Montreal Alouettes Look to Repeat Grey Cup Title in 2024
The Montreal Alouettes have plenty to be excited about after pulling off a huge 28-24 upset against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Grey Cup last month, and the organization has spent the past few weeks celebrating its first title since 2010.
Now with time to both reflect and look ahead, team president and CEO Mark Weightman acknowledges how important the win was for the Alouettes, on and off the field.
“This win is going to be great for us as an organization,” Weightman asserted. “It’s going to help us in everything that we do business-wise, it’s going to help us celebrate, but it’s not the only part of the solution. We’ve been through a cycle where we won the Grey Cup on the football side, but we’re eight months into a five-year plan.”
Alouettes quarterback Cody Fajardo celebrates with teammates after being named MVP in Montreal's first Grey Cup victory since 2010.
Montreal heads into the offseason with 22 players entering free agency, but the message was clear in the press conference that the team is past the rebuilding stage.
“When I take a look at the big picture, we’re not rebuilding anymore,” Alouettes general manager Danny Maciocia explained. “We’re going to reload. We have a good nucleus. We have a good foundation. We’re all aware that there are choices that need to be made. With the nucleus and foundation we have in place, we just need to add a few pieces and then hopefully get on a run and compete.”
Alouettes coach Jason Maas echoed that he expects everyone to be back for the upcoming season, and added that the focus going into 2024 is for the team to not settle for just one Grey Cup title.
“[The players] have to work and come together,” Maas said. “You try to build a vision of championship teams, and that’s where it starts. It’s about the team learning each other, working hard for each other, but putting in the work and the time. That’s what we’re built on.”
Montreal ended its season with an overall record of 11-7 following victories over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Toronto Argonauts and the Blue Bombers to win the Grey Cup. The team has yet to make any roster moves, but that should change soon with the post-title victory lap coming to an end.
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