Newly appointed Edmonton Elks owner Larry Thompson officially stepped into his new role on Thursday, and changes may already be on the horizon.
Meeting with the media at Commonwealth Stadium, the Alberta businessman hinted at a potential shift in the team’s branding going forward.
During the press conference, Thompson, who recently teased the possibility of a new stadium, repeatedly referred to the club by its former name, “Eskimos.”
“I started going to watch the Eskimos when I was 12 years old. I’ve been coming to games ever since, and I still have two season tickets today,” Thompson recounted. “It is truly an honour to have this opportunity to be part of this team.”
The franchise changed its name to “Elks” in 2021 to address concerns over racist and stereotypical terms. This decision followed earlier pressure from major sponsors like Boston Pizza, Belair Direct, and Sports Interaction, which prompted the team to stop using the term in the summer of 2020.
When asked whether the team might revert to its former name, Thompson responded, “I don’t think that’s a question for today,” before adding that the organization will be “focusing on the Double E more.”
Possible name and logo changes aside, Thompson, who ran a construction company for the past four decades, also emphasized the club’s priority of returning to a winning tradition.
“We need to bring back our winning ways,” he said. “That means winning football games.”
Edmonton’s franchise has the second-most Grey Cup championships, with 14. Their latest came in 2015 when they won 26-20 over the Ottawa Redblacks.
However, the team has struggled in recent years, with their last playoff appearance coming in 2019. Currently sitting at the bottom of the CFL’s West Division with a 2-7 record, the Elks recently parted ways with general manager and head coach Chris Jones.
Edmonton will look to improve their record when they face the last-place Hamilton Tiger-Cats on the road this Saturday.
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