February 18, 2012
By Chris O’Leary,
The Edmonton Journal
EDMONTON – The Edmonton Eskimos will open their 2012 season on Saturday, June 30, hosting Ricky Ray, Jason Barnes and the Toronto Argonauts.
The Canadian Football League has released its schedule, with the Ray-Eskimos match highlighting its opening weekend. Eskimos fans will get to see their team in five Friday games this year and in four Saturday games.
Asked what he thought of how the season opens, Eskimos head coach Kavis Reed simply said, “It is what it is.
“I believe that it’s a good opportunity for our team to put closure on it,” the coach continued. “Ricky was an important part of our locker-room, so our players will have a chance very early on to gain some closure on the fact that Ricky Ray is no longer our field general.”
One aspect of the schedule that has Reed pleased is the absence of an extended road trip. Last year, the Eskimos played the Blue Bombers in Winnipeg on Aug. 5 and stayed there leading to their game against the Alouettes in Montreal on Aug. 11. Reed continually said through that stretch that he didn’t like how the trip broke up his team’s routine.
“I’m extremely happy,” Reed said of the 2012 schedule.
“It sets up well where we have an opportunity to get a routine with the guys and not have to stay some place for a period of time. Those guys get the chance to stay in the comfort of their own home. Last year was a little bit taxing with being away for almost a week.”
The Eskimos will travel to Toronto for the Ray rematch on Aug. 27. They’ll see a more familiar rival, in the Calgary Stampeders, four times in the regular season. The first meeting is in Calgary on Labour Day, with the rematch game following on Sept. 7 in Edmonton. The Eskimos make the trip south on Sept. 28 and the two teams will wrap up their respective regular seasons with a Nov. 2 clash at Commonwealth Stadium.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders will play in Edmonton twice this year, first on Aug. 10 and again for a Thanksgiving weekend tilt on Oct. 13.
“This is a very fan friendly schedule with six Friday nights and three Saturday games,” Eskimos president and CEO Len Rhodes said through a team-issued release. “The return of Ricky Ray to open the season will be a great way to kick things off in 2012.”
Other games of note include a return home for former Winnipeg players Donny Oramasionwu and Greg Carr on July 26. Both players signed with the Eskimos this week.
The Grey Cup champion B.C. Lions will make their only regular-season appearance in Edmonton on Sept. 22 and Edmonton will host Henry Burris, Andy Fantuz and the rest of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Oct. 5.
The Eskimos get their pre-season underway in Calgary on June 15. They host the Lions just six days later on June 21.
The full Eskimo schedule can be viewed here. The team reminds its season ticket holders that the deadline for renewal is Feb. 29.
Peach lands in Hamilton
Friday was a very good day for the Tiger-Cats. In addition to snagging prized free-agent receiver Andy Fantuz, the Ticats struck a deal with free-agent defensive end Greg Peach, who leaves the Edmonton Eskimos after a three-year stay.
Like Rod Davis, who departed Edmonton for Montreal this week, Peach was an integral part of a talented Eskimos defence.
Jumping between defensive end and linebacker throughout the season, Peach, 25, had career bests of 45 tackles and six sacks for Edmonton in 2011. Those totals were stunted by a mid-season knee injury that kept him out of action through six games.
Peach’s departure had been expected by Eskimos brass. General manager Eric Tillman had tried to re-sign the Vancouver, Wash., native in December and was told by Peach’s agent that Peach wanted to test the free-agency market and NFL options.
Reed called Peach a consummate professional.
“Greg is the professional that you would like every one on your football team to be,” Reed said.
“He will play injured and he gives the very same effort every day. He’s an absolute gentleman, every one of his teammates love him, his work ethic is really enviable and he’s a talented pass rusher that’s run into some snake-bit situations with some injuries.
“He’s a guy that I know (will help) Hamilton be a better football team.”
In gaining players like Derek Domino, Simoni Lawrence, and even with young talent like Lee Robinson, who played in one game for the Eskimos last year, Reed said that Peach would have had to battle for a starting job in training camp. Wanting to start, Peach looked elsewhere.
“To be fair to Greg, we had to let him know that his name on the depth chart would have moved down, “Reed said. “It doesn’t speak to his talent, but it speaks to the talent that we were able to find.”
Esks talking with Dales
The Eskimos spent much of Friday talking with punter Burke Dales. The 35-year-old non-import free agent played for the Calgary Stampeders for the past seven seasons and led the CFL in punting average last year with 47.2 yards.
“There is no question we’ve been talking,” Reed said. “We’ve been talking throughout (Friday night) as well.
“I don’t know if something will be consummated (on Friday), but we have been in discussions with him.”
Signing Dales would give the Eskimos four kickers going into training camp with. The team re-signed Derek Schiavone just before Christmas and added import Eric Wilbur on Feb. 1. Grant Shaw, an Edmonton-born kicker/punter, came to the Eskimos in the Ray trade on Dec. 12.
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