±«ÓãÖ±²¥

MONTREAL – Three ±«ÓãÖ±²¥ graduates -- Randy Chevrier, Greg Hetherington and Jean-Nicolas Carrière (pictured from left to right) -- are listed among the official rosters posted online by the eight Canadian Football League teams as they get set to open the CFL campaign on Wednesday.

Ìý

This year, a single-season record total of 129 CFL players (four more than the previous high attained last year) have been produced from institutions in Canadian Interuniversity Sport.

Ìý

The Calgary Stampeders retained Chevrier, a defensive lineman and long-snapper from St. Leonard, Que., while the BC Lions designated a roster spot for Hetherington, a native of Toronto, and the Toronto Argonauts kept Carrière, a second-year linebacker from Gatineau, Que.

Ìý

To date, 53 ±«ÓãÖ±²¥ players have made the grade to the CFL. The ±«ÓãÖ±²¥ list includes two who have also played in the NFL, namely Jean-Philippe Darche, a former member of the Toronto Argonauts from St. Laurent, Que., currently a free-agent after two seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs and eight years with the Seattle Seahawks. Another member of the Redmen to play in the NFL was the aforementioned Chevrier, who has had stints with Cincinnati and Dallas.

Ìý

According to a survey of lineups posted on the CFL team websites, 48 players are from the seven-team Canada West conference, 47 hail from the 10-team Ontario league (OUA), 19 are out of the six-team Quebec division (QSSF) and 15 are a product of the four-team Atlantic conference (AUS).

Ìý

All but three of the 27 teams in the CIS are represented.

Ìý

McMaster leads all CIS institutions with a whopping 12 players listed on the 2009 CFL rosters. Queen's and Regina are next with nine apiece, followed by a four-way tie at eight apiece with Laval, Saskatchewan, Saint Mary's and Manitoba, plus UBC and Simon Fraser (7 each), Western Ontario and Laurier (6 each), Calgary and Ottawa (5 each), Concordia, Acadia, Windsor and Alberta (4 each).

Ìý

Rounding out the list is ±«ÓãÖ±²¥ (3), Bishop’s (3), StFX (3), York (3), Guelph (1), Sherbrooke (1) and Waterloo (1).

Ìý

All CFL teams are permitted to maintain a 46-man protected roster, although only 42 play in each game. Practice roster players are technically free agents who are paid to practice, although they can be signed by any other team. There's also room for six or seven injured players, not counting anybody placed on the nine-game injury list, whose salaries don't count against each team's $4.2 million salary cap.

--------------------------------------------------------------------
2009 CFL PLAYERS PRODUCED BY CIS INSTITUTION:
--------------------------------------------------------------------

McMaster (12),

Queen’s (9),

Regina (9),

Laval (8),

Saint Mary’s (8),

Manitoba (8),

Saskatchewan (8),

Simon Fraser (7),

UBC (7),

Western Ontario (6),

Wilfrid Laurier (6),

Ottawa (5),

Calgary (5),

Alberta (4),

Windsor (4),

Windsor (4),

Concordia (4),

Acadia (4),

±«ÓãÖ±²¥ (3),

Bishop’s (3),

StFX (3),

York (3),

Guelph (1),

Sherbrooke (1),

Waterloo (1),

Toronto (0),

Mt. Allison (0),

Montréal (0).

Ìý

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
2009 CFL PLAYERS PRODUCED BY CIS REGIONAL ASSOCIATIONS:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Canada West (48)

OUA (47)

QSSF (19)

AUS (15)

-------------------------------------------------------------------
2009 CFL TEAM ROSTER BREAKDOWN OF CIS GRADS:
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Saskatchewan (23)

Winnipeg (21)

Toronto (17)

Hamilton (17)

Edmonton (15)

Montreal (14)

Calgary (13)

British Columbia (10)

Ìý

-------------------------------------------------------
±«ÓãÖ±²¥ Players in the CFL and NFL (53)
(in order of first appearance in the pros)
-------------------------------------------------------

Bill Pullar Calgary 1946-48,1952-56

John Taylor Montreal 1946

Dave Tomlinson Montreal 1947, Calgary 1947-48, 1954, Montreal 1952-53

Jim Mitchener Calgary 1948, Montreal 1952-54, B.C. 1956

Whizzer Smith Montreal 1948

Johnny Newman Montreal 1950-51

Buster Brown Hamilton 1951-53

George Bossy Montreal 1952

Marv Meirowitz Montreal 1952-53

Cec Findlay Montreal 1952-54

Dawson Tilley Montreal 1952

Jim Miller Montreal 1953-58

Geoff Crain Winnipeg 1953-54, Ottawa 1955

George Klein B.C. 1954, Montreal 1955

Gene Robillard B.C. 1954

Gerry Hogan Montreal 1954-57

Dr. Bob MacLellan Montreal 1955-60

Ron Murphy Montreal 1958-61

Len Sigurdson Saskatchewan 1958

Joe Poirier Ottawa 1959-70

Chuck Wood Ottawa 1962-63

Ian Monteith Winnipeg 1963

Dr. Willie Lambert Montreal 1964

Peter Howlett Montreal 1967-69

George Springate Montreal 1970-72

Dan Dulmage Hamilton 1973-74

Don Cowie Calgary 1975

Hector Pothier Edmonton 1978-89

Marc Lacelle Montreal 1981-82

Paul Gohier Hamilton 1983

Tony Lawson Toronto 1983-84

Floyd Salazar Toronto 1988-89 1991, Hamilton 1990

Robin Belanger B.C. Lions 1989-92, Toronto 1992

Michael Soles Edmonton 1989-95, Montreal 1996-1999

Gerry Ifill Toronto 1990

Christian Masotti Edmonton 1991

Francois Belanger Toronto 1993-94

Val St. Germain Ham. 94-98, Edm. 99-01, Ott. 02-05, Win 05-07, Sask 07

Matthieu Quiviger Montreal 1996

Ryan Coughlin Montreal 1997-99

Samir Chahine Edm. 98-01, Tor. 01, Ham. 02, Cal. 03, Ott. 04-05

Dan Pronyk Hamilton 1998

J.P. Darche Toronto (CFL) 99, Seattle (NFL) 00-06, KC (NFL) 07-08

Randy Chevrier Dallas (NFL) 01, Cincinnati (NFL) 01, Edm 02-03, Cal 05-

Ben Wearing Winnipeg 2001

John Macdonald Hamilton 2002-03

Stephen Young Winnipeg 2003, Montreal 2004

Mike Mahoney Calgary 2004, Saskatchewan 2005-07

Jim Merrick Hamilton 2004-05

Robert LeBlanc Edmonton 2005

Greg Hetherington Calgary 2007, B.C. Lions 2008-09

Jean-Nicolas Carrière Toronto 2008-09

Erik Galas Montreal 2009

Ìý

SOURCE:

Earl Zukerman,

Communications Officer,

±«ÓãÖ±²¥ Athletics & Recreation

(514) 398-7012