Stampeders draft defensive back Ben Labrosse as CFL says goodbye to former team president Lyle Bauer
With rookie camps a week away, the CFL draft was held Tuesday night.
The Calgary Stampeders had the No. 4 selection overall and chose defensive back Ben Labrosse from McGill.
He was a USports conference all-star. Last season, he had 35 tackles and three interceptions, one of those for a touchdown.
Before McGill, Labrosse went to Syracuse.
The Stamps traded up to get another pick in the first round. At No. 8 overall, they chose offensive lineman Christy Nkanu out of Washington State.
Head coach Dave Dickenson said one of his priorities this season is to shore up the offensive line.
'A warrior'
There was sad news as well Wednesday as former president Lyle Bauer has died.
Bauer had a successful career as a Blue Bomber offensive lineman and executive, where he helped rescue the Blue Bombers from financial troubles when he served as the team president. He won three Grey Cups as a player and helped the Bombers reach four others as a front-office executive.
In 2010, he joined former Blue Bomber teammate John Hufnagel in Calgary, where he served as team president until 2012.
“I greatly enjoyed working with Lyle, both as a teammate and in management,” Hufnagel said in a statement. "He was excellent in both roles and he was a great friend.
"On behalf of the Stampeders organization, I offer condolences to Lyle’s wife Heidi and their children as well as to all other members of his family and his many friends."
CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie called Bauer a "warrior."
"He grappled with opponents as a Winnipeg Blue Bomber o-lineman and fought for the franchise’s future as its president and CEO," Ambrosie posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. "He worked in a similar role with the Calgary Stampeders and mounted his most courageous battle against cancer, as founder of the Never Alone Foundation.
"He was a deeply passionate man, who loved his community, his team, and, most of all, his family and friends, including many in the CFL. May he rest in peace."
With files from The Canadian Press and CTV Calgary's Glenn Campbell
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW Pack the macaroni necklace: Lessons on evacuations from a woman who fled one of Canada's worst wildfires
Carol Christian had 15 minutes to evacuate her home during the Fort McMurray wildfires in 2016. She ended up losing the house and everything inside. Now, she wants to share the lessons she learned.
NEW 'Ugly produce': One way Canadians are shrinking rising grocery bills
As the cost of food in Canada has risen, grocery shoppers are looking at ways to reduce their grocery bill, and more are choosing price over beauty, turning to companies that deliver so-called 'misfit' produce at a fraction of the cost.
Think twice before sharing 'heartbreaking' social media posts, RCMP warn
Mounties in B.C. are urging people to think twice before sharing "heartbreaking posts" on social media.
Trudeau calls New Brunswick's Conservative government a 'disgrace' on women's rights
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau assailed New Brunswick's premier and other conservative leaders on Thursday, calling out the provincial government's position on abortion, LGBTQ youth and climate change.
Wildfires burning across Canada: Communities threatened as flames creep closer
Thousands of residents fled Fort McMurray this week, fearing a repeat of the 2016 wildfire that forced out the entire community and torched more than 2,400 homes.
Miller scores late as Canucks grind out 3-2 win over Oilers in Game 5
J.T. Miller scored in the final minute of the game and the Vancouver Canucks came back for a 3-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 5 of their second-round playoff series Thursday.
Father charged with second-degree murder in daughter's stabbing death
A father has been charged with second-degree murder in the stabbing death of his 34-year-old daughter in southern Quebec.
Most Canadians support abortion, one-third see Tories as least supportive: poll
Eight in 10 Canadians back a woman's right to an abortion and two in three don't want the notwithstanding clause used to restrict access to abortions, a new poll suggests.
B.C. parents sentenced to 15 years for death of 6-year-old boy
A British Columbia Supreme Court judge has sentenced the mother and stepfather of a six-year-old boy who died from blunt-force trauma in 2018 to 15 years in prison.