Edmonton Elks seek first Grey Cup since 2015, as Montreal Alouettes aim to finish business

On Day 1 of training camp, Cody Fajardo clearly stated the goal for the 2026 Edmonton Elks: a Grey Cup.

It was a lofty target, given Edmonton hasn’t hoisted the trophy since 2015 and hadn’t made the playoffs since the turn of the decade. But Edmonton’s starting quarterback, still in his practice gear and donning an Elks ball cap, told the reporters swarmed around him on the practice field that the team wasn’t interested in simply attending the dance.

“We want to win a Grey Cup — and this roster is good enough to win a Grey Cup,” said Fajardo, 34, a two-time CFL champion.

“For me, you only have so many years left. I’m in the business of winning games and I’m in the business of winning Grey Cups. So you talk about it Day 1, and after that, you focus on, ‘How do we get better to get to that end goal?’”

Six months later, the Elks could capture that desired championship Sunday night.

Elks to face Alouettes in Grey Cup after beating Lions in West final

Edmonton and Montreal battle for the last Grey Cup of this era

Edmonton and the Montreal Alouettes — the top teams in the CFL’s East and West divisions, respectively, after the regular season — will square off in the Grey Cup final in Calgary.

Montreal, with a strong defence and high-powered offence, particularly in the passing game, is trying to win its second Grey Cup in four seasons.

But they also enter Sunday’s final with unfinished business: the Alouettes were in the same position a year ago, but couldn’t complete a comeback against the Saskatchewan Roughriders, with a last-second hail mary getting deflected in the end zone.

Some Alouettes felt a bit more comfortable this time around leading up to Sunday, as they try accomplishing their mission.

“This time, it’s important