75 until 75, Elks get ready to win, have fun for anniversary season

Tom Richards, the Edmonton Elks Football Club Board of Directors chair at a press conference on Monday March 25, 2024. (Matt Marshall/CTV News Edmonton)

The Edmonton Elks are preparing for a milestone season this summer, the team celebrating 75 years as a football club.

The franchise, formerly known as the Edmonton Eskimos, was founded in 1949. The team has won the Grey Cup 14 times.

In honor of the anniversary, some special things are in the works for this season.

"It's quite a milestone to hit 75 years and so we've been working directly with our alumni, there's just so many alumni around that have stayed here, it's just great to have," said Rick LeLacheur, president and CEO of the Elks.

"We're going to have a lot of excitement throughout the year."

The home opener against the Saskatchewan Roughriders on June 8, 75 days from now, will have a special halftime show, showcasing Elks alumni.

"From their humble beginnings to status as a powerhouse in Canadian football, the Edmonton Elks have left an indelible mark on the sport in the community," said Derrell Mitchell, the Edmonton Elks Alumni Association president.

"Throughout the decades, countless athletes have donned the green and gold, leaving their mark on the field and in the hearts of fans."

Before that game, there will also be the "largest alumni autograph session in club history" for fans to meet Elks' legends.

The team wants the fans to have a great experience, since they make sure the players have one as well.

"It's a great community, I know a number of players that come up from the U.S. end up staying here, and they just love it as a community," LeLacheur said. "They're embraced by the community, they get to work in the community after they finish playing."

The annual Elks dinner, which is normally held later in the season, will be held on June 6 to kick off the season. Each of the 14 Grey Cup winning teams will be represented through a player or family member of a player from that team in attendance.

"Together, we will honor the past, present and pay the way for the future of the Edmonton Elks," Mitchell said. "Let us embrace the spirit of camaraderie and unity as we embark on the historic journey together."

The Elks are also in the process of building all-decade teams. Those teams will be revealed throughout the regular season and fans will have the opportunity to vote on the all-time team, to be revealed on Oct. 25 when the Elks play the Toronto Argonauts.

"Win or lose, come to the stands. We want to make it a great setting particularly for families and the younger crowd to come out, enjoy, have a good time," LeLacheur said.

The team also teased a "new on-field look" for the upcoming season.

Uncertain ownership

Since the team's founding, it has been community owned. In 2023, a committee was formed to review its ownership structure and there has been interest from potential private owners, according to LeLacheur.

The club has undergone financial struggles over the past several years between the pandemic, football operations decisions and struggles on the field, he said last year.

On Monday, he stated that even if the team was to change ownership in the middle of the season, he doesn't believe it would impact the players.

"They're on the field to win regardless of who owns the team," LeLacheur said. "I think it can happen from a business point of view and we'll deal with what happens.

"On the football side, they're there to win games and that's what they're focusing on."

The players, meanwhile, are focused on the upcoming training camp and trying to improve on the 4-14 win-loss record of last season.

"Each year we've shown even though the record didn't quite change, our locker room has changed a lot," said fullback Tanner Green. "The effort that we're putting in, regardless of the outcome, I think this year will be the biggest year that pays dividends… Because it's time to turn things around, it's time to get wins, get to playoffs and hopefully win a cup."

"Let's make it close, let's go out and have fun, let's be excited, let's do something that brings some spirit back in the game," said Gizmo Williams, an Elks alumni.

"We're not going to win every game, but I'd like to come to see a good game."

Williams plans to be at the Elks dinner and the autograph signing at the home opener.