By Richard Obrand
MontrealAlouettes.com
Hufnagel honoured
It’s been quite a year for Calgary Stampeder coach John Hufnagel.
Five months after leading his Stampeders to their sixth Grey Cup title, Tuesday, Hufnagel was honoured with the Annis Stukus trophy as the CFL’s coach of the year.
His quarterback and Grey Cup MVP Henry Burris presented him with the award.
”It’s one thing being up here to be honoured,” said Hufnagel on TSN.ca. ”To have one of your players come in and say those type of things about what you tried to do, well, is pretty overwhelming.”
Hufnagel was named Calgary’s general manager and head coach in December 2007 after the team barely reached the post-season, finishing a disappointing 7-10-1 under former head coach, Tom Higgins.
The Stampeders went 13-5-0 in Hufnagel’s inaugural season as head coach, a CFL best.
He then beat out a fellow rookie head coach in Montreal’s Marc Trestman, who also had a great amount of success in his first season on a CFL sideline, leading the Als to an 11-7-0 record and a Grey Cup appearance in its home town.
Hufnagel received 37 of the 48 votes, while Trestman received eight and Saskatchewan’s Ken Miller received two.
Ottawa still a possibility
The CFL group looking to bring professional football back to the nation’s capital was given more time to reach an agreement with the City of Ottawa regarding a new stadium.
Tuesday, CFL Commissioner Mark Cohon announced that the group was given an extra seven months to complete a deal.
One year ago, Cohon granted Ottawa with a conditional franchise providing it improve the condition of Frank Clair Stadium.
“There’s a window of opportunity now where we have a committed group of owners there who want to get this deal done,” Cohon said on TSN.ca. “You’re in an economic environment now where there’s potential stimulus money from the government to make it happen.
The group hoping to bring football back to Ottawa since the Renegades were suspended in 2006 is composed of Jeff Hunt, owner of the Ontario Hockey League’s Ottawa 67s and Ottawa businessmen Bill Shenkman, Roger Greenberg and John Ruddy.
The official deadline set by Cohon is Sept. 18.
Mohring on board
Alouettes general manager Jim Popp has once again dipped into the AFL.
After signing former Philadelphia Soul offensive lineman Phil Bogle to a one-year deal Tuesday, the Alouettes announced the signing of linebacker John Mohring to a one-year deal with an option year.
The six-foot-one, 232-pound Mohring, has a wealth of AFL and AFL2 experience having played for the Orlando Predators, the Alabama Steeldogs, and the Grand Rapids Rampage.
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