REGINA — The Canadian Football League is moving the start time of Saturday’s season opener between the Saskatchewan Roughriders and the Edmonton Elks.
Kick off at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton is now 2 p.m., instead of 5 p.m.
It's because the Edmonton Oilers have advanced to the NHL’s Stanley Cup Final, and game one goes Sunday in Florida. Moving the start time earlier in the day for the football game eliminates any sort of conflict as you would imagine a lot of TV sets and screens in Alberta will be set to the Stanley Cup.
The CFL Season kicks off Thursday with Montreal at Winnipeg, followed Friday by Hamilton at Calgary. Saturday has the Riders and Elks as the first half of a doubleheader, with B.C. at Toronto wrapping up the week one schedule.
The time change for the Rider games Saturday means an earlier start to the pre-game show on 620 CKRM.
“Countdown to Kick-Off” will hit the air at 11 a.m., followed by the “Rider Nation Pre-Game Show” at 1 p.m.