Recent Winnipeg Rifles News
All six PFC teams open the schedule on August 10th
The CJFL and Prairie Conference (PFC) are pleased to release their 2025 schedule that will see the six-member Conference open the CJFL season on Sunday August 10, 2025 with a full slate of games.
With the CJFL Canadian Bowl scheduled to be played in the Prairies this November, stakes are even higher for all six teams coming into the new campaign.
The defending Conference champion Regina Thunder will open up their quest for another title on the road when they visit the Edmonton Huskies. The Saskatoon Hilltops also kickoff on the road when they travel to Winnipeg to meet the Rifles and the Calgary Colts entertain the Edmonton Wildcats in Week 1.
Each team will play an eight-game regular season schedule concluding on Thanksgiving Sunday, October 12th. The top four teams will then advance to the Canadian Bowl Playoffs which will begin the following weekend with a pair of semi-finals before the PFC title game on October 26th. The winner of that game will host the 2025 Canadian Bowl national championship.
Their opponent will be the winner of the CJFL National Semi-Final game between the BC Conference and Ontario Conference champions. That game will also be held on October 26th in British Columbia for the first time since the 2021 season.
The BC and Ontario Conferences continue to work on their schedules and do anticipate releasing them in the coming weeks.
Seven players from 2024 move on
Photo courtesy of Matthew Hamilton
Like most teams across the CJFL, the Winnipeg Rifles have graduated several key pieces to their offence, defence and special teams. They will need to retool and prepare to do some damage in 2025.
They say goodbye to seven players in total that have been added to the Grad Class of 2024.
DL Will Smith (pictured) is the biggest piece that has graduated on the defensive side of the ball after his All-Star performance last season. He had 11 tackles, assisted on 12 others and had 2.5 tackles for a loss.
DL Brandyn Linklater was a nice complement piece on the line with Will Smith. Linklater put pressure on the opposition’s quarterback and finished the season with two sacks, seven tackles, five assisted tackles, three tackles for a loss and three knockdowns.
On Special Teams the Rifles lost their talented kick returner in Roy Tambal-Musa. He returned 31 kicks and averaged 12.1 yards a return giving his offensive teammates good field position.
Offensively the Rifles graduate two running backs however they didn’t handle the ball very often. Brady Meeks rushed nine times for 22 yards and caught five passes out of the backfield averaging 9.2 yards a reception.
RB Carson Cadieux only rushed four times last year and gained 26 yards. He did leak out of the backfield and made two receptions for 13 yards.
REC Shad Nkiasi was used sparingly last year making two receptions for 17 yards.
Kicker Presley Solar MacKay was busy in 2024 so the Rifles will need to find another big leg. He punted 59 times with a net average of 27.7 yards and even scored a single.
The CJFL wishes all of these players a happy graduation!
Five players have been invited to show off their skills
Photo courtesy of Joanna Kurowski Photography and Wanda Harron Photography
A total of four CJFL players have been invited to the CFL Invitational Combine on February 28th in Waterloo, Ontario in hopes of winning an invitation to the national Combine scheduled from March. 19-23 in Regina.
The Invitational Combine will test the player’s athletic skills including speed, power, strength and agility under the watchful eye of CFL coaches and scouts.
Running back LJ Dyer was a First Team All-Canadian in 2023 rushing for 1158 yards on 136 carries and scored nine touchdowns for his hometown London Beefeaters. This past season he galloped 811 yards, averaging over six yards a carry and scored 10 touchdowns.
Defensive back Gaddy Kazadi, also from London Ontario won a Canadian Bowl title with the St. Clair Saints in 2024 after being named a First Team All-Canadian. He was a lock down defensive back that quarterbacks would shy away from as he intercepted three passes, had 14 solo tackles, blocked two kicks, knocked down three passes and recovered a fumble.
Receiver Rylan Sokul played for the Regina Thunder and was a massive target in their passing game being named a CJFL First Team All-Canadian in 2021 and 2022. In those two regular seasons he combined to haul in 82 receptions for 1290 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Receiver CJ Vincent helped the Westshore Rebels win the BC Conference Cullen Cup in 2023 averaging 18.8 yards a reception on 27 catches and 507 yards and two touchdowns. During the Canadian Bowl he caught eight passes for 77 yards.
Receiver Noah Avery built personal confidence in 2022 as a member of the Ottawa Sooners and was an immediate sponge learning everything he needed to know. His personal growth paid off as he graduated from the Sooners program and attended the University of Ottawa. He is now on his way to the CFL Invitational Combine!
All five players have graduated from the CJFL but are looking to continue their careers at the next level and turn pro.