Photo courtesy: Neil Lumsden
Ted Goveia has spent his CFL career helping teams lift trophies. Now, he has one named in his honour.
On Friday, the Hamilton Hurricanes defeated the GTA Grizzlies 50-0 at Hamilton Stadium in the inaugural Ted Goveia Bowl. The Canadian Junior Football League game, and it’s corresponding hardware, pay tribute to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats general manager, who announced in June that he is battling a serious form of cancer.
Goveia has long been a supporter of Canadian amateur football at all levels, including the CJFL. He previously served as coach for the now-defunct Burlington Braves in the Ontario Football Conference and later spent time on the board of Football Canada.
All proceeds from the game will be donated to the Canadian Cancer Society in Goveia’s name. Several important dignitaries were on hand to support the event, including Ontario Minister of Sport and former CFL player Neil Lumsden, who performed the opening coin toss.
Goveia was hired as the Tiger-Cats’s general manager in December after 11 years with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers as senior assistant general manager and player personnel director. He helped the team reach five straight Grey Cups, winning two in 2019 and 2021.
The Burlington, Ont. native’s first job in the CFL came with the Toronto Argonauts in 2010 where he served in multiple roles, including running backs coach, Canadian scouting director, and player personnel director. He won a home Grey Cup in Toronto in 2012 while Scott Milanovich, Hamilton’s current bench boss, was the head coach.
The veteran personnel man previously spent 15 years coaching in U Sports at Mount Allison University, McMaster University, and the University of British Columbia.
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats (6-4) will try to replicate the Hurricanes’ success over a QEW rival when they host the Toronto Argonauts (3-8) for the Labour Day Classic on Monday, September 1 at 2:30 p.m. EDT.
