Eskimos prevail again over Redblacks

CFL rules no compensation owed after Edmonton’s hiring of Maas

Just in case winning the Grey Cup wasn’t enough, the Edmonton Eskimos have scored another victory over the Ottawa Redblacks.

The Canadian Football League waited until the end of the work day Friday to announce something everyone knew all along: That the Eskimos didn’t owe the Redblacks anything after hiring former Ottawa offensive co-ordinator Jason Maas as Edmonton’s new head coach.

“The Edmonton Eskimos have been informed by the league office of the decision made with regard to the dispute with the Ottawa Redblacks over the hire of head coach Jason Maas,” the Eskimos said in a news release. “Commissioner Jeffrey Orridge decided no compensation is owing to Ottawa from Edmonton.

“The Edmonton Eskimos consider this matter resolved and will not comment further at this time.”

The Eskimos were in a no-lose situation, considering they had already lost their own head coach, Chris Jones, and the majority of his coaching staff to the Saskatchewan Roughriders. So anything they would have had to give up to Ottawa, they would have turned around and expected to get right back from the last-place Riders.

“Our case is as solid as ever,” Eskimos president and chief executive Len Rhodes told 630 CHED earlier in the week. “I have full confidence that if the decision is made based on the facts, the Eskimos will come out of this ahead.”

The Eskimos maintained all along they sought and received permission to speak with Maas, and the matter of compensation was only brought up by Ottawa after the contract was signed.

While official policy is expected to be coming from the CFL outlining how compensation works with the movement between teams of coaches under contract, it’s the second time the league has ruled in Edmonton’s favour over Ottawa.

Heading into November’s Grey Cup in Winnipeg, the Eskimos disputed Ottawa’s request to have their chainsaw-celebrating Lumber Joes on the sideline during the game.