MontrealAlouettes.com
MONTREAL – Whenever the archrival Alouettes and Argonauts square off there is always more than enough incentive to go around. Toss the return of Étienne Boulay and coach Scott Milanovich into the mix and you have the makings of some serious fireworks on Friday night at Percival Molson Stadium.
One was a life-long Alouettes safety who spent his entire six-year CFL career with the Als. The other was a coach who honed his craft in Montreal for five years. On Friday, they will be back on the field at Molson Stadium for the first time as Argonauts.
“It’s going to be weird to see Étienne in a different uniform, that’s for sure. We’re all used to seeing him in an Alouettes’ jersey,” said Alouettes linebacker Marc-Olivier Brouillette.
Now in his third season with the Als, Brouillette learned a lot from Boulay who showed the young Montreal native the ropes after he was drafted by the Alouettes in 2010.
“When I first arrived on this team, he was one of the first guys to take me under his wing and he eventually became a very good friend,” explained Brouillette. “He’s a competitor and a player that always gave it his all on the field. I’m sure it’s going to be motivating for him to play his former team, but it’s also motivation for us as well.”
Milanovich also left his mark on the Alouettes before making the move to Toronto to become head coach of the Argos this winter. Over his time as offensive coordinator with the Als, Milanovich spent countless hours working with the team’s offensive stars.
“It will be different to see Scott on that part of the sideline,” admitted receiver Brian Bratton. “I don’t know how the fans are going to react, but he isn’t a guy who left here on a sour note or anything. The way I see it, it’s a testament to what he built here in Montreal that he has been given this big chance in Toronto.”
The Alouettes and Argonauts will kick off at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, July 27. (TICKETS – TSN, RDS, CJAD 800, Sirius 157 & 154 and 98,5 fm).
NOTES: The team announced the release of DE Aaron Hunt on Tuesday. Signed as a free-agent during the offseason, Hunt was a 2011 CFL All-Star with the Lions last season. “It was a tough decision, but it was strictly a football decision. Aaron was a class act and a high character guy in our locker room,” clarified head coach Trestman. “The decision wasn’t taken over night, we had been talking about it. We simply feel comfortable with some of the younger guys we have on the team.”… In other roster news, slotback Bo Bowling and offensive tackle Michael Ola were returned to the practice roster.
