Injuries annual rite for Stamps’ offensive line
Lavoie retirement after two injury-riddled seasons just latest blow on eve of training camp
Dave Dickenson is accustomed to hearing bad news about the health of his offensive line during the CFL season.
They play games. They get hurt. Rinse. Repeat.
“If you can keep the same five, you have the best chance,” the Calgary Stampeders head coach quipped Thursday about Bo Levi Mitchell’s injury-prone bodyguards.
All joking aside, Calgary Stampeders head coach is learning to cope with troublesome status updates on his hogs year round.
The latest downer came two days before the CFL draft, when Karl Lavoie told the club he is retiring instead of reporting to training camp on May 28.
Lavoie, a first-round (ninth overall) draft selection in 2015, lost almost all of his rookie season due to a knee injury and then his entire sophomore season when a routine knee scope showed significant damage.
The 25-year-old Laval product retires having suited up for a grand total of one regular-season game and one playoff game with the Stampeders. “We were all a little surprised,” Dickenson said Thursday. “I feel bad it came to this.”
And so the Stamps move on with Pierre Lavertu pencilled in at centre, Shane Bergman at left guard, Spencer Wilson at right guard and Dan Federkeil at right tackle.
In keeping with the injury theme, Bergman tweaked his knee last month in the gym and required a scope that could limit his participation in camp. Federkeil underwent surgery last December to repair a torn labrum.
“Dan Federkeil, he should be at practice from Day 1,” general manager John Hufnagel said Thursday
Depending on Federkeil’s health — and that of Lavertu and Bergman — the Stamps have the ratio flexibility to start two imports on the offensive line.
Don’t be surprised if Hufnagel brings in five American offensive lineman to compete in training camp — especially considering Derek Dennis, the CFL’s most outstanding lineman in 2016, signed as a free agent this winter with the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
“Our roster is very fluid right now,” Dickenson said.
Quinn Smith, a Canadian, played on both sides of the ball in 2016. He is dealing with a leg issue and is not expected to play until late August or Labour Day.
Junior Turner, a Canadian starter at defensive tackle, underwent knee surgery last September. He will be sidelined until perhaps Labour Day.
In Turner’s absence, look for international newcomer Bryan Hall, formerly of the Argonauts, and 2017 first-round draft pick Randy Colling to plug the hole in the middle.