Liza Mitchell of Longueuil is already in full game mode ahead of Grey Cup Sunday.
The longtime Montreal Alouettes supporter says she’s ready to cheer her team to victory against the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
Mitchell says her love for the Alouettes began more than two decades ago. She recalled how she first discovered the Grey Cup.
“I knew the CFL was around, but not really, not into football a lot. And basically about, I’d say 25 years ago, about in the 2000s, one of my friends was doing a great cup party, and I was like, ‘oh, what’s a great cup party?’ So we went, I knew what a Super Bowl party was, but I didn’t know about the grey cup. So yeah, just fell in love with it,” Mitchell explained.
Now a committed season-ticket holder, she said the league’s smaller scale creates a closeness that keeps her coming back.
“It’s been my 10th year now as a season ticket holder.”
She added that the CFL’s intimacy sets it apart.
“I just adore it… the players are closer to their fans… we get to know their families… And when we see them at the games, we’re always happy to see them.”
For Mitchell, attending home games is an experience every Montrealer should try at least once.
“I wouldn’t trade it for the world. It’s a great stadium. The fans are insane. Tailgates are fun. It’s the experience you have to go at least once. If you haven’t done it yet.”
Mitchell’s house is lined with years of Alouettes memorabilia, each item tied to a memory.
“I was getting a lot of stuff… from tailgates, from trips… going to Ottawa, going to Hamilton… So yeah, it’s something that I hold dear and it’s something that’s important to me.”
Two pieces in particular stand out: a replica championship ring and the well-known “love blanket.”
She said becoming the first fan to receive the duplicate Grey Cup ring after winning a contest still feels surreal.
“The ring… it’s a duplicate from the ring that they won in 2023… I got mine, I was the first one to get it. So to me that’s really special.”
The love blanket, she explained, is a long-standing playoff ritual.
“It’s called the love blanket… The Couverte de l’amour is basically used during the playoffs to bring luck to our team… So that’s really special to me too.”
Mitchell said choosing a favourite player is nearly impossible.
“I can’t pick one. There’s a lot… each player brings something.”
Still, she highlighted a few standouts.
“Obviously Dylan Winn is one of my favourites on the defence… and I guess Jamar McCluster is also one of them… and… Moose Johnson… he’s one of our big pieces on defence.”
She said what she appreciates most, however, is the team’s identity.
“I think there’s something about this team… the culture… the fact that you hear the coach say, ‘okay, we’re playing for Montreal, we’re playing for Quebec’… that he’s embraced our culture… I find that the coolest thing.”
The Alouettes closed the regular season with a 10‑8 record and then earned victories in both the East semi-final and East final to secure a spot in the Grey Cup.
At the heart of Montreal’s hopes is quarterback Davis Alexander, who enters the championship game with a 13‑0 record as a starter.
Alexander was on the practice field Wednesday, rolling out and jogging but not sprinting as he continues to recover from a left hamstring injury sustained in last Saturday’s East Division final.
Since that game, the plan is for him to have up to five treatments per day, including massage, electrical stimulation therapy, laser therapy, ultrasound, and strength and activation exercises.
Alexander said he felt better than expected after practice and is confident he will be ready for Sunday’s game.
“Better than I expected, just because I think I’m finally not sore from the Hamilton game, so that helps a little bit,” Alexander said. “But I felt great. This is playoff football and I’ll be ready to go.”
Montreal head coach Jason Maas confirmed Alexander will start the Grey Cup. “He’s going to start, and what I witnessed today, I won’t be surprised that he finishes it, either,” Maas said.
“Trust me, he’s dealt with what he’s playing with. When he’s started a game, he’s dealt with it throughout the entire game and he doesn’t want to come off the field. So the expectation is, when he starts, he’s going to finish it,” he added.
Mitchell said she never doubted he would take the field.
“I would have been surprised one way or the other, honestly for him not to play. I think he would have been missing his leg. He’s not gonna miss this for the world… I’m pretty confident in him… There’s a spark about him. And it radiates in the team.”
Offensive left guard Pier-Olivier Lestage, who missed the East final with a neck injury, was on the field Wednesday and is expected to play.
“It’s healing. It seemed to be much better this week,” Maas said. “The expectation for us is that he’ll play.”
Defensive lineman Mustafa Johnson who injured his shoulder also practiced on Wednesday but will be a game-time decision.
Receiver Austin Mack, who re-injured his leg late in the Hamilton game, was limited at practice.
Mitchell said the one-game format of the Grey Cup keeps everything wide open.
“Here’s the thing with football. It’s not a series… it’s a one game. So anything can happen… We have a hungry quarterback. We have a hungry team.”
Mitchell expects a tight defensive matchup.
“I think it’s gonna be a great game… I’m not expecting like a 45, 42 blowout… it’s gonna be a lower score, but it’s gonna be a good game.”
She said she has been wearing a different Alouettes jersey every day this week as her excitement builds.
“I have my jerseys on… Gonna need an extra closet soon… Yeah, definitely a superfan, I love my Al’s.”
She ended with a message for the team.
“Oh, bring it home, Al’s… Win or lose, we’re proud of you… If you can bring it home, even better.”
The Alouettes and the Saskatchewan Roughriders will have one last full practice Friday, followed by simulated sessions Saturday, before facing off in the 112th Grey Cup Sunday. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:48 p.m. EST.
For fans like Mitchell, it’s a chance to see their team compete for the championship after Montreal battled through injuries, adversity, and stiff competition to reach the Grey Cup.
Mitchell said she wanted to travel to Winnipeg but couldn’t this year.
“I would have loved to have gone… It’s just budget-wise… you really need to book it almost a year ahead.”
Instead, she plans to gather with fellow fans.
“This weekend… we’re supposed to meet with a bunch of people that are usually there at the tailgate… it’s gonna be fun.”
-With files from The Canadian Press
