Edmonton Elks look to break 16-game home losing streak

The Edmonton Elks held their final full practice of the season Wednesday, as they prepared for one last chance to break their 16-game home losing streak.

The Elks host the B.C. Lions Friday night, and a win could give the team some momentum into the off-season, said Farhan Lalji, from TSN SportCentre.

He said the Elks' president, Victor Cui, has done a good job with the franchise, but that won't be enough if the team can't start getting some wins.

"Even though Victor did some good things at the front end, he's now going to need some success on the football field for any of his message to resonate," Lalji said.

"Once they kind of give the fan base a reason to believe, then I think some of the things they're doing in the community will really resonate."

Jersey City staff told CTV News Edmonton that less Elks' merchandise is being ordered due to low demand, something Lalji said is troubling considering how the Elks have been such a stable and important foundational pillar of the CFL in the past.

"You hope it doesn't get too far down the road where it can't be saved," he added. "Because when you look at how the franchise was built, it took decades to get it to such a solid, solid level and it's taken literally two years for it to crumble beneath its own feet and in front of our very eyes."

Despite the team's record going into the final game, head coach Chris Jones was optimistic at Wednesday's practice, and said he's confident in the team's draft picks. A plan is already in place, he added, and management has identified what areas need to be targeted for next season.

Jones said a lot of the team are young men and rookies, but he's confident in the talent and attitudes on the field and is already looking toward the future.

"We found who will continue to work, we found who will continue to fight," Jones said. "It's easy when you're over in Winnipeg, and you've got the record that they have, to show up to work every day."

"I can't be more proud of those young guys for coming and playing hard."

The Elks will hold a toy drive at their last game of the season Friday, and new, unwrapped toys can be dropped off at Brick Field before kickoff at 7:45 p.m.

With files from CTV News Edmonton's Marek Tkach