Collaros Sparks June 10 Home Opener Energy in Tiger-cats Vs Blue Bombers — Tiger-cats Vs Blue Bombers
The tiger-cats vs blue bombers matchup at Princess Auto Stadium on June 10, 2026 centered on Winnipeg’s home opener and the noise that came with it. Zach Collaros said the building had a different feel before kickoff, while Nic Demski said the crowd mattered from the moment the players ran out of the tunnel.
Princess Auto Stadium crowd
Collaros said, “There was some juice out there today.” He added that he had to tell some receivers, “Hey, tomorrow’s the game” during a walk-through because they were running. That kind of edge carried straight into the opener, where he said, “It’s going to be there as soon as you step on the field for warmups in this building.”
He also said, “I try and treat them all the same but there’s definitely a feeling as you’re walking out.” Then he made the point that has defined Winnipeg’s home field for him: “Home opener or not, it’s a special place to play football.”
Collaros and Jake Ceresna
The opener also brought a reminder of how Winnipeg sells its home field to players. Collaros said he had been pitching Jake Ceresna during the winter free agent period, telling him, “Do you not want to play in front of the best home crowd nine times? Or 10 times, instead of just the one time you get to come to Winnipeg?”
That line fit the same theme Demski described at walk-through practice two days earlier. He said, “I love home openers,” then added, “I love the energy the stadium brings, the fans bring.” For him, the best part starts before the first snap: “To start off the game like that, hearing the crowd roar as you run out of that tunnel… it’s amazing.”
Gerry James in the Ring of Honour
Brady Oliveira added another layer to the night when he glanced up at the Ring of Honour at Princess Auto Stadium and saw Gerry James after moving past him on the franchise’s all-time rushing list. That scene tied the opener to Winnipeg’s history, with the current group stepping into a building where past production is still visible overhead.
For Winnipeg, the home opener did more than open the schedule. It put the crowd, the stadium, and the players’ own words at the center of the night, with Collaros and Demski both pointing to the same thing: the building changes as soon as game day arrives.
