EDMONTON – The present meets the past when the Edmonton Elks wrap up their 2026 CFL preseason schedule on Friday (May 29).
“Night at the Knothole” will see the Elks the Calgary Stampeders at iconic Clarke Stadium, which was home to the first 30 years of Green and Gold football.
Tickets can be purchased now for the game, which will be broadcast live on 880 CHED and CFL+ at 7 PM MT.
The evening will feature several vintage activations around the facility, providing a throwback experience for everyone, from the fans who have never sat in the bleachers at Clarke Stadium to those that remember attending EE games at the iconic stadium.
But while the vibe in the stands and outside the stadium will be decidedly nostalgic, the action on the field is going to be all about the here and now. With Friday’s tilt being the final game of the preseason for both clubs, this is the last chance that players battling for roster spots have at making an impression.
BALANCING ACT
Fans can also expect to see plenty of Edmonton’s presumptive starters, as they tune up for the 2026 CFL regular season, which gets underway next week.
“We’ve done that all through training camp, we’ve been rolling everybody through training camp, because we stressed that at the start,” Elks coach Mark Kilam said during practice this week.
“We gave guys a real opportunity to make this football team and show what they can do, show that they can line up at multiple spots, and learn the offence, learn the defence, learn the special teams, and we’re sticking to that philosophy in this game,” the coach continued. “Everybody that dresses is going to play, and for how long that it is, that’s going to be determined.”
STRONG START TO PRESEASON
There was a lot for fans to be excited about in Edmonton’s first preseason game, a 34-16 victory over the host BC Lions in Langford, B.C. on May 23.
While veterans like starting quarterback Cody Fajardo saw limited action, all three QBs competing for a backup role threw for a touchdown against the Lions.
When he was asked during practice this week about the EE’s first preseason performance, Fajardo enthusiastically described it as “super productive.”
“Every team had a scoring drive, guys were dialed into the details, I’m extremely impressed with how our receivers played, our substitution was fantastic … and it was fun to watch the 2s, 3s, and 4s get a lot of time and a lot of reps, and they put some really good stuff on tape, so it was just fun to be a part of.”
CARNEY ITCHING TO PLAY
One veteran who didn’t suit up for the Green and Gold last week is defensive end Malik Carney, one of the team’s big offseason additions. Carney, who hasn’t played an actual game since winning the Grey Cup with the Saskatchewan Roughriders last November, will make his Elks debut on Friday.
“I’m extremely excited to get my hands on somebody,” The 30-year-old said, “Just to get my hands on somebody, that’s what I’m excited for, and just to get back running around in this No .2 (jersey) and celebrate with the guys.”
The former Roughrider racked up eight sacks in 2025, so an unleashed Carney could be very bad news for the Stamps under centre.
BATTLE OF ALBERTA
For such a historic occasion as the return to Clarke Stadium, it’s fitting that the opponent would be Edmonton’s greatest rival. The Stamps also won their preseason opener, 20-15 over the Saskatchewan Roughriders at McMahon Stadium in Calgary on May 18.
“I’m going to try to keep the juices not too crazy, but that rivalry goes even beyond my time here, with the (former EE players) … so it’s always fun to play Calgary, and you have this longstanding rivalry,” says Elks offensive lineman David Beard, a Sherwood Park product who made his Green and Gold debut in 2015.
Beard played high school football at Clarke Stadium, and anticipates an incredible atmosphere under the bright lights on Friday night at the nearly 90-year-old facility.
“I was even just thinking about some of the older fans that we have, that get to appreciate coming back,” Beard said while practicing at Clarke Stadium this week. “It’s maybe not exactly what it used to look like, but certainly with the location, there’s a lot of nostalgia there.”
And while the final score ultimately doesn’t count for anything, as far as Carney is concerned, there’s only one way that he would define success on Friday: “For me, for we, a win”.
