Ticats, Redblacks both look to end disappointing seasons on winning note

HAMILTON — Reggie Stubblefield and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats look to end a disappointing season on a winning note.

Hamilton (5-12) hosts the Ottawa Redblacks (1-16) on Saturday. It’s the regular-season finale for two teams that had high hopes for the ’26 campaign.

There was much talk in Hamilton that following the club’s first-place finish atop the East Division in 2025, it was poised to take a serious run at ending the franchise’s dubious Grey Cup drought. The Ticats’ last CFL title came in 1999.

And early prospects looked good as Hamilton won two of its first three games. But the Ticats’ championship aspirations took a major hit July 5 when starter Bo Levi Mitchell suffered what became a season-ending ankle injury in a 14-13 home loss to Winnipeg.

Meanwhile in Ottawa, much was expected after another active free-agent period and the hiring of Ryan Dinwiddie as head coach/GM. There was optimism the moves would help turn the fortunes of a team that went 4-14-0 in 2025.

But that never happened. Ottawa set a CFL record for most consecutive losses to open a season (16) before rookie Bryson Barnes guided the Redblacks to a 40-39 victory last week over the Toronto Argonauts. That win ended a 22-game losing streak that dated back to last year.

“For us, it’s just finish strong,” Stubblefield said. “I think these last four, five games we’ve been in it and put up a great fight, especially defensively.

“Just show what we’re capable of and just continue to progress and take the next step. Just to finish, leave it all out and get the win, that’s most important.”

Stubblefield also believes a solid showing Saturday could set the tone in 2027 for the Ticats

“Our mindset is to go out there and really, really dominate this game,” he said. “And show one last time to our fans and everybody around the league that Hamilton is going to come back on a high note next year.”

Barnes was stellar last week in his first CFL start, passing for 339 yards and two TDs while rushing for 62 yards.

Receiver Ayden Eberhardt was also impressive, registering nine catches for 101 yards and two TDs. Barnes’ 24-yard strike to Eberhardt tied the score 39-39 before Paul Geelen’s convert put Ottawa ahead with six seconds remaining.

But Hamilton won’t make it easy as Stubblefield will be among the many veteran starters who’ll play Saturday.

“Ottawa is coming off a win, so I’m pretty sure they’re feeling like, ‘We actually can do it,'” Stubblefield said. “They’ve been scratching and clawing and had a few games this year that they could’ve won.

“Just for them to finally get the win, man, I know they’re feeling good.”

Ottawa’s last road win over Hamilton was Oct. 27, 2018.

Canadian quarterback Tre Ford will start for Hamilton with Harrison Frost (elbow) out. Frost had 342 passing yards and two touchdowns in the Ticats’ 34-16 win over Ottawa on Oct. 2.

Stubblefield, 28, has been the silver lining to Hamilton’s cloudy season. The five-foot-11, 192-pound linebacker has a career-best 82 tackles (three for loss), two sacks, two interceptions, one forced fumble and a fumble recovery in 17 games.

On Thursday, Stubblefield was named Hamilton’s nominee for the CFL’s outstanding player and top defensive player awards. Upon learning of the nominations, Stubblefield said he immediately thought of late Ticats GM Ted Goveia.

It was Goveia who recruited Stubblefield as a free agent despite Stubblefield suffering a season-ending torn anterior cruciate ligament in the Montreal Alouettes’ 2024 opener. Stubblefield made his Hamilton debut July 12, 2025 versus Ottawa — a span of 400 days.

Sadly, Goveia died Sept. 12, 2025 at age 55 of esophageal cancer.

“He always believed in me from the first time he called me in free agency,” Stubblefield said. “Even when I was dealing with my ACL injury, he told me that he knew what I was capable of.

“Being a vet in the league, I know if I play my game and do what I’m capable of doing, things like this would come, so I’m very thankful. When you think about defensive players winning a most outstanding player award, that’s big time.”

Defensive back Destin Talbert said Stubblefield’s nominations are deserving.

“There’s no guy who comes out and pours himself into the game more than Reggie,” he said. “You see him flying around every day; you see him hyping us up before the game, during the game.

“Well deserved, I’m really happy for him.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 23, 2026.

Dan Ralph, The Canadian Press