The West has always been wild—and in the CFL, it always will be. You can overhaul a roster, swap out your franchise quarterback, clean house in the front office, draft a future star, lose a marquee player to injury, or watch a young talent explode onto the scene.
No matter the storyline, West Division teams have a way of veering off the expected path. The chaos is constant, but so is the entertainment.
The 112th Grey Cup champion came from the West in 2025, but the road was anything but smooth. As the recap below shows, every team had its own twists, turns and battles to fight.
EDMONTON ELKS | 7–11 | FIFTH PLACE
If any team embodied “not what we expected” in 2025, it was Edmonton.
Tre Ford looked poised to finally take the reins as a true franchise quarterback—right up until the Elks pivoted to Cody Fajardo. From that moment on, Fajardo owned the job, and his presence reshaped the entire operation. Their similar-but-not-identical styles forced a midseason identity shift that rippled through all three phases.
After dropping six of their first seven games, Edmonton suddenly caught fire, winning four of five—though a humbling OK Tire Labour Day Weekend loss sat awkwardly in the middle of the surge. Through it all, head coach Mark Kilam remained the steadying force. He has the vision, the experience, and now simply needs the time for it all to take root. The payoff is coming, Elks fans.
WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS | 10–8 | FOURTH PLACE
A crossover team for the first time in years, Winnipeg’s season was derailed by injuries at the worst possible moments. There’s never a good time for key players to go down, but the Bombers were hit especially hard.
Even with 2024 MOP Brady Oliveira—who battled injuries of his own—the Bombers struggled to establish a consistent offensive identity. The result was a team that flashed brilliance but couldn’t overcome the avalanche of turnovers: 27 interceptions combined between Zach Collaros (16) and Chris Streveler (11).
2026 needs to be a recalibration year. If Winnipeg finds its footing again, the path back to the top of the West is wide open—though their prairie rivals won’t be giving up the crown easily.
CALGARY STAMPEDERS | 11–7 | THIRD PLACE
Change was the theme in Calgary—everywhere, all at once.
After a bitter end to 2024, the Stampeders revamped the roster, the locker room, and even the surrounding infrastructure. Their reward was Vernon Adams Jr., who at his best looked every bit like an MOP candidate.
But inconsistency, injuries, and a surging BC Lions squad pushed Calgary backward in the standings, ultimately sending them to Vancouver for the Western Semi-Final—where BC closed the book on their season.
Disappointing? Absolutely. A collapse? Not even close. This season felt worse than it truly was. Calgary climbed from 5–12 to 11–7, showed real fight down the stretch, and built a foundation that should serve them well moving forward.
BC LIONS | 11–7 | SECOND PLACE
Nathan Rourke collected hardware. Keon Hatcher Sr. led the league in receiving. The Lions ripped off seven straight wins. And still, they fell just short in the Western Final, losing by inches in Saskatchewan.
So here we are again—another offseason, another round of “when will BC finally break through?”
The answer: soon. Rourke is too gifted, too poised, too smart to let these opportunities slip away for long. Early-career heartbreak is part of the process; it hardens you for the moment when everything finally clicks. Rourke is nearing that moment.
The production, the energy, the organizational alignment—from owner Amar Doman to head coach Buck Pierce—were outstanding. Now the Lions must channel that momentum into an even hungrier offseason.
SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS | 12–6 | FIRST PLACE
To the victor go the spoils—and when Saskatchewan wins a Grey Cup, the spoils are plentiful.
Trevor Harris was steady and sharp, leaning on a defence loaded with opportunistic playmakers. The Roughriders toppled BC, advanced to the 112th Grey Cup, and ended the East’s championship streak by defeating Montreal.
After starting 8–1, it was clear Saskatchewan had the talent to win it all. From that point on, head coach Corey Mace focused on refining, toughening, and preparing his team for the biggest moments. When those moments arrived, the Riders delivered.
The result: a season that will be remembered for a long time.
