Bombers, starting season without Collaros, hope to collar hometown appearance in Grey Cup

Judy Owen · The Canadian Press

· Posted: Jun 11, 2025 9:07 PM EDT | Last Updated: 7 hours ago

Dalton Schoen doesn't attraction who throws him the ball, helium conscionable wants to marque a meaningful catch.

The Blue Bombers' talented receiver volition get that accidental erstwhile helium returns from a season-ending wounded to look the B.C. Lions successful Winnipeg's CFL season-opener Thursday.

"It feels great," Schoen said aft Wednesday's walk-through practice. "It's benignant of hard to describe, you get truthful utilized to the process of it that erstwhile it's taken distant you go, 'Wow, that goes quick."'

Schoen suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament successful the 3rd crippled past season, nixing a accidental to enactment up a trio of consecutive 1,000-yard campaigns.

His instrumentality to enactment volition beryllium cardinal for a revamped Blue Bombers receiving corps.

Schoen and 10-year CFL seasoned Nic Demski volition pb a radical that's mislaid immoderate seasoned walk catchers specified arsenic Kenny Lawler and Drew Wolitarsky.

Thursday's trial volition besides see hauling successful passes from backmost Chris Streveler arsenic starting backmost Zach Collaros was suspended for 1 crippled aft failing to respond to an off-season drug-testing request.

"We've got immoderate acquainted faces, but we've decidedly got immoderate caller faces," said Demski, who's successful his seventh twelvemonth with his hometown team. "We've got immoderate guys stepping up into antithetic roles, truthful everybody's conscionable got to marque the astir of their opportunities and travel unneurotic and play great."

Lawler and Wolitarsky some near for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, portion Ontaria Wilson signed with the NFL New York Jets aft catching 71 passes for 1,026 yards successful his rookie three-down season.

Winnipeg's starting 5 against the Lions (1-0) volition diagnostic Demski and Schoen with sophomores Keric Wheatfall and Kevens Clercius and rookie Jerreth Sterns.

Hosting Grey Cup 'huge motivation'

Dillon Mitchell was a large off-season signing aft the third-year receiver was released by the Edmonton Elks, but he's connected the one-game injured list.

"We person beauteous bully chemistry successful the room," Schoen said of his chap receivers. "I deliberation we pass beauteous good with each different and truthful I deliberation it's going to beryllium amusive to get retired determination with those guys."

Winnipeg's defence besides has immoderate caller looks arsenic the nine aims to marque it to a sixth consecutive Grey Cup and extremity a three-game losing streak successful the title game.

Manitoba's superior metropolis is hosting this year's Grey Cup connected Nov. 16.

"It's a immense motivation," Bombers antiaircraft extremity Willie Jefferson said. "To person the biggest crippled of the play to beryllium successful your home, it's an honour."

Jefferson volition person a antithetic unreserved extremity connected the enactment aft James Vaughters was signed pursuing 4 seasons during 2 stints with the Calgary Stampeders.

"We got a accidental to physique our camaraderie, physique that chemistry, a small spot of togetherness," Jefferson said of the defence successful grooming camp. 

"Running caller plays, caller defences, caller personalities and things similar that. Now we've got the accidental to enactment that enactment that we built during campy and enactment that retired present with unrecorded bullets."

The defence volition beryllium going up against Lions backmost Nathan Rourke, who claimed the league's apical violative honour for Week 1 aft throwing for 324 yards and 3 touchdowns successful a 31-14 triumph implicit Edmonton. 

While moving backmost Brady Oliveira should beryllium Winnipeg's workhorse again, the squad signed tailback Peyton Logan. He's expected to instrumentality kicks, but is connected the one-game injured list. Rookie antiaircraft backmost Trey Vaval volition get the accidental to radiance successful that relation against the Lions.

Winnipeg fans volition spot different acquainted look connected the tract Thursday, but connected a antithetic sideline. Former Bombers violative co-ordinator Buck Pierce near to go the Lions' caput coach.

"Probably a small of both," Pierce said with a grin erstwhile asked if helium expects to beryllium heckled oregon congratulated by Winnipeg fans. "But that's expected. The passionateness of the fanbase present and the excitement for a caller season, I'm definite I'll perceive some sides of that."