. 

There are three teams that have already kicked off their main training camp in preparation for the season.  The Langley Rams, Valley Huskers and Ottawa Sooners started this past week as each team is trying to get a jump on the season as their players battle for starting positions. 

The five other teams will open their training camps after Canada Day, including the defending Cullen Cup champion Westshore Rebels on July 2, 2024.

In Ontario the defending champion St. Clair Saints are the final team in the Conference to open camp on July 26th.  Following the Sooners, the Hamilton Hurricanes are next on July 2, then the London Beefeaters on July 9th. 

As for the Prairie Conference, their teams don’t open training camp until after the middle of July.  The Regina Thunder is the first to open on the 18th while the defending Canadian Bowl champion Saskatoon Hilltops are the final team in the CJFL to start their camp. They will kick off officially on July 28th. 

Here is a list of the CJFL teams and their first day of main camp:

Langley Rams – June 24
Valley Huskers – June 24
Ottawa Sooners – June 25
Okanagan Sun – July 1
Westshore Rebels – July 2
Hamilton Hurricanes – July 2
Kamloops Broncos – July 3
VI Raiders – July 3
Prince George Kodiaks – July 5
London Beefeaters – July 9
Regina Thunder – July 18
Calgary Colts – July 20
Quinte Skyhawks – July 22
Edmonton Huskies – July 22
Winnipeg Rifle – July 22
St. Clair Saints – July 26
Edmonton Wildcats – July 26
Saskatoon Hilltops – July 28
GTA Grizzlies – TBD