The Calgary Stampeders held their final walkthrough in Montreal this morning in preparation for tomorrow’s matchup against the Alouettes. Both teams have 1-1 records and are coming off Week 2 losses.

“No matter how (Montreal) played last week I think we’d come into this game thinking we’d have a chance to win the game,” says Stampeders head coach and general manager John Hufnagel. “We understand they had their problems last week, but guess what? The Calgary Stampeders had some problems last week also. They’re an offence that’s highly skilled. They’ll figure things out. They’ll play a much better football game against us and we expect that.”

The Stamps officially announced yesterday that starting quarterback Drew Tate will not start the game after suffering a muscle strain in his right forearm. Tate left during the fourth quarter against Saskatchewan last week and backup Kevin Glenn played the final two series.

Glenn, in his 13th CFL season, will get the start on Friday night and Tate will dress as the team’s third quarterback.

“There’s no question that it’s a nice position to be in, especially with the way all the quarterbacks have handled the situation,” says Hufnagel about having a seasoned backup in Glenn. “People want to make something out of it, but they don’t allow that to happen. Kevin is very professional, Drew is very professional, they have great respect for each other and Bo Levi (Mitchell) is just sitting in the wings waiting his turn.“

Tate wasn’t the only Stampeder injured last week at Mosaic Stadium. Defensive backs Jamar Wall (knee) and Derrius Brooks (leg) and defensive lineman Micah Johnson (torn oblique) all landed on the injured list this week.  Fortunately, all-star defensive back Keon Raymond is ready to make his first regular-season appearance after suffering an ankle sprain during training camp, along with three-year vet Quincy Butler. Second-year DB Chris Randle will also draw into the lineup. Randle was the Stamps’ rookie of the year nominee last year after playing 15 games.

Coach Huff is confident the players stepping in this week are capable of maintaining a high level of play. “That’s the Canadian Football league and professional football; you have to be able to deal with injuries, so this week has been no different that the last two years. Probably more than I would like, but fortunately the players that are plugging the holes are players who have played in the league. A majority of them have played for Calgary and played football in a winning fashion. So I’m confident that our lineup is able to do a good job of competing and giving us a chance to hopefully be successful.”

Right tackle Dan Federkeil didn’t make the trip because of a stomach virus, so J’Micheal Deane will fill his spot. And receiver Maurice Price is doubtful after a hamstring injury forced him out of practice early on Tuesday. If he’s not ready to go, quarterback-turned-receiver Brad Sinopoli will get the nod.

“He’s excited about the opportunity and I was very pleased with Brad’s performance in training camp,” says Hufnagel. “In the pre-season games, he didn’t really get a whole lot of opportunities but that’s not his fault. He did an excellent job of his assignments, he’s physical and I’m looking forward to him having an opportunity to make some plays.”

The Stampeders and Alouettes kick off at 5:30 p.m. MDT at Percival Molson Stadium. Tune into TSN or NewsTalk 770 for all the action.