Pursuit of a win takes precedence over ties to the past for A.J. Ouellette and Corey Mace.
Mace’s priority is to coach the Saskatchewan Roughriders to a victory over his previous CFL team, the Toronto Argonauts, on Thursday (7 p.m., Mosaic Stadium).
Ouellette, who was an East Division All-Star running back as an Argonaut in 2022 and 2023, now hopes to demonstrate that form against an assortment of friends and familiar faces.
But the emphasis is on posting a 1-and-0 record this week, regardless of who happens to stand on the visitors’ sideline at Mosaic Stadium.
“It’s football, week in and week out,” Ouellette, who signed with the Roughriders as a free agent on Feb. 13, said after Tuesday’s practice at Mosaic Stadium.
“I’m just excited to get 1-and-0 game out and hopefully get this team to 4-and-0.”
Ouellette made his CFL debut with the Argonauts in 2019. His role with the team was elevated in 2022, culminating in a two-touchdown performance as Toronto edged the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 24-23 in the 109th Grey Cup game, played at Mosaic Stadium.
One of the holdovers from the Argos’ 2022 championship team is linebacker Wynton McManis, who has been a CFL All-Star in each of the past two seasons.
“I always like playing against players you know and you respect,” Ouellette said. “I’m going to have fun getting after Wynton and I’m sure he’s going to have fun trash-talking me.”
McManis earned league All-Star recognition in both of Mace’s seasons as the Argonauts’ Defensive Co-ordinator. He was named the Roughriders’ Head Coach on Nov. 30.
Mace had been hired in Toronto by Head Coach Ryan Dinwiddie. They were colleagues on Dave Dickenson’s Calgary Stampeders coaching staff from 2016 to 2019.
“We’ve won a lot of games together in a few places,” Mace said. “I have been on a staff (in Calgary) that had to coach against him in 2021.
“It’s another game. I know the mental makeup of how he coaches and runs that team and how those guys are going to come out, along with the rest of the staff.
“It’s going to be a good game — a tough game. It’s going to be a great test for us to see where we stand.
“We’re all excited about it. I’m excited about it. It’ll be good so see some old friends, so that will be cool.”
Once upon a time, it may have been a bigger deal to coach against former comrades, but experience can change perspective.
“I went through that the first time, transitioning from Calgary to Toronto,” Mace noted. “You kind of knock the rust off from that standpoint.
“It truly is another game for us. We’ve got to go and finish and come out with a W. That’s our aim.
“At some point, we were going to be playing Toronto. It just happens to be this week.
“It’s go time.”
BIG DAY FOR SHEA
Quarterback Shea Patterson, who is poised to make his first CFL start, sparkled on Tuesday during the Roughriders’ final full workout before the Toronto game.
“This was his best day, by far,” Ouellette said. “He’s just making plays and showing confidence out there.”
Mace was quick to agree with Ouellette’s assessment of Patterson.
“He had a great day,” the Roughriders’ chief strategist said. “We had quarter periods. We had compete periods. He read it well and he led the group.
“I’m extremely pleased with how he has practised this week. To finish off with a Day 3 like that is very encouraging.”
Patterson steps in for Trevor Harris, who suffered a knee injury late in the first half of a June 23 home game against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Harris is about to be placed on the six-game injured list.
As for Patterson, he will soon become the Roughriders’ 72nd starting quarterback of the post-World War era.
