Photo: Neil Noonan/3DownNation. All rights reserved.
The Canadian Football League had recognized Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ president and CEO Wade Miller with the Commissioner’s Award for his lifetime contributions to the league.
“Wade is a true football hero to his team, his community and our entire country,” CFL commissioner Stewart Johnston said in a statement.
“While the victories and the fan support are tremendous, it’s the team’s impact in the community that will be felt for generations. Wade has been a strong proponent for youth football across Manitoba, as well as a steadfast champion of our league’s support for Indigenous community relations and reconciliation.”
A Winnipeg native, Miller was selected by the Bombers in the fourth round of the 1995 CFL Draft and played 11 seasons with the team, setting a then-league record with 184 career special teams tackles. After successfully transitioning into the business world, he was hired by the Bombers in 2013 to take over the team after a difficult stretch both on and off the field.
The 52-year-old has ushered in an era of unparalleled success, hiring both general manager Kyle Walters and head coach Mike O’Shea. The team has earned a winning record in each of the past nine seasons, resulting in five consecutive championship appearances and two Grey Cup victories, including a win in 2019 that ended the franchise’s 29-year drought.
While 2025 marked the end of that consecutive streak, it was a high point for the team’s business. Winnipeg led the CFL in attendance for the fourth year in a row and sold out every home game for the first time in franchise history.
The Commissioner’s Award is presented annually to an individual or group that has made an outstanding contribution to Canadian football. Past winners include pro football’s first black quarterback, Bernie Custis, Hamilton Tiger-Cats Caretaker (owner) Bob Young, BC Lions Owner Amar Doman, and CFL Hall of Famers Wally Buono, Ron Lancaster, Russ Jackson and Hugh Campbell.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders (13-6) and Montreal Alouettes (12-8) will meet in the 112th Grey Cup at Princess Auto Stadium in Winnipeg on Sunday, November 16, with kickoff scheduled for 6:00 p.m. EST.
The Alouettes defeated the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the East Final by a score of 19-16, while the Roughriders came back to defeat the B.C. Lions in the West Final by a score of 24-21. The teams split their two regular-season meetings, though Montreal franchise quarterback Davis Alexander missed both games due to a hamstring injury.
The weather forecast in Winnipeg calls for a high of two degrees with a mix of sun and cloud. The game will be broadcast on TSN, CTV, and RDS in Canada, CBS Sports Network in the United States, and CFL+ internationally.
This marks the fifth time the Grey Cup will be played in Winnipeg and the second time it will be hosted at Princess Auto Stadium. The venue’s first Grey Cup was held in 2015 when the Edmonton Football Team defeated the Ottawa Redblacks by a score of 26-20, and Michael Reilly was named the game’s Most Valuable Player.
