CFL takes control of Alouettes

The Canadian Football League has taken over control of the Montreal Alouettes in a move announced Tuesday morning, just hours before the league’s free-agent market opens.

The transition comes as an anticipated interim step, with the goal of landing the team with new ownership through an accelerated process under the direction of its investment banking partner, Park Lane, a leading sports-focused advisory firm.

“Multiple parties have already expressed serious interest in purchasing the Alouettes, including individuals, groups and businesses that reside or operate in Montreal or elsewhere in Quebec,” the CFL said in a statement Tuesday.

The CFL has also reinstated of former team president Mario Cecchini. Cecchini wasn’t retained by the previous ownership when his contract expired at the end of December, leaving the franchise leaderless on the business front since the end of the year.

The Als were purchased by Gary Stern and Sid Spiegel in January of 2020, after the league had carried the team through the 2019 season while seeking new ownership.

The league did not play in 2020 because of the pandemic, and Spiegel passed away shortly before the start off the 2021 season, leaving three quarters of the franchise under the ownership of his estate.

Stern announced he was stepping away from day-to-day operations of the team in late August while retaining his share of ownership. As recently as December he said he was seeking local partners and had no intention of selling.

With Cecchini gone and no process to replace him, the franchise drifted into uncertain territory in the new year, with no statement from ownership clarifying the situation or its commitment to the team.

The matter became critical last month when prominent pending free agent Geno Lewis criticized the team’s situation and said he would test free agency. It’s been reported that other prominent Alouettes players, such as quarterback Trevor Harris, will not be back due to the uncertainty around the franchise.

The league has given Montreal general manager Danny Maciocia the means to run the team’s football operations, although it’s not clear what kind of financial commitments he can make on the front end of contracts until the ownership issue is settled.

The league began working with Park Lane more than a year ago, as a means of developing contacts for future expansion or ownership of existing franchises.

Here is the full statement from the league:

The ownership of the Montreal Alouettes franchise has been transferred to the CFL. Mario Cecchini has been appointed the team’s interim President and will lead the management of the organization’s day-to-day business operations under the direction and supervision of the league office. General Manager Danny Maciocia continues to focus on the important work of building the team’s roster for the upcoming 2023 season.

​The league has initiated an accelerated and formal sales process, which is being led by its investment banking partner, Park Lane, a leading sports-focused advisory firm whose clients include major league sports properties around the world.

​Multiple parties have already expressed serious interest in purchasing the Alouettes, including individuals, groups and businesses that reside or operate in Montreal or elsewhere in Quebec.

​This step concludes the team’s association with the estate of the late Sid Spiegel and Gary Stern. The CFL wants to express its deep gratitude for their stewardship of the Alouettes. Sid Spiegel and Gary Stern purchased the team in 2020 at a critical time in its history. They put in place a strong leadership team on both the business and football sides of the franchise. Following Sid’s sad passing in 2021, his estate and Gary continued the mission to deliver winning and entertaining football. The franchise is stronger for all these contributions, a fact which is reflected in the interest currently being shown in the Alouettes’ future.

​The CFL would also like to thank the Alouettes’ staff, players and coaches for their continuing professionalism, dedication and hard work and, of course, the Alouettes’ fans for their ongoing support.

​The CFL looks forward to providing further updates as warranted.