After going unsigned as a CFL free agent in 2023, quarterback Michael O’Connor figured he was done with football.

Three years later, the 30-year-old Ottawa native is chasing the Olympic dream.

O’Connor has helped Canada’s men’s flag football team reach the cusp of qualifying for the 2028 Los Angeles Games. Canada can punch its ticket for California this summer and be part of the sport’s Olympic debut.

“We’re just focused on what’s next and what we can do to get better,” O’Connor said recently. “But I’d be lying if I said I don’t think about it and just how cool it would be to play and possibly medal in the Olympics.

“It’s something I never thought would be possible.”

A top-two finish at the world championships in Germany would qualify Canada for Los Angeles. If the United States reach the final, the second- and third-place finishers will earn Olympic berths as the Americans are already in as the host country.

Canada qualified for the world event by securing the bronze medal last summer IFAF Americas Flag Football Continental Championship in Panama. The U.S. and Mexico were declared joint champions as severe weather forced the cancellation of the gold-medal game.

Canada finished the round robin with a 3-1 record before losing a 35-25 semifinal decision to Mexico. The Canadians beat Panama 32-22 in the bronze medal game as O’Connor threw five touchdown passes, and he believes preparation will be key in Germany.

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“We were third last year in Panama but I think we’ve made big strides since then,” O’Connor said. “Just in terms of cleaning up what plays we like to run and what field position do we like to run them in.

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“We’re looking forward to getting back on the world stage and showing everybody that, yeah, we had a good 2025 but we’re a better team now.”

The six-foot-four, 230-pound O’Connor began his college career at Penn State in 2014 before transferring to the University of British Columbia. He guided the Thunderbirds to a Vanier Cup title in 2015 and in 2019 was taken in the third round, No. 20 overall, in the CFL draft by the Toronto Argonauts.

He joined the Calgary Stampeders in 2020 but the CFL didn’t play that year due to the global pandemic. After spending the 2021 campaign in Alberta, O’Connor joined the B.C. Lions in 2022.

O’Connor dressed for 40 CFL regular-season games but only attempted 52 passes, completing 30 for 330 yards with a touchdown and interception while running for a TD.

Flag football differs greatly from the tackle version, with five players per side on a 70-yard by 25-yard field. There’s no blocking or contact allowed and each play begins with the ball being snapped to the quarterback and a defensive player lined up seven yards off the scrimmage rushing the passer.

“The field is only 25 yards wide so everything happens much quicker,” O’Connor said. “Everything is more condensed and the rusher comes at you very quickly.

“And with the deep ball, because the field is so narrow you can’t really put too much air on it because the backside coverage can easily make a play. It’s a very different game but at the end of the day it’s still catching and throwing.”

But even if O’Connor leads Canada to Olympic qualification, he’ll have to compete for a spot in Los Angeles. The CFL and NFL are allowing their players to participate in the ’28 Games, which will certainly amp up the competition for roster positions.

In fact, B.C. Lions quarterback Nathan Rourke, the CFL’s top Canadian and outstanding player last season, has started playing in a recreational flag football league to get better acclimated to the game. If Canada reaches the ’28 Games, the expectation is Rourke will try out for the squad.

And with other top Canadian quarterbacks like Tre Ford (Hamilton Tiger-Cats), Kurtis Rourke (NFL’s San Francisco 49ers) and Taylor Elgersma (UFL, Birmingham Stallions), Canada would have a solid talent pool to choose from.

“I can’t lie, I know I’d be disappointed to get to the Olympics and ultimately not be on that roster,” he said. “But at the end of the day it’s not about me and my feelings, it’s about what’s best for the country so I do understand that also.

“After I was done playing in the CFL, I kind of made peace with the game and was ready to move on. Then this opportunity came up and I’m really enjoying every moment of it.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 10, 2026.

&copy 2026 The Canadian Press

The University of Calgary is exploring the construction of a new stadium on its campus for its various varsity sports teams, after years of quietly fundraising for the project.

Those teams currently play at McMahon Stadium, a shared home for the University of Calgary Dinos and Calgary Stampeders since it was built 66 years ago.

“We’ve known for some time that the Dinos will outlive McMahon Stadium,” said Nick Holt, the dean of UCalgary’s Faculty of Kinesiology.

“We need a long-term solution to ensure the future of Dinos programming.”

That long-term solution could come in the form of a “fit-for-varsity stadium,” in which UCalgary plans to seek bids for design work in the coming days after “quiet phase” fundraising $21 million alongside the Dino’s 5th Quarter, the football team’s alumni group.

According to university officials, the proposal being explored would be a training and competition stadium with a capacity between 3,500 and 7,000 seats that could support multiple Dinos field sports, including football, soccer, and rugby.

The stadium would include a “seasonal dome” to allow for year-round use, and would be open to the public when it’s not in use, Holt told Global News.

“A big part of our vision is making it available to the community,” Holt said. “We know there’s a huge shortage of facilities in Calgary, we also know there’s a massive shortage in the wintertime so our vision is to have a seasonal dome and make it available to the community in the winter.”

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According to Moshe Lander, an economist at Concordia University, the move signals McMahon Stadium is “not financially viable,” and opens the door to significant redevelopment on the site.

“Building something that’s much more in line with university athletics in Canada seems much more reasonable,” he told Global News.

“Once McMahon is no longer in use, there’s a huge opportunity there to build, whether it’s dorms, building or infrastructure to support a growing campus.”

The move is raising questions about where the Calgary Stampeders will play in the future as the university’s proposal is smaller than typical CFL venues.

In a statement, Calgary Stampeders president Jay McNeil said McMahon Stadium has been “an incredible home” for the team, but the building is “reaching the end of its functional life.”

“The conversation about what comes next must be led by the community it serves,” McNeil’s statement said. “This isn’t just about football — it’s about what Calgarians want for their city: a modern, accessible and welcoming gathering place that supports sport, culture and year‑round community use.”

While the building is owned by the University of Calgary, it’s the McMahon Stadium Society that oversees its operations and upgrades.

The McMahon Stadium Society’s chair, Steve Allan, told Global News he’s “rooting” for the university’s success in its proposal, as conversations are in early stages about a new home for the Stampeders.

“We’ve been working on this for about four years now when I realized we won’t be getting any more money to put into McMahon,” Allan said Thursday.

Last month, Calgary Stampede officials hinted future planned upgrades to the infield seating at GMC Stadium could make way for field sports to be played on the site.

According to Allan, moving the Calgary Stampeders to an upgraded facility on the Stampede Grounds is a logical step.

“The Calgary Stampede already has the guts of a stadium, they attract people down there, they have transportation, they have parking,” Allan said, “They’ve got a lot of what we need so I think it makes a ton of sense.”

Back at the university, officials expect to receive initial designs for a potential stadium by the fall to firm up timelines and costs, with a “more public” campaign to raise funds for the project in the coming months.

According to Holt, officials continue to assess potential locations for the stadium on the campus’ west side, noting the project is “years, not decades” away.

“The key thing is to be on campus to bring the energy to our campus and give something for our students to really get behind,” he said.

McMahon Stadium is set to host the 113th Grey Cup game later this year.

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Flag football and the 2028 Summer Olympics aren’t proving to be a distraction for quarterback Nathan Rourke.

The CFL’s top Canadian and outstanding player last season has started playing flag football to acclimate himself with the sport should Canada qualify when it debuts at the Los Angeles Games. But he’s doing so with the B.C. Lions’ approval.

“They know (flag football) won’t take away from my (CFL) preparation,” Rourke said recently. “I do this on weekends for a couple of hours.

“I wouldn’t do it without their blessing.”

Last season, Rourke became the first Canadian quarterback since Russ Jackson in 1969 to win both the top Canadian and outstanding player awards in the same season. He  joined Jackson, Brady Oliveira, Jon Cornish and Tony Gabriel as the only players to win each honour in the same year.

Rourke, of Victoria, established career-highs in passing yards (5,290, most ever by a Canadian), touchdowns (31), rushing yards (564, tops among quarterbacks) and rushing TDs (10). B.C. (11-7) finished its regular season with six straight wins to take second in the West Division.

After dispatching Calgary 33-30 in the West Division semifinal, B.C.’s season ended with a 24-21 road loss to eventual Grey Cup-champion Saskatchewan. That defeat drastically tarnished Rourke’s lofty individual accomplishments.

“That’s always the case and always will be,” he said. “The season is a means to get to the playoffs and that’s where you make your strides of determining what kind of team, what kind of player you want to be.

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“Certainly there’s plenty of work to do.”

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And for Rourke, there’s no better place to start in 2026 than by cutting down on his interceptions. Last season, Rourke and Winnipeg’s Zach Collaros were tied for the most picks at 16 apiece.

“I had too many last year,” Rourke said. “My goal is to be in single digits … I don’t want to continue to give our defence short fields to work with.”

B.C. led the CFL last season in offensive points (31.1 per game), net yards (430.2) and passing (325.4 per game). Receiver Keon Hatcher was tops in targets (145), catches (102), yards (1,688) and yards after catch (611) while adding nine TD grabs and running back James Butler was third in rushing (1,213 yards, 5.3-yard average) and tied for first in rushing TDs (11).

But gone are stellar offensive lineman Jarell Broxton (free agent, Winnipeg) and receiver Ayden Eberhardt (free agent, Ottawa) who had CFL-best 19.3-yard average per catch.

“Eberhardt and Broxton are big losses for us on offence but we’ll find ways, we have to,” Rourke said. “We’ve still got a really good receiver room with Hatcher, Justin McInnis, Jevon Cottoy and Stanley Berryhill III and we’ve got James and Zander Horvath in the backfield so we’ve got some really great weapons.

“We’ve got to figure out who’s going to be the guy up front or in the receiver room but that’s what training camp is for. That’s what’s great about pro sports, the opportunity to compete every single day and earn your spot regardless of how many seasons you’ve played or what you did last year.”

Rourke heads into training camp with a full season under his belt in head coach Buck Pierce’s offence. Instead of learning new schemes, Rourke will be able to build upon what worked — and fix what didn’t — in 2025.

He hopes that helps B.C. finish atop the competitive West Division and host the final rather than be on the road for it.

“I’m not saying that’s why we lost in the West final last year but it doesn’t make it any easier,” Rourke said. “If we could host that playoff game and get a bye late in the year, that would be a huge get for us and be very helpful.

“Every game will be tough but that’s what makes it fun and we’ll be doing some good things if we’re able to host that second game.”

But it’s sustained success Rourke is chasing with the Lions.

“That’s why you look at people like Zach, (Hamilton starter) Bo Levi Mitchell and (Saskatchewan’s) Trevor Harris,” Rourke said. They’re guys who’ve have incredible careers and sustained success, which is why they’re great players.

“If I want to be a great player and to win championships, I have to reach that level of sustained success and do it over multiple seasons. Who cares about one? In pro sports, if you’re not great every year, your job isn’t safe.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 9, 2026.

&copy 2026 The Canadian Press

Erin Hanson wants to make taking it on the chin in football much safer in Canada.

Guardian Sports officially launched the Guardian Flex chinstrap on Thursday for individual and team sale, with the CFL being among the leagues to have reviewed the item. The product has been engineered to reduce the impact of blows to the facemask.

According to the company, the chinstrap reduces Head Acceleration Response Metric (HARM) scores by up to 35 per cent and targets facemask impacts, which research suggests account for about half of all hits and are an area where traditional helmets underperform.

The chinstrap will be far less noticeable to fans than the Atlanta-based company’s Guardian Cap. Introduced 14 years ago, the soft padded shell fits over a football helmet and is secured by elastic straps attached to the facemask.

While the cap does not eliminate concussion risk, studies have shown it can reduce it by 15 to 34 per cent.

“The Guardian Cap helps address impact reduction on head-to-head, or head-to-ground blows,” said Hanson, Guardian Sports’ chief executive officer and co-founder. “Now the Guardian chinstrap is the first to improve an area where approximately half of all impacts occur.

“The Guardian chinstrap addresses a critical gap in football safety.”

Across North America, particularly at the minor and high-school levels, there has been an effort to reduce head contact in tackling. Players are taught to keep their heads up, initiate contact with their shoulders and then wrap with their arms.

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However, players still butt heads — offensive and defensive linemen do so on nearly every play. At every level, tacklers sometimes lack the time to use proper technique and will do whatever they can to bring the ballcarrier down, resulting in contact involving the facemask or head.

Guardian’s chinstrap has a hard outer shell with a foam insert and what the company describes as SoftShox technology — a hydraulic shock-absorbing mechanism positioned where the player’s chin rests that engages to help absorb force from impacts to the facemask.

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The chinstrap became available for presale last August, and on Sept. 13, Notre Dame offensive lineman Billy Schrauth became the first player to wear it in a game.

Compatible with all major helmets, the white chinstrap comes in two sizes — small/medium and large/extra large — and retails for $69.

Guardian has shared samples and research with the CFL, which in turn did so with its teams. Each franchise will decide whether to purchase the chinstraps, though the expectation is all nine will carry them this season.

CFL players choose their own equipment — including helmets, facemasks, chinstraps, shoulder and leg pads — and teams are required to make approved options available.

The CFL mandated the use of Guardian Caps in 2023 during training camp and regular-season contact practices. All offensive and defensive linemen, running backs and linebackers had to wear them.

That year, then-CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie said the introduction of Guardian Caps helped create a 42 per cent decrease in training camp concussions. In 2024, the league extended the use of the caps to defensive backs and receivers while allowing players to wear them during games.

On Aug. 24, 2024, Saskatchewan running back Thomas Bertrand-Hudon, a native of Mont-Saint-Hilarie, Que., became the first pro football player to wear the cap during a CFL regular-season game versus the Montreal Alouettes. Others, such as B.C. Lions defensive back T.J. Lee, have followed.

This season, Alaric Jackson, a Windsor, Ont., native and starting offensive lineman with the NFL’s St. Louis Rams, donned the protective headgear during games. And on Jan. 26, New England guard Jared Wilson became the first player to wear a Guardian Cap in the Super Bowl, doing so in the Patriots’ 29-13 championship loss to the Seattle Seahawks.

The CFL is not the only football league in Canada examining the new chinstrap.

“U Sports is following the advancement of student-athlete protective equipment,” the governing body of Canadian university sport told The Canadian Press. “Once the Guardian Sport chinstrap is approved for play by Football Canada, U Sports athletes will be permitted to use it on a volunteer basis in competitions and training.”

Guardian caps are also available to U Sports football players, with a number having used them during practices in 2025. U Sports said only a few wore them in regular-season games in 2025 and none in bowl games or the Vanier Cup.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 26, 2026.

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It took some time but Jarell Broxton is finally a Winnipeg Blue Bomber.

The six-foot-five, 325-pound American offensive lineman signed a two-year deal with Winnipeg on Tuesday, the first day of CFL free agency.

Broxton, 32, spent the last five seasons with the B.C. Lions and last season anchored an offensive line that allowed the fewest sacks across the league and averaged a CFL-record 8.04 yards per play.

While Broxton was B.C.’s most outstanding offensive lineman the past three seasons, he originally signed with Winnipeg in February 2020. The CFL didn’t play that year due to the global COVID-19 pandemic and Broxton went on to join the Lions.

Winnipeg also signed Canadian receiver Tommy Nield to a two-year deal Tuesday. The six-foot-three, 203-pound Guelph, Ont., native had 42 catches for 535 yards and five TDs in 13 regular-season games with the Grey Cup-champion Saskatchewan Roughriders in 2025.

Elsewhere, the Calgary Stampeders signed Canadian receiver Dejon Brissett to a two-year deal. The Mississauga, Ont., native spent the past five seasons with the Toronto Argonauts, winning two Grey Cups.

Brissett was named the top Canadian in Toronto’s ’24 championship win over Winnipeg.

The Ottawa Redblacks signed veteran defensive back Demerio Houston to a one-year deal. The 29-year-old American appeared in five games last year with Winnipeg, and has 14 career picks in 50 contests with the Bombers and Calgary.

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In Hamilton, the Tiger-Cats inked American receiver/returner Mario Alford and Canadian receiver Tyson Middlemost.

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Alford, 34, was the CFL’s top special-teams player in 2022 and spent last season in Saskatchewan where he returned 44 punts for 476 yards over 11 regular-season games.

Middlemost, 28, of Dundas, Ont., had five catches for 34 yards while adding eight special-teams tackles with Edmonton.

But the opening day of free agency was anti-climatic as many of Tuesday’s moves had been previously reported Feb. 1 when the CFL’s negotiation window opened.

Other transactions included:

— Calgary had the first move of the day, signing American defensive back Devodric Bynum. He played 19 games over two seasons with the Edmonton Elks, registering 40 tackles, five interceptions and one forced fumble.

— Saskatchewan signed American defensive lineman James Vaughters. The six-foot-one, 256-pound Vaughters had 36 tackles (four for loss), eight special-teams tackles, six sacks and two fumble recoveries (one returned for TD) in 17 games last season with Winnipeg.

— Ottawa added linebackers C.J. Reavis and Brian Cole II, and defensive lineman Dylan Wynn, all Americans. Reavis had 61 tackles, two sacks an interception and two forced fumbles in 17 regular-season games with Saskatchewan last year, while Hall registered 22 total tackles last year with Hamilton, including 19 on special teams. Wynn spent the past two seasons with Montreal.

— Winnipeg signed veteran American defensive back Jonathan Moxey to a two-year deal. He spent the last two years with Hamilton. Before the noon ET start of free agency, the Bombers agreed to terms with linebacker Jovan Santos-Knox, 31, on a one-year deal. The six-foot-two, 240-pound American began his CFL career in Manitoba (2017-18) but was released this off-season following three years with Ottawa (2023-25).

— Veteran American defensive back DaShaun Amos returned to the Toronto Argonauts after being named a CFL all-star last season with Hamilton (45 tackles, four interceptions, fumble recovery in 18 regular-season games). Before joining the Ticats, Amos played three seasons in Toronto (2022-2024), winning Grey Cups in 2022 and 2024. The Argos also signed Canadian defensive lineman Jonathan Kongbo who had a team-high four sacks last season with Edmonton.

— Montreal signed quarterback Dustin Crum and receiver Jerreth Sterns to one-year contracts. Crum spent the last three seasons with Ottawa and last year ran for 429 yards and 11 touchdowns. Sterns had 48 catches for 530 yards and four TDs in 14 regular-season games with Winnipeg in 2025.

— Hamilton signed Canadian defensive lineman Kene Onyeka and American offensive lineman Eric Lofton. Onyeka, 29, played six seasons with Ottawa (2019, 2021-2025) while Lofton, 32 sent the last two seasons with Winnipeg. The Ticats also signed punter Fraser Masin — taken first overall in last year’s Global draft by Calgary — to a two-year contact before the start of free agency.

— B.C. re-signed defensive back Dawson Pierre and linebacker Maxime Rouyer, both Canadians to two- and one-year deals respectively. Pierre spent the last two seasons with Ottawa while Rouyer has played in 42 regular-season games with the Lions since 2022.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 10, 2026.

&copy 2026 The Canadian Press