Montréal stands alone at the top of the Canadian Football League division structure after capturing 15 selections on the East Division All-Star team, eclipsing every other organization across both conferences. Les Alouettes ont placé 15 joueurs sur l’équipe d’étoiles de la division Est, menant la ligue devant les Argonauts de Toronto avec 10 sélections, tandis que le Rouge et Noir d’Ottawa et les Tiger-Cats de Hamilton ont placé deux joueurs chacun.
Divisional Dominance Across All Three Game Phases
Head coach Jason Maas pointed to collective preparation as the engine behind the historic divisional haul during a practice session at Hébert Stadium in Saint-Léonard. I am very proud of the 15 guys who were selected, but there is a reason why they were selected and that reason is the other players around them,
Maas stated, as reported by RDS. The recognition spans the entire roster, reaching established stars and supporting contributors alike across offence, defence, and special units.
The offensive unit anchors the selection with eight players honored, led by quarterback Davis Alexander. Alexander surpassed the 5,000-passing-yard milestone for the first time in his professional career, finishing the campaign with 5,257 yards while guiding the team to a 14-4-0 record. Canadian receiver Tyson Philpot paced the CFL with 124 receptions, 1,809 receiving yards, and 13 touchdowns. Fellow receiver Tyler Snead claimed second in the league with 1,474 receiving yards alongside a shared team-high of 13 majors. Running back Travis Theis accumulated 831 rushing yards and seven touchdowns in just 12 games, while fullback Jacob Mason dressed for all 18 contests. Offensive linemen Pier-Olivier Lestage, Nick Callender, and Tiger Shanks rounded out the offensive selections, protecting an unit that allowed a league-low 19 sacks.
Defensive Pressure and Special Teams Excellence
Defensive coordinator units secured five spots on the East Division team, led by defensive lineman Mustafa Johnson with five sacks and three batted passes. In the secondary, cornerback Lorenzo Burns recorded 61 tackles and 17 pass knockdowns, while defensive back Robert Kennedy III started every game, contributing 54 tackles, two forced fumbles, and two interceptions. Defensive back Wesley Sutton added 43 tackles despite missing four matches.
Special teams representation features kicker Jose Maltos-Diaz, who converted 40 of 43 field goal attempts for a 93% success rate, ranking second in the circuit. Long snapper Louis-Philippe Bourassa completes the special teams selections for Montréal.
First-Time Honorees and Notable Omissions
Nine of the 15 selected Alouettes earned divisional all-star honors for the first time: Alexander, Theis, Mason, Philpot, Shanks, Burns, Kennedy III, Maltos-Diaz, and Bourassa. Caucus Football notes that Montréal’s total outpaces every other franchise in the CFL, establishing a wide margin over Toronto’s 10 representatives and Ottawa and Hamilton’s two apiece.
Despite the overwhelming representation, the club missed out on a 16th selection when voters overlooked middle linebacker Geoffrey Cantin-Arku following a standout first season as defensive captain. I am surprised, but I have plenty of other seasons ahead of me,
Cantin-Arku told. The only goal that matters to me is the Grey Cup.
East Division All-Star Selections
- Quarterback: Davis Alexander (Montréal)
- Running Back: Travis Theis (Montréal)
- Fullback: Jacob Mason (Montréal)
- Receivers: Tyson Philpot (Montréal), Tyler Snead (Montréal), Damonte Coxie (Toronto), David Ungerer III (Toronto), Ayden Eberhardt (Ottawa)
- Centre: Jacob Mason (Montréal)
- Guards: Pier-Olivier Lestage (Montréal)
- Offensive Tackles: Nick Callender (Montréal), Tiger Shanks (Montréal)
- Defensive Linemen: Mustafa Johnson (Montréal)
- Linebackers: Tyrice Beverette (Montréal)
- Cornerbacks: Lorenzo Burns (Montréal)
- Defensive Backs: Robert Kennedy III (Montréal), Wesley Sutton (Montréal)
- Special Teams: José Maltos-Diaz (Montréal), Louis-Philippe Bourassa (Montréal)
The divisional all-star teams were determined by votes cast by members of Football Reporters of Canada and CFL head coaches.
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