The Montreal Alouettes have signed Canadian midfielder Alexandre Gagne to a one-year contract extension through the 2026 CFL season. He was scheduled to become a free agent in February.
The six-foot-one, 230-pound defenseman is set to play in all 18 regular-season games in 2025, as well as the Eastern Semifinals, Eastern Finals and the 112th Gray Cup. He finished second in the CFL with 25 special teams tackles behind teammate Tyrell Richards. Last season in Saint-Hubert, Quebec. Native set a single-game record with seven special teams tackles in Week 1 against the Toronto Argonauts.
“Alexander is someone we can rely on to lead by example. He never makes waves and is incredibly efficient. He is the perfect definition of an unsung hero,” general manager Danny Maccioscia said in a statement.
During his CFL career, the 33-year-old recorded 129 tackles on special teams in 123 regular season games. He spent his first three seasons with the Saskatchewan Roughriders before heading to Montreal for his final five. In 2023, Gagne helped the Alouettes win the franchise's first Gray Cup since 2010.
The Alouettes also signed All-American defensive lineman Divun Black to a two-year contract through the 2027 season. The 25-year-old football player played for the University of Florida and Temple University.
In eight games with the Owls in 2024, Black recorded 19 defensive tackles, four assists, three knockdowns and two fumbles. The Forest, Mississippi native spent time with the Baltimore Ravens in 2025.
The Alouettes finished second in the East Division standings in 2025 with a 10-8 record and beat the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the East final before losing the 112th Gray Cup to the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Davis Alexander went 7-0 in the regular season as a starter, although he missed 11 games with a hamstring injury.
Montreal ranked eighth in net offense, first in net defense and third with a plus-eight turnover margin. The club's leading rusher was Stevie Scott III with 418 yards, the leading receiver was Tyler Snead with 1,129 yards, and the leading tackler was Darnell Sankey with 103 tackles. Montreal ranked sixth in attendance with an average attendance of 21,132, down 0.8 percent from the previous year.
