In his 10 CFL seasons, Josh Bourke has seen the scenario unfold dozens of times. It still hadn’t fully prepared him for Monday night, though.

The Toronto Argonauts’ left tackle spent his first nine years in the league playing for the Montreal Alouettes. Monday marked the first time that he’d line up against his friends and former teammates.

“I’ve been anticipating it since I signed here in February. It’s been a long time coming,” said Bourke, who didn’t make the trip to Montreal in the pre-season when the Argos faced the Als.

“I knew this day was coming. I tried to treat it as a normal week as much as I can but I know it’s not a normal week. I’m not going to lie to myself. For a number of different reasons it’ll be an emotional game.”

Bourke, 33, put his six-foot-seven, 300-pound frame in front of defences aimed at getting to Anthony Calvillo for seven years in Montreal, protecting the legendary quarterback who now serves as the team’s offensive co-ordinator. He won Grey Cups in 2009 and 2010, was the CFL’s top lineman in 2011 and was a CFL all-star in 2011 and 2012.

Alouettes GM and head coach Jim Popp admitted on Sunday that it’ll be hard to look out on the field and see Bourke in an Argos uniform.

“I think it’s always strange when you’ve had players play for you for a long time (and move on), but it’s not uncommon,” he said.

“For a guy to play their entire career in one place is rare, especially in the free-agency world. Even if they play (in one city) for a long time, a lot of times on the back end of their careers they still want to play, or play maybe closer to home, especially in the CFL.

“It’s not uncommon, but when someone’s played for you as long as (Bourke), it always looks a little different when you look across and see them in a uniform.”

While emotional for Bourke, he said it would be a good primer ahead of Toronto’s Oct. 2 trip to Molson Stadium in Montreal.

“I’m happy we’re playing in Toronto for the first one,” he said. “When I go to Montreal later in the season that’ll be more emotional. I’m trying to keep it regular, normal, like every other week and just focus on my assignments, the offence, and execute the best we can.”

Bourke hoped those years of matching up in practise against Als defensive end John Bowman would help.

“It’s going to be very weird, I’m not going to lie. He’s a very good friend of mine,” he said of Bowman, who was tied for second in the league in sacks with three, before the game.

“We were some of the last guys from those Grey Cup years that were left on the team. It’s going to be different.”

In Montreal, things have been different for some time. Bourke was a key part of the Alouettes when they were at a peak moment in franchise history. Last year, Montreal missed the playoffs for the first time since rejoining the league in 1996. The team hasn’t finished with a winning record since 2012.

Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading...

With Calvillo’s offence sputtering and receivers Duron Carter and Nik Lewis voicing frustrations after their last loss on July 15, the word “disarray” has popped up around Bourke’s former team.

“I don’t know about disarray,” he said. “I think it’s way too early in the season to deem it that. I haven’t really focused on Montreal other than this week. They’re another opponent coming in to beat us and we’re trying to beat them.”