It seems the Canadian Football League can’t hold Scotiabank Touchdown Atlantic without Tim St. Pierre.

The Hamilton, Ont., product participated in last year’s contest as a member of the Edmonton Eskimos and this season he’s back in New Brunswick with his new club, the Calgary Stampeders.

Naturally, the fullback was the target of plenty of questions in the Stamps’ locker-room as teammates wanted some advance scouting.

“What’s going on? What’s the event like? What is there to do out there?” said St. Pierre, itemizing just some of the inquiries tossed his way.

The answers provided by St. Pierre had the Stamps relishing their East Coast excursion.

“I told the guys it’s a great time,” said St. Pierre. “Once I signed with Calgary, I realized I was going to be going out there again. I’ve been looking forward to this game ever since.”

Besides last year’s Touchdown Atlantic, St. Pierre’s family roots can be traced to Prince Edward Island and he played university football in Nova Scotia, specifically Saint Mary’s in Halifax.

“Football is definitely special to them,” he said. “A lot of people compare it to somewhere like Saskatchewan or small towns where the fans have so much pride. It’s not just New Brunswick, it’s the entire East Coast.”

Linebacker Akwasi Antwi, who attended Mount Allison in Sackville, N.B., and offensive lineman Steve Myddelton, who went to St. Francis Xavier in Antigonish, N.S., are two other Stamps who played college ball in the Maritimes.

“It’s special for me because it’s sort of like a homecoming,” said Antwi. “My school just had a homecoming last week, so I guess this week is my homecoming. I’ll be playing in front of my friends and my coaches and the great fans in Moncton.”

“It’s a very unique place,” said Myddelton. “There’s a lot of character. A lot of culture. And they really do love their football. In university, it was a great experience and it’s going to be cool playing here.”

This weekend represents a real reunion for Myddelton’s family.

“My sister is in her fourth year at St. F.X. and she’s playing rugby there,” he explained. “My mom is making the trip to see her play rugby and then she’s coming to Moncton on Sunday to see me play football.

“There’s also going to be a bunch of friends I went to school with as well, so it’s going to be nice.”

Despite the festival atmosphere in Moncton, the players all know this weekend is serious business, too.

“Obviously, we need to focus and get the job done,” said St. Pierre.

“We’re enjoying it and having fun, but we’ve still got to get the win.”