2023 Edmonton Elks season explained

Team:Edmonton Elks
Year:2023
Record:4–14
Division Place:5th, West
Coach:Chris Jones
General Manager:Chris Jones
President:Victor Cui
Rick LeLacheur (interim)
Stadium:Commonwealth Stadium
Playoffs:Did not qualify
Mop:Tre Ford
Modp:Jake Ceresna
Moc:Tre Ford
Mool:Martez Ivey
Most:Scott Hutter
Mor:Kai Gray
Uniform:File:CFL EDM Jersey 2022.png
Shortnavlink:Elks seasons

The 2023 Edmonton Elks season was the 65th season for the team in the Canadian Football League and their 74th overall. After an 0–9 start to the season, the Elks were mathematically eliminated from playoff contention following their week 18 loss to the Toronto Argonauts.[1]

The team's 2023 season was the second under the second tenure of head coach and general manager, Chris Jones.[2]

The Elks struggled on the field and started the season 0–7 for the first time in franchise history. The only other Edmonton-based senior football team to start a season 0–7 was the 1938 Edmonton Eskimos who went winless in the then-eight-game Western Interprovincial Football Union season. The Elks also set the record for the longest home losing streak in North American professional sports, previously held by the 1953 St. Louis Browns, having lost 21 consecutive games at Commonwealth Stadium in a slump dating to the 2019 season.[3] They also matched a team record for consecutive losses both home and away, at 13, which ended with a week 11 win in Hamilton. After 1,415 days, the team won a home game on August 27 against the Ottawa Redblacks, ending the home-losing streak at 22 games.[4]

Offseason

CFL Global Draft

The 2023 CFL Global Draft took place on May 2.[5] [6] The Elks had the second selection in each round.[7]

RoundPickPlayerPositionClub/SchoolNationality
1 2 Great Britain
2 11 Germany

CFL National Draft

The 2023 CFL Draft took place on May 2.[6] The Elks had nine selections in the eight-round draft, including a territorial selection.[8] The team acquired additional selections in the second and third rounds, but also forfeited a second-round pick after drafting J-Min Pelley in the 2022 Supplemental Draft.[9] [10] [11] [12]

RoundPickPlayerPositionUniversity TeamHometown
1 2 Sainte-Marthe-sur-le-Lac, QC
2 Beaumont, AB
3 20 Victoria, BC
3 23 Victoria, BC
4 28 West Palm Beach, FL
5 38 Montreal Châteauguay, QC
6 50 Richmond Hill, ON
7 56 Montreal Montreal, QC
8 65 Western Ontario Surrey, BC

Preseason

WeekGameDateKickoffOpponentResultsTVVenueAttendanceSummary
ScoreRecord
A1Mon, May 222:00 p.m. MDTat Calgary StampedersL 24–290–1NoneMcMahon Stadium17,942Recap
B2Sat, May 272:00 p.m. MDTvs. Winnipeg Blue BombersL 23–250–2NoneCommonwealth StadiumN/ARecap
CBye
[13] [14]

Regular season

Schedule

WeekGameDateKickoffOpponentResultsTVVenueAttendanceSummary
ScoreRecord
11Sun, June 115:00 p.m. MDTvs. Saskatchewan RoughridersL 13–170–1TSNCommonwealth Stadium32,233Recap
22Sat, June 175:00 p.m. MDTat BC LionsL 0–220–2TSN/CBSSNBC Place33,103Recap
33Sun, June 255:00 p.m. MDTvs. Toronto ArgonautsL 31–430–3TSNCommonwealth Stadium20,817Recap
44Fri, June 305:30 p.m. MDTat Ottawa RedblacksL 7–260–4TSN/RDSTD Place Stadium18,145Recap
55Thu, July 67:00 p.m. MDTat Saskatchewan RoughridersL 11–120–5TSN/CBSSNMosaic Stadium27,197Recap
66Thu, July 137:00 p.m. MDTvs. Hamilton Tiger-CatsL 29–370–6TSN/CBSSNCommonwealth Stadium21,173Recap
77Thu, July 206:30 p.m. MDTat Winnipeg Blue BombersL 14–280–7TSNIG Field28,512Recap
88Sat, July 295:00 p.m. MDTvs. BC LionsL 0–270–8TSN/CBSSNCommonwealth Stadium24,613Recap
9Bye
10 9 Thu, Aug 107:00 p.m. MDTvs. Winnipeg Blue BombersL 29–380–9TSN/CBSSNCommonwealth Stadium19,921Recap
1110Thu, Aug 175:30 p.m. MDTat Hamilton Tiger-CatsW 24–101–9TSN/RDS2/CBSSNTim Hortons Field20,912Recap
1211Sun, Aug 275:00 p.m. MDTvs. Ottawa RedblacksW 30–202–9TSN/RDS/CBSSNCommonwealth Stadium23,825Recap
1312Mon, Sept 45:00 p.m. MDTat Calgary StampedersL 31–352–10TSN/CBSSNMcMahon Stadium26,741Recap
1413Sat, Sept 95:00 p.m. MDTvs. Calgary StampedersW 25–233–10TSN/RDS2Commonwealth Stadium32,422Recap
1514Fri, Sept 157:30 p.m. MDTat Saskatchewan RoughridersW 36–274–10TSNMosaic Stadium25,304Recap
1615Fri, Sept 227:30 p.m. MDTvs. BC LionsL 29–374–11TSNCommonwealth Stadium25,144Recap
17Bye
1816Fri, Oct 65:00 p.m. MDTat Toronto ArgonautsL 12–354–12TSN/RDS2/CBSSNBMO Field14,246Recap
1917Sat, Oct 142:00 p.m. MDTvs. Montreal AlouettesL 21–354–13TSN/RDSCommonwealth Stadium22,822Recap
20 18 Sat, Oct 215:00 p.m. MDTat Winnipeg Blue BombersL 25–454–14TSNIG Field32,343Recap
21Bye
[13] [15] [16]

Game summaries

Week 20: at Winnipeg Blue Bombers

Team

Roster

Quarterbacks

Receivers

              • WR/KR

Running backs

Fullbacks

Offensive linemen

Defensive linemen

Linebackers

Defensive backs

Special teams

  • LS
  • K
  • P
1-Game Injured
  • LB
  • DB
  • DB
  • LB
  • OL
  • DL

6-Game Injured

  • LB
  • WR
  • DB
  • OL
Practice roster
  • OL

Suspended

  • OL
  • OL
  • DL
  • OL
  • OL
  • OL
Italics indicate American player • Bold indicates Global player • 46 Roster, 10 Injured, 1 Practice roster, 6 Suspended
Roster updated 2023-10-21 • Depth chartTransactionsMore CFL rosters

Coaching staff

Notes and References

  1. Web site: River Cree Recap: Elks come up short against Argos . . October 7, 2023.
  2. Web site: Jones named Elks general manager and head cach . . December 21, 2021.
  3. News: Elks blanked by Lions, set mark for longest home losing streak in North American pro sports . . July 29, 2023.
  4. News: It's Over! Elks down Redblacks to end home losing streak . . August 27, 2023.
  5. News: Expanded CFL Combine presented by New Era heading to Edmonton in '23 . . November 10, 2022.
  6. Web site: Revamped CFL Combine season, CFL Draft highlight '23 off-season . . January 19, 2023.
  7. News: 2023 Global draft tracker . . May 10, 2023.
  8. Web site: CFL Draft to feature territorial picks . . April 17, 2019.
  9. Web site: Elks take DL J-Min Pelley, Stamps take T. J. Rayam in Supplemental Draft . . May 5, 2022.
  10. News: Ticats acquire OL David Beard in trade w/ Elks . . September 2, 2022.
  11. News: Elks acquire Ellis, draft pick from Als in exchange for Costigan, Lyon . . August 31, 2022.
  12. News: Redblacks acquire Arbuckle in trade with Elks . . July 11, 2022.
  13. Web site: 2023 CFL Schedule . . December 17, 2022.
  14. Web site: 2023 CFL on TSN Broadcast Schedule . . May 10, 2023.
  15. Web site: Horaire de diffusion – LCF . . May 24, 2023 . French.
  16. Web site: 2023 U.S. and International broadcast schedule . . June 7, 2023.