By Canadian Press

Alouettes GM Maciocia ‘encouraged’ by new signings despite ownership debacle

Feb 15, 2023 | 11:31 AM

MONTREAL — As the Montreal Alouettes flew into a cloud of uncertainty over the team’s ownership situation, the frustration started to take its toll on general manager Danny Maciocia.

In the weeks leading to Canadian Football League free agency, Maciocia said that he received an email stating that he could no longer spend any money. The team was still owned by the estate of the late Sid Speigel, who died in July 2021, and his son-in-law Gary Stern.

“That’s where the frustration and other questions flew through my mind, but I knew that the day we lived yesterday was coming,” Maciocia said at a news conference Wednesday, a day after the CFL took over the team’s operations. “So it was about being patient, but it got heavier with every passing day. But finally we got the day we had yesterday and I think we’re heading on the right track.”

Maciocia even got to the point where he considered leaving the Alouettes, albeit only for an instant.

“I have considered it but you really need to be careful when you’re in that state of mind,” he said. “I spent three weeks on the road in Florida, in Pasadena, in Los Angeles and in Vegas for the All-Star Bowl games and to live all that while you’re working and you ask yourself which direction we’re going, is it worth continuing and having to look elsewhere. 

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“That’s a question I’ve asked myself but it maybe lasted 30 seconds and that was mainly frustration.”

At 9 a.m. ET on Tuesday morning, Maciocia finally received an email saying that he would have money to spend after the CFL took over the team from Speigel’s estate and Stern. The league passed the baton to its investment banking partner, Park Lane, to initiate “an accelerated and formal sales process.” 

A welcome message in Maciocia’s inbox, but one that came too late for him to retain some of Montreal’s shining stars. Starting quarterback Trevor Harris set sail for the Saskatchewan Roughriders while 2022 East Division Most Outstanding Player Eugene Lewis signed a deal with the Edmonton Elks reportedly making him the league’s highest-paid non-QB. 

“I mean if you go back to last year, we’re a touchdown removed from going to the Grey Cup. That’s just the reality of it,” Maciocia said. “So that’s the stuff that’s circulating in my mind where we’re a touchdown removed from going to the Grey Cup and now, you know, you’re looking into trying to find a way to score a few touchdowns with the events that took place here over the last little while.”

With the green light to spend on his squad, Maciocia went on a signing spree as free agency opened. He restocked Montreal’s quarterback depth by inking starter Cody Fajardo from Saskatchewan and Caleb Evans from the Ottawa Redblacks. 

“There are a lot of things that have encouraged me since yesterday’s announcement,” Maciocia said. “I think we’re on the right track, I couldn’t always say that it was the case over the last few weeks. It wasn’t easy but since yesterday, I hope that the news that came out inspired people.”

Maciocia also brought on receiver Greg Ellingson from the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, defensive back Jumal Rolle from the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and long snapper Louis-Philippe Bourassa from Ottawa. The Alouettes also snagged centre Justin Lawrence from the Grey Cup-champion Toronto Argonauts. 

The Als GM said he felt a sense of pride to see him and his football operations team work the phones in order to secure the crop of players. He added that he was “excited to watch these guys play” and for new head coach Jason Maas to lead a team filled with “blue-collar workers” for the 2023 season. 

“These guys are going to come in here with a little bit of a chip on their shoulder,” Maciocia said. “This organization has a little bit of a chip on their shoulder right now. We’re going to line up, we’re going to buckle up, we’re going to get after people and we’re doing it with the right core of players and coaches and support staff.”

CECCHINI RETURNS

As part of the CFL’s takeover, former president Mario Cecchini returned to the Alouettes on an interim basis. Cecchini was informed by the former ownership that his contract would not be renewed at the end of 2022, leaving a gaping hole at the organization.

“For me personally, the fact that he wasn’t there and you live what we’ve been through, you feel abandoned,” Maciocia said. “Without an owner or a president, you feel a little bit isolated.”

While Maciocia doesn’t have a timeline for when a new ownership will be found, he thinks Cecchini would be a suitable candidate to continue on with the team’s presidency. 

“If the new owner wants Mario Cecchini, you’re not going to get any pushback from this guy,” Maciocia said. “To me, what’s going to be important is that we are aligned. That alignment obviously, in the last few weeks, you just didn’t feel it and hasn’t been around for many different reasons.

“Having said that, I think the next group hopefully can be aligned from the ownership group all the way down to the people that are working in this locker room.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 15, 2023.

Tristan D’Amours, The Canadian Press