Elks leaning on depth as injuries continue to mount

Edmonton Elks' ShunDerrick Powell (24) fends off Calgary Stampeders' Kelechi Anyalebechi (51) during second half CFL football action in Edmonton on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Codie McLachlan

Injuries in football are common. On any given week, a team’s list of players out of action can be nearly as long as a starting lineup.

Eleven Edmonton Elks players will miss Saturday’s home game against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, including receiver Joe Robustelli. The American receiver finally made his season debut three games ago after missing the team’s first 11 contests with an injury, but was added to the injured list this week with a foot ailment.

How a team handles injuries, primarily by having players ready to step in and contribute, often determines how successfully it can overcome them.

So when Edmonton Elks head coach Mark Kilam says he feels “really good” about the depth on his first-place West Division team, it carries weight.

Not long ago, explosive kick returner and running back Javon Leake was sidelined by a hamstring injury. That opened the door for ShuDerrick Powell, who has turned heads over the last two games on both offence and special teams.

Now, the 10-4 Elks head into Saturday’s game potentially without centre David Beard, whose status will be a game-time decision, and definitely without Robustelli, who has 177 receiving yards and two touchdowns in three games.

Robustelli had entered the lineup in place of fellow receiver TJ Luther, who emerged as a key offensive contributor this season before suffering an injury. Luther recorded 649 receiving yards and three touchdowns in 11 games.

“We’ve got a lot of guys who can contribute and a lot of guys we haven’t even seen yet that we know can play,” Mark Kilam told reporters Friday at Commonwealth Stadium following the club’s walkthrough.

“Going down the final stretch, we want to make sure whoever’s getting on the roster makes the most of their opportunity so that we can make the best choices heading into the playoffs.”

Tiger-Cats face playoff elimination

The Tiger-Cats (4-10) sit third in the East Division and have lost six of their last seven games. They are on the verge of playoff elimination, with both the B.C. Lions and Winnipeg Blue Bombers holding 7-6 records and sitting three wins ahead in the crossover race. If both B.C. and Winnipeg win, and Hamilton loses, the Tiger-Cats would be prevented from making the CFL’s postseason.

Under CFL crossover rules, the fourth-place team in one division can qualify for the playoffs in the other division if it finishes with a better record than the third-place team there.

Indigenous theme on Saturday

Saturday’s game marks the Elks’ fifth annual Indigenous Celebration, ahead of National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Wednesday.

Plans include:

• Players wearing orange warmup jerseys that will be autographed and auctioned off in support of the Indigenous Sports Council of Alberta.
• Free orange T-shirts featuring the Elks’ Indigenous logo for 1,800 youth at The Brick Kids Zone.
• More than 300 Indigenous youth and volunteers from northern communities being flown in to attend the game.
• The Canadian national anthem sung in Cree and English by singer Aurora Roan.
• A halftime performance by The Dancing Cree.
• The Elks wearing their Indigenous logo helmets.
• An Indigenous Makers Market in the Commonwealth Fieldhouse before and during the game.

Herd it here

• Saturday’s game, and the rematch on Oct. 9, will mark the first time since 2010 that the Elks and Tiger-Cats have met in back-to-back games.
• Elks running back Justin Rank is 58 yards shy of 1,000 rushing yards this season. He would become the first Edmonton player since C.J. Gable in 2019 to record consecutive 1,000-yard rushing seasons.