Veteran Canadian receiver Mital close giving Argos record fourth 1,000-yard receiver

TORONTO — Kevin Mital is close to earning the Toronto Argonauts a historic first.

The veteran receiver needs just 19 yards to reach the 1,000-yard plateau for the first time. He’d become the fourth Argo to do so this season, something that’s never happened in Toronto’s history and has occurred just four times ever in the CFL.

Toronto (9-8) hosts Montreal (13-4) on Friday night in the regular-season finale for both teams. The game has no bearing on the East Division standings as the Alouettes and Argos have already clinched the top two spots.

Toronto hosts the West’s fourth-place finisher in the East semifinal Oct. 31. The winner visits Montreal in the division final Nov. 7.

The six-foot, 229-pound Mital has established career highs in his third CFL campaign for receiving yards (981) and touchdowns (five). Now, the Saint-Hubert, Que., native is looking to join teammates Damonte Coxie (1,322), David Ungerer III (1,118) and rookie Tyler Kahmann (1,085) in the 1,000-yard club.

“It would just mean we’ve got a good offence and you’ve got to pick your poison,” said Mital. “Chad (Toronto quarterback Chad Kelly) has done a great job of getting the ball to everybody and when we get a chance, we make plays.

“That (1,000-yard season) was the whole plan. They gave me a contract (extension) at the start of the season because they knew I was capable of doing this … it’s just another check on the list but the job’s not done.”

This marks just the third time in Argos history that they’ve had three 1,000-yard receivers in the same season and the first since ’19. On Friday night, Mital’s first reception will be the 200th of his pro career.

“For Kevin, he’d definitely deserve it,” said Toronto head coach Mike Miller. “The guy just does a great job and he’s an unselfish teammate.

“For me as a coach, it would be ‘OK, we’ve had some success there,’ and you’re pleased. But you keep it in perspective because, again, it’s still all about the ultimate goal. But I’ll be excited for them (Argos receivers) because they put the time in, they’ve worked really hard and deserve it.”

Mital, 27, credits Kelly for the receiving corps’ success and overall balance. Mital, who won the ’22 Hec Crighton Trophy as Canadian university football’s top player at Laval, said the receivers understand if they can get open, Kelly will see that and deliver the ball accurately and on time.

“He’s got the arm and he makes plays,” Mital said. “He’s a playmaker so you know you’ve got to run your route and that he’s going to put the ball out there.”

Mital will be among just a handful of Toronto starters on the field Friday night. Third-stringer Tucker Horn will start under centre with newcomer Luis Perez serving as the backup.

Kelly (lower body injury) won’t dress. Veteran backup Nick Arbuckle will be Toronto’s third quarterback.

“You’re trying to run things they’re going to be able to build confidence with but still play the way we play,” Miller said of the challenge with having so many new faces in the starting lineup. “We want to play smart, fast and physical and allow them to have that confidence going forward.

“They know and I’ve told them, ‘Hey, if you make a mistake, make it going 100 miles an hour, learn from it and then go to that next play.’ That doesn’t really change anything, we’re only as good as our next play so that’s what our focus has to be.”

Dustin Crum will make a second straight start at quarterback for Montreal with Caleb Evans backing him up. Davis Alexander, the usual starter, will be the third quarterback.

Tyson Philpot and Tyler Snead — who are first and second, respectively, in CFL receiving — won’t dress for Montreal. Canadian kicker Lewis Ward will make his Alouettes debut while linebacker Micah Awe and cornerback Lorenzo Burns both return from injury.

“We’ve just got to do our thing, run our offence,” Mital said. “I’m (expecting) to see them again in two weeks (in East final).

“It’s just a preview.”

With a win, Montreal would tie the ’04 Alouettes for the second-best record in team history. The ’09 squad finished with a 15-3 regular-season mark.

And if the Alouettes score 20 points Friday, it would give them 611 on the season, breaking the team mark of 610 set in 2008.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 22, 2026.

Dan Ralph, The Canadian Press