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Rick Lelacheur Honoured with Hugh Campbell Distinguished Leadership Award

November 17, 2022 - Canadian Football League (CFL) News Release


REGINA - BC Lions President Rick LeLacheur is the 2022 recipient of the Hugh Campbell Distinguished Leadership Award.

"Rick has always led by example, with hard work, persistence and dedication to both the team and the league," Randy Ambrosie, Commissioner of the Canadian Football League (CFL), told the audience at tonight's CFL Awards.

"We are honouring him for a CFL career that has seen him lead our clubs in BC and Edmonton, serve on the CFL Board of Governors and countless league committees, and earn the respect of people right across the CFL."

Each year, the Hugh Campbell Distinguished Leadership Award is presented to an individual who "has demonstrated great leadership and who has made significant contributions to the CFL."' It is named for the former Saskatchewan Roughrider player who became the Head Coach and President in Edmonton, where he led his teams to five consecutive Grey Cup championships, from 1978 through 1982.

LeLacheur has announced plans to retire from his position with the Lions at year's end, when he will be succeeded by Duane Vienneau, who joined the team as its Chief Operating Officer this past summer.

He was also President and CEO of the then-Edmonton Eskimos from 2002 to 2011 - a period in which the club won two Grey Cups and successfully hosted two others.

LeLacheur was lured out of a previous retirement in 2018, when the Lions owner at the time, the legendary David Braley, asked him to join the Lions.

LeLacheur has guided the Lions through what turned out to be a very critical period in the club's history, as Braley fought and then, sadly, succumbed to illness, passing in 2020. It was LeLacheur who then worked with Braley's estate as the franchise transitioned to new ownership under Amar Doman, and a dynamic new chapter for the Lions.

"David understood toughness. He knew Rick is the type of person who always steps up, whether there is a challenge to be faced down or an opportunity to be snapped up," Ambrosie said.

"And Rick has never seemed to care who gets the credit, or whether the job ahead was high profile or completely thankless. He just rolls up his sleeves and does the work. We're going to miss him and his amazing wife Joan, even though we know we can count on their friendship and counsel in the years ahead."

The CFL Awards are a flagship event of Grey Cup Week as fans, media and the Canadian football community gather in anticipation of the country's largest single-day sporting event - the Grey Cup. For more information on the 2022 Grey Cup Festival's events, including dates, venues, purchasing details and more, please visit GreyCupFestival.ca.

The 109th Grey Cup will be played in Regina at Mosaic Stadium on Sunday, November 20 with kickoff slated for 5 p.m. local/6 p.m. ET. The sold-out contest and the Twisted Tea Grey Cup Halftime Show, featuring Jordan Davis, Tyler Hubbard of Florida Georgia Line and Canadian Josh Ross, will be broadcast live across the nation on TSN and RDS - Canada's home of the CFL.

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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.


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