Lions will have to be beasts in the East early in 2017
VANCOUVER — The 2017 CFL schedule, released Tuesday, could see the B.C. Lions taking the train to train in Kingston, Ont. — the halfway stop between Toronto and Montreal.
For the second consecutive year, the Lions have back-to-back fixtures in the East Division, beginning at BMO Field in Toronto on June 30 against the Argonauts — B.C.’s first road game of the season. The Lions then play six days later in Montreal, against the Alouettes.
The team is looking to make arrangements to train at Queen’s University in Kingston, between games, just as the Lions did last season when they decamped at Carleton University for games in Ottawa and Toronto, six days apart.
Another scheduling quirk in 2017 sees B.C. again in the East Division — in Hamilton, on Saturday, July 15 — to complete the third of three straight road games in the eastern time zone in a span of 16 days.
The Lions will open the season on June 24 at home against the Edmonton Eskimos.
Elsewhere, quarterback Darian Durant won’t have to wait long to face his former team.
Durant will make his Montreal debut June 22 when the Alouettes kick off the 2017 CFL regular season at home against Saskatchewan. Durant signed a three-year deal last month with the Alouettes, who acquired his rights from the Roughriders.
Durant spent 11 seasons with Saskatchewan and led the franchise to the 2013 Grey Cup title. .
Durant will mark his return to Regina when Montreal visits the Riders on Oct. 27.
A Grey Cup rematch will highlight action June 23 with Ottawa hosting Calgary at TD Place. The Redblacks stunned the favoured Stampeders 39-33 in overtime to secure the CFL championship in just their third season of operation.
The opening week of action concludes June 25 with the Toronto Argonauts hosting the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
Winnipeg will have an opening-week bye and plays its first game in Regina on July 1, the Riders’ first home contest at the new Mosaic Stadium.
The Blue Bombers’ first home game at Investors Group Field will be July 7 versus Calgary.
The 105th Grey Cup game will be played Nov. 26 in Ottawa.