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There’s also the question of growth within Canada: Will Halifax finally be coming into the fold sometime in the near future?

Ambrosie doesn’t see those questions as roadblocks to growing the game internationally.

“I think we would probably all agree that as big as hockey was in North America and in Canada, I think in 1972 when the Canadians played the Russians, it made hockey bigger,” Ambrosie said. “If you look at all the pro sports leagues around the world, the global aspect of the game is creating fan intrigue. I think those are real opportunities for us as we set our path toward what we are calling CFL 2.0.”

The real winners in all this could be Canadian aspiring football players. Currently, once players have exhausted their junior and college eligibilities, they are generally in make-or-break situations when they get to the CFL. If they don’t make a team, they have no other real options in the game.

“That’s it … it’s over,” Ambrosie said. “I was talking to (University of Montreal coach) Danny Maciocia. He said last year he had six or seven players who didn’t have any eligibility left and absolutely want to play in the CFL, but had nowhere to go.

“Danny was one of the first to offer that it would be a tremendous opportunity to establish a network of professional leagues around the world where we could send players. We’ve got potential player development opportunities for our players who could use another year or two. Have them go play somewhere else in the world, get a little bit of experience and then come back to our game. I think it’s right in front of us. It is a philosophy, but that philosophy has to be met with action.”