Editors Picks – Winnipeg Free Press

PETER POWER / THE CANADIAN PRESS
Winnipeg Blue Bombers attempt an on-side kick late in the fourth quarter of CFL football game action against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in Hamilton, Ont. on Friday.

Playoffs? Bombers will battle to bitter end to make it

Taylor Allen 8 minute read Thursday, Sep. 18, 2025

Here’s a sentence that hasn’t been written in a long time: the Winnipeg Blue Bombers are going to have to fight to the very end to make the playoffs.

The Blue and Gold dropped to 6-7 on the year after a discouraging 32-21 loss in Hamilton against the Tiger-Cats on Friday.

They’re still holding onto the third and final postseason berth out of the West as they won the season series over the B.C. Lions who are also 6-7, but make no mistake about it: it’s going to come down to the wire.

“As long as we can find our groove and get rolling these next couple games, we’ll let the standings fall how they fall,” said defensive end Willie Jefferson.

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Bombers announce Grey Cup Week headquarters

Jeff Hamilton 5 minute read Preview

Bombers announce Grey Cup Week headquarters

Jeff Hamilton 5 minute read Thursday, Jul. 24, 2025

The 2025 Grey Cup Festival is rapidly taking shape with the announcement of several new events set to take place at the newly named PlayNow Grey Cup HQ at the RBC Convention Centre.

Jennifer Thompson, executive director of the Grey Cup Festival, highlighted the importance of having a centralized approach to the festival.

“PlayNow Grey Cup HQ will be the beating heart of Festival Week — a one-stop destination for fans looking to experience the best of what the Grey Cup has to offer,” Thompson said. “From coast-to-coast culinary creations and iconic Canadian music, to unforgettable team parties and a gala celebration like no other, we’re proud to create a space that reflects the spirit, diversity and energy of the CFL and its fans.”

From Thursday, Nov. 13, to Saturday, Nov. 15, the downtown venue will host a series of adult-only events, including a new culinary experience, a gala, and an expanded concert series.

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Thursday, Jul. 24, 2025

Blue Bombers set to host province-wide Grey Cup Tour

Ben Little 4 minute read Preview

Blue Bombers set to host province-wide Grey Cup Tour

Ben Little 4 minute read Thursday, May. 1, 2025

The 2025 Grey Cup party is hitting the road as the Winnipeg Blue Bombers announced a province-wide tour during a news conference Thursday at Princess Auto Stadium.

The Access Credit Union Grey Cup Tour will make 40 stops across the province beginning May 4 at the Winnipeg Police Service Half Marathon and concluding in October.

The tour will include games and activities for all ages, as well as giveaways including a pair of tickets to the 2025 Grey Cup in Winnipeg. Certain stops will offer complimentary youth tickets to a Blue Bombers regular-season game, with the purchase of an adult ticket.

Wade Miller, president and chief executive officer of the Winnipeg Football Club, said the tour is an opportunity to grow the game outside of the city.

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Thursday, May. 1, 2025

John Woods / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES
Winnipeg Blue Bombers fans from across the province will have a chance to celebrate the Grey Cup coming to Winnipeg this November with the Grey Cup Tour stopping in 40 Manitoba communities.

Bombers promise ‘Canada’s biggest social’ for Grey Cup 2025

Jeff Hamilton 5 minute read Preview

Bombers promise ‘Canada’s biggest social’ for Grey Cup 2025

Jeff Hamilton 5 minute read Friday, Mar. 21, 2025

With the bold declaration the 112th Grey Cup in Winnipeg will be “Canada’s biggest social,” the countdown has officially begun for a week when the heart of the prairies will pulse with football fever and a provincewide party spirit.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers were awarded the 2025 Canadian Football League championship game more than two years ago, but on Friday, in front of a packed Pinnacle Room at Princess Auto Stadium, details around some of the festivities leading up to Grey Cup Sunday’s grand event began to finally take shape.

“A Manitoban Social is more than just a party — it’s a beloved community tradition where friends, family, and neighbours come together to share great food and drinks, dance to live music, and enjoy an unforgettable night of fun,” said Barb Gamey, Festival Co-Chair. “Much like a social, the Grey Cup Festival brings people together from all across the country for an incredible shared experience.”

The official 2025 Grey Cup Festival and 112th Grey Cup game logos were also made public, with the unveiling ceremony a spectacle of Manitoba pride. The new logo was inspired by Manitoba’s vibrant northern lights, intertwined with the familiar silhouettes of boreal forest pines, all cradling the iconic Grey Cup trophy.

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Friday, Mar. 21, 2025

Annual process of trying to assemble a Grey Cup winner begins for CFL teams

Jeff Hamilton 10 minute read Preview

Annual process of trying to assemble a Grey Cup winner begins for CFL teams

Jeff Hamilton 10 minute read Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024

In the end, it was only going to work out for one team.

After a hard-fought 21-week regular season, followed by an exciting couple of weeks of playoffs, the Toronto Argonauts were the last team standing, beating the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 41-24 in the 111th Grey Cup at BC Place.

For the Bombers, it was the third consecutive defeat in the championship game, in their fifth consecutive visit to the Grey Cup, after winning in 2019 and 2021. As for the Argos, they now appear closer to becoming a dynasty than Winnipeg, winning their second league title in three years, with the other Grey Cup triumph against the Bombers in 2022.

Now that the dust has finally settled, all teams find themselves in the same spot: building for next year. As a final edition of CFL Rundown for the 2024 season — we may have some columns pop up on particularly newsy weeks over the winter — we look at all nine teams as they try to navigate the inevitable ups and downs of the monthslong off-season.

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Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024

Larry Wong / THE CANADIAN PRESS files
The future of quarterback Tre Ford is one of the most intriguing storylines of the CFL off-season.

O’Shea stands by his plan

Joshua Frey-Sam 8 minute read Preview

O’Shea stands by his plan

Joshua Frey-Sam 8 minute read Friday, Nov. 22, 2024

Mike O’Shea would do it again.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ head coach began his end-of-season press conference Friday explaining what he would’ve done differently in the club’s 41-24 loss to the Toronto Argonauts in the 111th Grey Cup.

“I’d use the challenge flag earlier. Call a time-out. Check on the guys more during the game. Say something differently… I don’t know. Those kinds of things, for sure,” he said ro begin the 30-minute question period at Princess Auto Stadium.

What O’Shea omitted from his list of potential do-overs was the decision to put quarterback Zach Collaros back in the game after he left in the third quarter with a deep cut on the index finger of his throwing hand that required five stitches and left him hardly able to grip the ball, a decision that has been heavily scrutinized in the days following the team’s third consecutive loss in the championship.

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Friday, Nov. 22, 2024

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS
Blue Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea doesn’t regret leaving an injured Zach Collaros in at quarterback.

Collaros details Grey Cup finger injury, decision to return to game

Joshua Frey-Sam 7 minute read Preview

Collaros details Grey Cup finger injury, decision to return to game

Joshua Frey-Sam 7 minute read Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024

ZACH Collaros appeared to be fighting back tears as he relived his internal debate on the sideline during Sunday’s Grey Cup.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers quarterback had cut the index finger on his throwing hand earlier in the game and was preparing to re-enter the contest after numbing the digit and receiving five stitches.

Moments before he took the field again, Collaros wondered whether he would be hurting the team by playing through the pain in a one-score game — a difficult process emotionally for an elite competitor, and one that requires him to be fully honest with himself and his coaches.

“In talking with a lot of the guys afterwards, the thing you’re dealing with mentally is, ‘Am I being selfish to want to go back in here? Even though I don’t feel like I can necessarily help to the best of my ability,’” Collaros said during Tuesday’s end-of-season press conference.

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Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024

BROOK JONES / FREE PRESS
Bombers quarterback Zach Collaros is signed with the club through the 2025 season.

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Bombers’ star Oliveira questions lack of run game in Grey Cup loss

Joshua Frey-Sam 7 minute read Preview

Bombers’ star Oliveira questions lack of run game in Grey Cup loss

Joshua Frey-Sam 7 minute read Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024

Brady Oliveira’s thoughts were still running wild — an opportunity he would’ve killed for in Sunday’s Grey Cup.

Two days removed from losing a third straight championship, the Bombers’ frustrated star running back was still searching for answers about why he only touched the ball 13 times in a 41-24 loss to the Toronto Argonauts.

The local product had been named the CFL’s Most Outstanding Player and Most Outstanding Canadian earlier in the week and was fully expecting to be leaned on to lead the Blue and Gold to a third title in five seasons.

That never came to fruition, as offensive co-ordinator Buck Pierce dialed up just 11 rushes for his top offensive weapon. Oliveira did what he could with the workload, finishing with 84 yards (an impressive 7.6 yards per carry) and a touchdown in garbage time.

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Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024

BROOK JONES/FREE PRESS
Winnipeg Blue Bombers running back Brady Oliveira talks with members of the media.

Bombers searching for answers in Grey Cup nightmare

Jeff Hamilton 10 minute read Preview

Bombers searching for answers in Grey Cup nightmare

Jeff Hamilton 10 minute read Monday, Nov. 18, 2024

VANCOUVER — There’s no doubt this one is going to sting for a while.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers envisioned they would be celebrating a third Grey Cup victory in what was their fifth straight appearance in the championship game on Sunday. Instead, they woke up in Vancouver Monday to head home, still in search of answers following a 41-24 beatdown at the hands of the Toronto Argonauts at BC Place.

“Feels like a nightmare, man,” Bombers running back Brady Oliveira said, the Winnipeg native still fully dressed in his equipment 45 minutes after the final whistle. “It’s so hard to get here and we continue to lose. We’re not going to continue to keep getting here. It’s hard to get here. We had a very special group, and I just really wanted to cap it off with a win for my boys in this locker room that haven’t had a chance to experience a Grey Cup win.”

After winning back-to-back Grey Cups in 2019 and 2021, the Bombers have now lost three straight — in games they were heavy favourites – putting their aspirations of becoming a dynasty in serious doubt. And while the loss to the Argos in 2022 and the Montreal Alouettes were devastating, you got the feeling inside the locker room that this one feels even worse and is going to linger a lot longer.

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Monday, Nov. 18, 2024

Ethan Cairns / THE CANADIAN PRESS
Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ Brady Oliveira reacts on the bench after losing in the 111th Grey Cup to the Toronto Argonauts in Vancouver, Sunday.

‘No one thought that we would be here’

Jeff Hamilton 23 minute read Preview

‘No one thought that we would be here’

Jeff Hamilton 23 minute read Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024

VANCOUVER — It was the first day of training camp and Mike O’Shea’s gut had been telling him for months that things were going to be different this season.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers had enjoyed years of sustained success, including four straight trips to the Grey Cup. But while the magical run was something to be proud of, it had started to lose its shine, with the Bombers falling in the last two championship games in embarrassing fashion, giving up double-digit leads and losing on last-minute drives on both occasions.

The Blue and Gold had also emerged from an off-season that was unlike any they’d seen since snapping a three-decade championship drought in 2019. Even before playing in the Grey Cup had become routine, the Bombers, led by O’Shea, had created a culture and brotherhood that led to players returning year after year — often on team-friendly deals.

That wasn’t the case this time around.

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Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024

MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS
Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ quarterback, Zach Collaros (8), during practice at Princess Auto Stadium Monday. 240617 - Monday, June 17, 2024.

Grey Cup could come down to trench battle

Jeff Hamilton 6 minute read Preview

Grey Cup could come down to trench battle

Jeff Hamilton 6 minute read Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024

VANCOUVER — The Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Toronto Argonauts are set to meet in the 111th Grey Cup at BC Place Sunday.

To get you better prepared for kickoff, here are five storylines to keep an eye on in the game.

Dynasty or devastation

Few will have sympathy for the Bombers as they get ready for a fifth straight appearance in the Grey Cup. But there’s a ton at stake for the legacy of this group, even if they refuse to acknowledge it.

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Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024

THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ethan Cairns
Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ Brady Oliveira is awarded Most Outstanding Player and Most Outstanding Canadian during the CFL Awards in Vancouver, on Thursday.

Blue and Gold dynasty confirmed

Joshua Frey-Sam 7 minute read Preview

Blue and Gold dynasty confirmed

Joshua Frey-Sam 7 minute read Friday, Nov. 15, 2024

Ask a few of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ all-time greats, and there is no debate anymore.

This era of the Blue and Gold is a dynasty.

Doug Brown, Chris Walby and Joe Poplawski are far removed from their playing days but have kept close tabs on their former club.

This season was no exception, as they followed Winnipeg’s unlikely run to Sunday’s Grey Cup against the Toronto Argonauts, becoming the fourth team in CFL history to reach the championship game in five straight seasons, joining the Edmonton (six from 1977-82), Hamilton (1961-65) and Regina (1928-32) franchises.

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Friday, Nov. 15, 2024

KEN GIGLIOTTI / FREE PRESS FILES
Former O-lineman Chris Walby (63) played for the Bombers from 1981-96, hoisting three Grey Cups with the team.

Hey, Canada: the Bombers — the ‘other’ team in the Grey Cup? They’re from Winnipeg!

Melissa Martin 8 minute read Friday, Nov. 15, 2024

KYIV — There’s a joke I’ve encountered on two different occasions as a Winnipegger visiting Toronto.

The jokes were told years apart, and by entirely unrelated people, but on both occasions the setup was the same: I met someone at an event, they asked where I was from and I replied, quite cheerfully, “Winnipeg.”

“Ohhh,” they said, and paused briefly for comedic timing. “I’m sorry.”

They grinned then, and waited for my reaction.

Readers share tales of beloved family ornaments

Jen Zoratti 10 minute read Preview

Readers share tales of beloved family ornaments

Jen Zoratti 10 minute read Monday, Dec. 20, 2021

Precious family heirlooms. Kindergarten crafts made from Popsicle sticks and glitter. Keepsakes from a baby’s first Christmas.

The ornaments that are hung on fir boughs with care are more than mere festive decorations. They are tissue-wrapped memories brought out once a year, which is what makes them so very special.

We asked Free Press readers to reflect on their most beloved baubles. Some responses have been lightly edited for clarity.

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Monday, Dec. 20, 2021

MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Cameron Fay’s favourite Christmas ornament is one that his grandma knitted when he was around five years old. See Jen Zoratti story 211215 - Wednesday, December 15, 2021.
MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS
Cameron Fay’s favourite Christmas ornament is one that his grandma knitted when he was around five years old.

News from Edmonton not the shot in the arm the CFL is looking for

Jeff Hamilton 10 minute read Preview

News from Edmonton not the shot in the arm the CFL is looking for

Jeff Hamilton 10 minute read Monday, Aug. 23, 2021

TORONTO — You know things aren't going well for the Canadian Football League when the biggest news of the week happens after the weekend's games have concluded.

Rather than focusing on how the Saskatchewan Roughriders (3-0) entered their bye week as the only remaining unbeaten team this year, or the Calgary Stampeders (1-2) upsetting the Montreal Alouettes (1-1) to prevent going 0-3 for the first time in nearly 20 years, all eyes are instead on the Edmonton Elks (1-2).

Edmonton rocked the CFL world when they announced late Sunday that several players had tested positive for COVID-19, with the league then making the decision to cancel their Week 4 matchup against the Toronto Argonauts scheduled for Thursday night.

"This is in keeping with the standard of care for COVID-19 and professional sport," the league's statement read in part. "It also reflects our desire to put the health and safety of our players, coaches and staff — as well as public health — above all other considerations."

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Monday, Aug. 23, 2021

Edmonton announced Sunday that several players had tested positive for COVID-19. (Darryl Dyck / The Canadian Press files)

The first Cup is the neatest

Mike McIntyre 9 minute read Preview

The first Cup is the neatest

Mike McIntyre 9 minute read Monday, Nov. 25, 2019

CALGARY — Well, wasn’t that a party?

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers capped off a heck of a week in Calgary with a commanding Grey Cup victory Sunday night over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. And, considering I was covering my first three-down championship game, the personal bar has been set ridiculously high for all future events.

With the celebration still going strong in 'Peg City — and yours truly en route to California to cover this week’s three-game Winnipeg Jets road trip — let’s empty the notebook, and the brain, with some notes, quotes and anecdotes following a memorable experience.

Full disclosure. I had no rooting interest in this game. Yes, I picked the Bombers to win in my column Saturday. But that came from the head, not the heart. The only thing I ever cheer for is a juicy story — and there’s no question the Blue and Gold's first Grey Cup victory since 1990 is a doozy.

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Monday, Nov. 25, 2019

September 22, 2025

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