Back to Canada, the Alliance Goes. This Time the League Lands in Montreal
Montreal Monarchs Join the Alliance
May 19, 2021
Montreal, Ontario, Canada - Sid Spiegel and Gary Stern along with S and S Sportsco LLC, the former ownership group of the CFL's Montreal Alouettes, announced that they were granted a 2022 AAF expansion franchise and that the team would be known as the Montreal Monarchs! Spiegel then introduced former University of Washington Huskies Head Coach, Chris Peterson, as the Head Coach. Peterson then took the stage and announced his offensive and defensive coordinators.
Former University of California and the CFL's BC Lions Head Coach, Jeff Tedford, would be joining the Monarchs as the Offensive Coordinator, while former Michigan State Spartans Head Coach Mark Dantonio would be joining the staff as the Defensive Coordinator.
Former Montreal Alouettes Head Coach and General Manager, Khari Jones and Danny Maciocia, as the QBs Coach and General Manager for the Monarchs, while former Alouettes Defensive Coordinator Paul Pasqualoni comes over as the LBs Coach.
The Monarchs' would be playing their home games at Percival Molson Memorial Stadium.
Stern announced that a few of the 2020 Montreal Alouettes would also be suiting up for the Monarchs in 2022, such as QB Vernon Adams, RBs James Wilder Jr., and Tyrell Sutton, WRs Quan Bray, BJ Cunningham, Naaman Roosevelt and Jake Wieneke, OL Jason Lauzon-Seguin, DL Datone Jones and Almondo Sewell, LB Henoc Muamba, DBs Taylor Loffler and Greg Reid. Stern stated,
"We want to be the official Canada's team of the Alliance. We plan on pursuing the best players available from the CFL and what Canada has to offer. It will be a priority for this franchise and we're going to start off by announcing the signing of three time CFL All Star QB Jeremiah Masoli."
Monarchs Challenges the NFL
May 20, 2021
Montreal, Ontario, Canada - Sid Spiegel and Gary Stern again hold a press conference with big grins on their faces. "We're about to introduce you all to our new starting Running Back, Chuba Hubbard!"
Chuba Hubbard was born in Alberta, Canada and played his college football at Oklahoma State University where he was a two time All-American, three time All-Conference and two time BIG12 conference Offensive Player of the Year. After sitting out his redshirt Junior year due to a conflict with Oklahoma State's Head Coach Mike Gundy, he entered the 2021 NFL Draft last month where he was projected to be a late first or early second round selection, but fell to the 4th round to the Tennessee Titans. He never signed a contract with the Titans.
Hubbard stated,
"I'm excited to be coming back home to Canada, and being a Montreal Monarch. I'm very grateful for the Alliance and Mr. Spiegel and Mr. Stern for giving me this opportunity. Can't wait to get the opportunity to further prove to scouts that I can play at the professional level and that I am worth a 1st round selection."
S and S Sportsco LLC announced that they signed Chuba Hubbard to a 1 year $2M deal with the understanding that Hubbard would be entering the 2022 NFL Draft.
TSN to Broadcast the Alliance
May 21, 2021
Stamford, CT - The Sports Network(TSN) is the leading sports network throughout Canada and has been expressing interest in adding Alliance games to their programming since they ended their relationship with the CFL earlier this year. TSN will be airing all of the Toronto Jousters and Montreal Monarchs games across their networks weekly. The network signed a $30M one year agreement with the league.
TSN choosing the AAF over the CFL will be very damaging for the league above the border. The CFL has already cut salaries drastically across the league, and without any TV money coming in, the league could be in real danger.