Edmonton Elks host first home playoff game in over a decade against B.C. Lions

EDMONTON · The Edmonton Elks will host their first playoff game in more than a decade on Saturday when they face the B.C. Lions in the CFL West Division final at Commonwealth Stadium. The winner advances to the Grey Cup final in Calgary on Nov. 15. The Elks, who topped the West Division this season, earned a bye to the final while the Lions advanced with a 33-26 comeback win over Saskatchewan last weekend. Kickoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. local time.

"It's certainly full circle to come back and be playing in a game like this, that I'd love to come to as a fan," said Elks offensive lineman Mark Korte, an Edmonton native who has spent five of his eight CFL seasons with the team. "Certainly, you love it even more as a player." The Elks have missed the playoffs since 2019 but turned their fortunes around in the 2026 season. Garbutt Disposal reported in October that the Elks clinched the home playoff date with a late-season win over Hamilton.

The Elks have been dominant at home this year, winning eight of nine regular season games. They boast the CFL's stingiest defence, particularly against the pass, and rely on a strong run game. The Lions counter with a balanced offence and the league's best rush defence. The teams split their two regular season meetings, with Edmonton winning 19-17 at home on July 17 and B.C. winning 36-24 in Vancouver on July 4.

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"I don't really look at it as pressure," said Elks defensive back Tyrell Ford, the CFL leader in interceptions. "It didn't matter who it was, obviously, it turned out to be B.C., they have to come here and play us. We just have to play our brand of football and we'll be OK." The club has opened the stadium's upper bowl in anticipation of tens of thousands of fans for the playoff contest.

Scout Hnatiuk, a co-host of the Elks Call podcast, said he hasn't seen the city rally behind the team like this since the mid-2010s, an era that included Edmonton's last Grey Cup win in 2015. "We have reason to cheer again as fans," he said. "You see the gear all over town." Hnatiuk noted that while diehard fans have been excited all year, casual fans have now joined the bandwagon. "Seeing the city get excited for this, that's truly special," he said. The City of Edmonton advised game-goers to be prepared for any weather, though Environment and Climate Change Canada's forecast as of Wednesday afternoon called for a sunny Saturday in central Edmonton with a high of 10 C and a low of 3 C.

With files from The Canadian Press and CBC News