For the first time in more than a decade, Saskatchewan Roughrider fans can celebrate a Grey Cup championship.
Fans across the province erupted as the Riders defeated the Montreal Alouettes 25-17 for the fifth Grey Cup win in franchise history. For longtime Prince Albert fans like Darryl Dreaver, it was an emotional moment.
“It’s totally awesome,” said Dreaver, one of nearly 40 Rider fans who saw the game at the Prince Albert Royal Canadian Legion’s Grey Cup Watch Party. “It’s something we needed because we don’t win a lot of Grey Cups.”
The Riders have been a part of Dreaver’s life since he can remember. In the early ‘80s, he was a Rider rep who would go to bars in Saskatoon to help sell tickets and promote the team.
As part of the job, he was able to rub shoulders with popular Rider legends like Roger Aldag and Bob Poley. But the ‘80s for a dry spell for Rider fans. When the Riders won the 1989 West Final in Edmonton, it was the first time the club had advanced to the Grey Cup since 1976.
Dreaver was among the Rider fans in attendance at Commonwealth Stadium that day. While he wasn’t in the stands for Sunday’s Grey Cup, Dreaver said defence and coaching were key, just like they were in the ’89 West Final.
“I think the Rider defence did awesome—just totally awesome,” he said when asked about the 2025 win. “That’s how we got where we are … but our coach, he knew where to put us. Some of us doubted—I was one of them—but darn it, he proved us wrong.”
Sunday’s win was the Riders’ first Grey Cup championship since they defeated the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on home soil in 2013. Prince Albert Rider fan Darren Whitehead was in Regina for the 2013 win. On Saturday, he watched the game from Prince Albert, but was still just as happy.
“It’s been a long time,” he said. “It’s awesome that Saskatchewan won it—for the fans and everyone in Saskatchewan.”
In 2013, the Riders turned the Grey Cup into a route, building a 31-6 halftime lead and cruising to a 45-23 victory. Things were much closer on Sunday.
The Riders led 25-17 when Montreal drove all the way down to Saskatchewan’s three yard-line before the unthinkable happened: Als short yardage quarterback Shea Patterson fumbled on a quarterback sneak with 2:53 to play.
Saskatchewan’s Marcus Sayles recovered. That was the closest the Als came to scoring until the final play of the game, when quarterback Davis Alexander launched a Hail Mary that fell incomplete in the end zone.
The Alouttes—a team that hadn’t fumbled the ball in the red zone all season—were left to wonder what might have been while Rider fans celebrated.
“We were all tense because we knew it was going to go down to the last (minute),” Dreaver said. “The defence showed up, and that’s what we’re known for.”
“I thought they were going to score and tie it up,” Whitehead added. “We knew it was going to be a tight game. I thought for sure they were going punch it in there and then tie it up.”
The celebrations didn’t stop on Sunday. Fans flooded the streets outside Mosaic Stadium Monday afternoon for a 30-minute program after the Roughriders landed back in Regina. The team has also planned a championship parade for 2 p.m. on Tuesday. Riders quarterback and Grey Cup MVP Trevor Harris is expected to give a speech from the front steps of the Legislature at 3 p.m.
–with files from the Regina Leader-Post
