In March, general manager Danny Maciocia solved the most pressing problem. He hired Jason Maas as head coach. Before getting the job in Montreal, Maas was offensive coordinator for the Saskatchewan Roughriders, but he mainly acted as head coach of the Edmonton Eskimos until 2019. Maas won two Gray Cups as a quarterback -rear under Maciocia in Edmonton. The new pilot already has his mark in the locker room, he who organizes quizzes in French to help English-speaking players to better integrate.
The main stone in the Alouettes’ shoes in recent years has been the organization’s management, specifically the owners’ group. In March, Pierre Karl Péladeau, CEO of the Quebecor group, bought the Montreal organization. Whether we like PKP or not, the greatest wish of the players, the Canadian League and the fans has been granted, that is to say that the club remains in the hands of a Quebec buyer. At the end of March, to bring more stability, the Alouettes named Mark Weightman as president. This is the second stint with the Alouettes for the manager, who served as president and chief executive officer from 2013 to 2016.
The Montreal Alouettes had to quickly make up for the departure of Trevor Harris, and that’s what they did by agreeing with quarterback Cody Fajardo on the terms of a two-year contract. The arrival of Fajardo is not unrelated to the presence of Maas in the fold of the team, as the two rubbed shoulders in Saskatchewan. At 31, Fajardo is one of the most mobile quarterbacks in the CHL. Thus, with the strong comeback of William Stanback, Montreal’s offensive identity will be strongly defined by the ground game. However, Fajardo’s main quality remains the pride he feels in being able to play in Montreal… in addition to his undeniable charisma.
Eugene Lewis came and went. The Alouettes therefore found themselves with a gaping space at the receiving end. To replace him, the team signed 34-year-old veteran Greg Ellingson. He had his best moments between 2015 and 2018 with the Ottawa Redblacks. Ellingson will likely be Montreal’s number one receiver, but he’s been dragging an old injury. He will not be able to play the first meeting of the season. Behind him, Cole Speaker, Chandler Worthy, Austin Mack, Kaion Julien-Grant and Quartney Davis will battle for the ball.
Since his arrival with the Alouettes, Danny Maciocia has made it a point to retain as many Quebec players as possible. The 2023 edition of the Als offers a great cohort of representatives from La Belle Province: guards Kristian Matte and Philippe Gagnon, fullback David Dallaire, kicker David Côté, long snap specialist Louis-Philippe Bourassa, player offensive line Pier-Olivier Lestage, linebacker Frédéric Chagnon, defensive backs Marc-Antoine Dequoy and Kerfalla Exumé. Even better, most of them have important roles within the team.