10:00 AM 02/12/16: Chad Owens deal in Hamilton made official
The Ticats announced Friday morning that they have signed former CFL Most Outstanding Player Chad Owens.
Owens has played in 90 career CFL games, all but one of which came as a member of the Toronto Argonauts. Since 2010, Owens has racked up six straight seasons with 45+ receptions, including back-to-back campaigns with 94 receptions (2012-13). Across his entire CFL career Owens has racked up 5,174 receiving yards, while entering 2016 just 54 receptions shy of 500.
Known for his ability on special teams as well, Owens has registered 3,549 (9.7 avg.) punt return yards and 5,456 kickoff return yards (22.8 avg.) on a combined 602 returns. In total, the native of Honolulu, Hawaii has amassed 15,145 all-purpose yards and 28 total touchdowns in the CFL.
2:30 PM, 02/11/16: Veteran DB Washington re-unites with Sears in Hamilton
It was announced Thursday that veteran defensive back Demond Washington has inked a two-year deal with the Tiger-Cats. Washington has played in 67 career games with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers since beginning his CFL career with the team in 2012.
The Auburn product recorded a career-high three interceptions in 2015, while racking up 67 defensive tackles, a forced fumble and a sack. In Hamilton, Washington will re-unite with fellow hard-hitting defensive back Johnny Sears Jr.; the two played alongside each other in Winnipeg from 2012-14.
11:00 AM, 02/11/16: Tiger-Cats announce Fantuz signing
The Ticats have officially announced the signing of national receiver Andy Fantuz. The 10-year CFL veteran will return for his fifth season with the Tiger-Cats, after registering 42 receptions, 432 yards and two touchdowns in nine contests last season.
Fantuz has appeared in 128 CFL games since being drafted in the first round of the 2006 CFL Draft, splitting time between the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Hamilton Tiger-Cats. The native of Chatham, Ontario has recorded 7,249 receiving yards in his career, ranking 46th on the all-time CFL list in that category; he ranks fifth in receiving yards for active CFL receivers.
3:30 PM, 02/10/16: Tiger-Cats make Simmons signing official
The Ticats have announced the signing of veteran offensive lineman Brian Simmons. The five-year CFL veteran has played in 61 regular season games and six playoff contests in his career, all of which came as a member of the Tiger-Cats.
Simmons has suited up at right tackle, left tackle and right guard for the Black and Gold; in 2014 he was named the team’s Most Outstanding Lineman, while receiving honours as an East Division All-Star.
12:00 PM, 02/10/16: Ticats officially sign Ted Laurent
In the announcement that everyone has been waiting for, the Ticats have officially signed national defensive tackle and CFL All-Star Ted Laurent.
Laurent, who was considered by many to be one of the best free agents available, agreed to terms with the team on Tuesday afternoon and made it official on Wednesday morning. In 2015, Laurent’s second season in Black and Gold, the Montreal native registered the second-highest tackle total (26) of his five-year CFL career, while adding three sacks and a forced fumble.
The 28-year old took his game to yet another level in the playoffs, recording four sacks in two playoff contests (two in each game) for the Ticats. With his new deal, Laurent will re-assume his familiar role of anchoring the Tiger-Cats interior defensive line and eating up double teams from opposing linemen.
6:30 PM, 02/09/16: Ticats sign linebacker Hoffman-Ellis
The Ticats have reached a deal with former BC Lions linebacker Alex Hoffman-Ellis. The international linebacker and Washington State alumnus recorded 57 tackles, three interceptions and a forced fumble in 15 games with BC in 2015.
In 2014, his rookie CFL season, Hoffman-Ellis appeared in just one game for the Lions, recording eight tackles and a forced fumble in his first career game.
02/08/16: Stephen inked to long-term deal before deadline
Just one day before the CFL Free Agency deadline, national defensive back Courtney Stephen was re-signed to a three-year deal with the Tiger-Cats.
Stephen had a career year in 2015, recording 48 defensive tackles, four interceptions, two special teams tackles, four pass knockdowns and one forced fumble in his third year with the club. The Brampton, Ontario native has appeared in 47 games across three campaigns with the Ticats after being selected eighth overall by the team in the 2012 CFL Draft.
02/08/16: Offensive tackle Jeremy Lewis re-signed in Hamilton
The Ticats announced Monday that they had reached a new two-year deal with offensive tackle Jeremy Lewis.
Lewis started 15 games at right tackle for the team in 2015 and has appeared in 25 games for the team since his signing in 2014. Prior to the Ticats, Lewis spent time with the Toronto Argonauts, the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the AFL’s Los Angeles Kiss and San Antonio Talons.
01/27/16: Ticats land all-star defensive end Chick
Just under two weeks after he was released by the Saskatchewan Roughriders, all-star defensive end John Chick found a new home in Hamilton.
Chick, a two-time Grey Cup Champion (2007, 2013) and CFL All-Star (2009, 2014) in six CFL seasons, was signed to a two-year contract by the Tiger-Cats. The veteran rush end is coming off of a season in which he played in all 18 games for the Riders, recording 42 tackles, 11 sacks, two tackles for loss, an interception and a forced fumble.
Chick has established himself as one of the CFL’s best pass rushers of this era, recording 53 sacks in 91 career games with Saskatchewan. He earned honours as the CFL’s Most Outstanding Defensive Player in the 2009 campaign.
01/14/16: Ticats announce five national signings
On January 14, the Ticats announced the signing of five national players, including 2015 CFL Draft selection Everett Ellefsen, 2014 CFL Draft choice Stephen Mawa, and converted offensive lineman Everton Williams.
Ellefsen dressed in three games for the Ticats in 2015, while Mawa and Williams both spent the season on the team’s practice roster.
Along with the three extensions, the Tiger-Cats announced that they had inked national defensive lineman Ricky Osei-Kusi and linebacker Geoff Hughes. Osei-Kusi was a standout at Western University, recording 102 tackles, 20 sacks, 33.5 tackles for loss and four forced fumbles in 35 games across five seasons. Hughes excelled as a linebacker at the University of Saskatchewan, racking up 88 tackles, 3.5 sacks and 6.5 tackles for loss over his five-year collegiate career.
01/12/16: Ticats extend Pilares, sign Brandon
Less than a week after Masoli re-signed in Hamilton, his post-practice workout partner also extended his stay.
International receiver Kealoha Pilares, who started the team’s playoff finale in Ottawa and made three receptions for 15 yards, signed an extension with the club. Pilares signed with the Ticats on September 3, 2015, spending the rest of the regular season on the practice roster before suiting up against the Redblacks in the East Final.
Along with Pilares, the team announced that they had signed defensive back Tevrin Brandon. The native of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania spent the month of October on the Ticats practice roster, before being released on October 27. Prior to his time with the Tiger-Cats, Brandon had a pair of NFL stints with the Kansas City Chiefs and Denver Broncos.
01/08/16: Sears re-ups with Tiger-Cats
Two days after the Masoli signing, the Ticats announced the return of another veteran, defensive back Johnny Sears Jr.
The 2015 season was Sears’ first in the Black and Gold, and while he unfortunately missed 15 games due to injury, his impact was felt in the three games he did start in. In just three contests, the six-year CFL veteran posted 11 defensive tackles, two interceptions, one sack and one forced fumble.
In five previous CFL seasons with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Sears registered 138 tackles, eight interceptions, four forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries and two sacks.
01/06/16: Ticats re-sign playoff starter Masoli
Just over a month after he nearly led the team to a third straight Grey Cup, Jeremiah Masoli opted to fore-go the free agency process and instead re-sign with the Ticats. The 27-year old international quarterback signed back in Hamilton through the 2017 season.
In two playoff starts with the Ticats in 2015, Masoli completed 70% of his pass attempts (42/60) for 490 passing yards, three touchdowns and one interception, while adding 102 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.
12/18/15: Ticats extend Tracy, re-sign Crawford
Just two days after their first off-season move, the Ticats announced another pair of transactions, reporting contract extensions for international defensive end Adrian Tracy and national long-snapper Aaron Crawford.
Tracy, who started six games in the Black and Gold in his 2015 rookie season, signed an extension to stay in Hamilton through 2018. After making his CFL debut on July 2 in Winnipeg, the Virginia native recorded 15 defensive tackles, one fumble recovery and two pass knock downs.
Crawford, who was set to hit free agency on February 9, re-upped with the club for two more years. The long-snapper and special teams standout registered seven special teams tackles in 2015, appearing in all 18 regular season games and both playoff games; he has suited up for 36 games across three seasons in Hamilton.
12/16/15: Ticats extend Prime, Girard and Davis
The Tiger-Cats’ first transaction of the 2016 off-season saw the club re-sign national fullback Carl-Oliviér Prime, national offensive lineman Mathieu Girard and international defensive end Troy Davis.
Prime has played 44 career games in the Black and Gold and will enter his fourth year with the Ticats in 2016. The linebacker-turned-fullback will remain in Hamilton through the 2017 campaign; he suited up for every single game of the 2015 season.
Girard, who has also undergone a position change during his Ticats tenure– from defensive line to offensive line– has inked a deal that extends his stay in Hamilton through the 2018 season. The University of Montreal grad appeared in all 18 regular season games and both Ticats playoff games during his 2015 rookie season.
Troy Davis, who signed on late in the 2015 season and played in just one game (the East Final in Ottawa), signed a two-year deal with the club. Prior to joining the Ticats, Davis spent time with the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys and New York Jets.