Hamilton’s season officially begins on Saturday, June 7 in Calgary, with their home opener on Saturday, June 14 against Saskatchewan.
With the Hamilton Tiger-Cats Canadian Football League (CFL) training camp about two months away, their 2025 roster is beginning to take shape with some key additions including all-star receiver and two-time Grey Cup champion Kenny Lawler.
Lawler, who was signed as a free agent from the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, led the CFL in receiving with 1,014 yards and six touchdowns in 2021 and won the Grey Cup that year.
He went to the Edmonton Elks briefly before returning to the Blue Bombers for the 2023 and 2024 seasons where he continued to shine with 50 catches for 901 yards and six touchdowns in 2023 and 41 catches for 662 yards and four touchdowns in 2024.
The Ti-Cats signed Lawler to a two-year contract.
The Ti-Cats also picked up another former Blue Bomber receiver in Drew Wolitarsky.
Wolitarsky has also won two Grey Cups and had his best season in 2023 with 47 catches for 668 yards and six touchdowns.
Commenting on Wolitarsky, Ti-Cats General Manager Ted Goveia said, “In addition to being an extremely talented football player, Drew has a natural ability to lead and unite a football team. Whether it’s running a position meeting, putting in extra work before and after practice or playing his guitar for his teammates in the locker room, I know Drew will do whatever it takes to make the Hamilton Tiger-Cats a better football club.”
Goveia, originally from Burlington, Ontario, was announced the General Manager of the Ti-Cats in December after spending the last 10 seasons with the Blue Bombers.
Continuing the trend, the Ti-Cats also signed Western Division All-CFL offensive lineman Liam Dobson from the Blue Bombers to a two-year contract.
Other new signings include defensive back DaShaun Amos, who is a three-time Grey Cup winner, including last season with the Toronto Argonauts.
He registered 25 defensive tackles, five interceptions, three pass knockdowns, and one defensive touchdown in 2024.
Julian Howsare, a familiar name for Ti-Cats fans, was signed as a free agent after spending two years with the Calgary Stampeders.
Howsare, who plays defensive end, featured with the Ti-Cats from 2018 to 2022 and earned East Division All-CFL honours in his last season with the team.
Then there are also several players from last season who are returning, including All-CFL defensive lineman Casey Sayles who had seven sacks last season and quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell who set a new franchise record for passing yards and completions last year.
Receiver Shemar Bridges, who was the East Division Most Outstanding Rookie in 2024, returns after 83 catches for 933 yards and four touchdowns last season.
As do receivers Kiondre Smith (74 catches, 933 yards, seven touchdowns in 2024) and Tim White (74 catches, 1,164 yards, eight touchdowns).
Other high-profile returnees are Stavros Katsantonis (defensive back), Marc Liegghio (kicker), Jonathan Moxey (defensive back), Jamal Peters (defensive back), Brandon Revenberg (offensive lineman) and Lawrence Woods III (returner).
In terms of back-up quarterbacks, Taylor Powell and Taulia Tagovailoa are both expected to feature once again.
But in terms of running backs, James Butler has left the Ti-Cats, instead making a return to the B.C. Lions, so Greg Bell (94 carries, 625 yards, six touchdowns in 2024) and Ante Litre (62 carries, 168 yards, five touchdowns) are expected to carry the team.
The 2025 Canadian Football League schedule was also released, with the Ti-Cats’ pre-season games Saturday, May 24 against the Argos in Toronto and Friday, May 30 against the Argos in Hamilton.
Their season officially begins on Saturday, June 7 in Calgary with their home opener on Saturday, June 14 against Saskatchewan.
The Grey Cup this year is on Sunday, Nov. 16 in Winnipeg.
Based in Hamilton, he reaches hundreds of thousands of people monthly on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter. He has been published in The Hamilton Spectator, Stoney Creek News, and Bay Observer. He has also been a segment host with Cable 14 Hamilton. In 2017, he received the Chancellor Full Tuition Scholarship from the University of Ottawa (BA, 2022). He has also received the Governor General’s Academic Medal. He formerly worked in a non-partisan role on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.
