Stampeders are thrilled to be back at Mcmahon Stadium

Maybe there’s a CFL season that starts in September. Maybe not.

For the dozen or so Stampeders who are living in Calgary these days, Thursday’s return to Mcmahon Stadium made it feel as if there might be some hope.

After three months of training at home because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Stamps were finally welcomed back to the stadium where they would be preparing for their season opener in a normal year.

That means nothing in terms of the viability of a CFL season. It felt like progress, though, and that counts for something.

“It’s still a little bit different with all the social-distancing protocols and mandates you have to follow, so it’s different, but it’s still a light at the end of the tunnel,” said young Stampeders defensive back Nick Statz. “It gives you some confidence that maybe things will start getting back to normal. It’s like a shot of relief.”

While Statz returned to the University of Calgary last year and won the Vanier Cup with the Dinos, he spent lots of time working out this off-season with Stamps teammates Hergy Mayala, Andres Salgado and Michael Klukas.

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted that, but they’re now reunited at Mcmahon.

But it’s far from normal. Players can’t share the same equipment, meaning quarterbacks can’t throw footballs downfield to receivers — although Bo Levi Mitchell is out of town and not currently participating.

Every session is optional, too, and even the dozen players who are in Calgary have split themselves up into two groups and train at different times.

The Stampeders also met with head athletic therapist Josh Termeer before entering the facility on Thursday and had to do a questionnaire and wash-up before they could start training.

It all feels very different from what CFL players are used to at this time of the year.

It’s closer to “normal” than what any of the Stampeders have been doing for the last couple of months when they’ve had no choice but to train at home.

It also gives just a little bit of hope that maybe we’ll get a 2020 CFL season, after all.

“We expect there’s going to be a season. We’re preparing for that and obviously, there’s a chance that won’t happen, but we’re being optimistic and hoping that things do get better with each phase and things opening up,” Statz said.