09.26.2026 | Game Preview: VS Tiger-Cats
The Edmonton Elks host the Hamilton-Tiger Cats in CFL Week 17 action at Play Alberta Field at Commonwealth Stadium on Saturday (5 p.m. MT).
Tickets are available through Ticketmaster. Catch the action live on TSN, 880 CHED and CFL+
Edmonton sits atop the CFL West Division standings with a record of 10-4. The Elks are looking to quickly bounce back after seeing their four-game winning streak come to an end last week with a 24-19 loss to the Toronto Argonauts at BMO Field.
At 4-10, the Tiger-Cats are third in the CFL East Division. Hamilton is on a four-game losing streak and has won just once in its last eight contests.
This is the first meeting of the season between the two teams. The Elks and Ti-Cats last met on Sept. 20, 2025, at Tim Hortons Field, where the host Tiger-Cats eked out a 29-27 victory.
Home, Sweet Home
Having played just once at home in the last five weeks, the Elks are excited to get back to Commonwealth Stadium, where the Green and Gold have a 6-1 record in 2026, and are 10-2 in their last 12 games going back to last season.
In Edmonton’s most recent home game, more than 31,000 fans watched the Elks defeat the Calgary Stampeders by a score of 53-16 on Sept. 12.
“We love playing here and we’ve tried to establish being a tough place to play,” Elks quarterback Cody Fajardo said. “With our fans showing out, and having 30,000-plus, that makes it a much better atmosphere for us; it helps our defence out, gives us energy as an offence, so any time you’re at home you want to defend home turf. The fans are a big part of that, so I’m hoping we have a great crowd.”
Lessons Learned
The Elks are also eager for the opportunity to put last week’s loss in Toronto behind them. Statistically, Edmonton dominated the game, outgaining the Argos 483-354 in net offence yards and holding a 30-14 edge in first downs while possessing the ball for 38:45 of the 60 minutes. What ultimately cost the Elks was an inability to convert in the redzone, where they scored just one touchdown on six trips inside Toronto’s 20-yard line.
“You have to take the lessons form it, and I think that’s the most important thing,” Elks coach Mark Kilam said. “We had a setback, we felt disappointed, it was a missed opportunity. But we move forward, and we’re focused on Hamilton, and we want to play well this weekend.
Edmonton is 2-1 when coming off a loss this season, having suffered back-to-back defeats just once in 2026.
Built for Distance
Edmonton nearly rallied to beat the Argos last week, but an interception in Toronto’s endzone with only seconds remaining sealed the EE’s fate. It was the rare occasion this season when Edmonton didn’t come up big in the clutch: before last week, the Green and Gold was 7-1 in games decided in the final three minutes.
The Elks are earning a reputation for just getting better and better as the game goes on. Over their last five contests, the Green and Gold have outscored the opposition 118-26 in the second half, including 68-9 in the fourth quarter.
“I do think what coach Kilam has done a great job of this year is saved our legs, and I think that’s a big part of a reason why we’ve been such a good second half football team, is the way that he structures practice,” Fajardo said. “We get a work in when we need to, but we also rest and recover when we have to.”
Hamilton has been outscored during the second half in 12 of its 14 games this season, although the Ti-Cats did put up 22 points in the fourth quarter of their most recent game, a 37-25 loss to the Montreal Alouettes in Week 16.
Playoff Picture
With just a month to go in the CFL regular season, the playoff picture is starting to take shape, and both teams in Saturday night’s tilt have a lot to play for.
Edmonton has already clinched a playoff berth and is now close to securing a home playoff game, which would be the first postseason contest at Commonwealth Stadium since 2015.
Hamilton, on the other hand, will be eliminated from postseason contention with a loss and wins by both the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (vs Toronto) and BC Lions (vs the Saskatchewan Roughriders) on Friday.
“We’re playing playoff football from here to the end of the year, to Grey Cup in November,” said Fajardo. “This is playoff football, every game means so much more.”