The Canadian Football League has awarded Winnipeg Blue Bombers President and CEO Wade Miller the Commissioner's Award for his lifetime contributions to the league.
“Wade is a true football hero to his team, his community and our entire country,” CFL Commissioner Stuart Johnston said in a statement.
“While the wins and fan support are tremendous, it is the team's impact on the community that will be felt for generations. Wade has been a strong supporter of youth soccer throughout Manitoba, as well as a staunch advocate for our league's support of Indigenous relations and reconciliation.”
A native of Winnipeg, Miller was selected by the Bombers in the fourth round of the 1995 CFL Draft and played 11 seasons with the team, setting a league record at the time with 184 tackles on special teams. After a successful transition into the business world in 2013, he was hired by the Bombers to lead the team after a difficult period both on and off the field.
The 52-year-old ushered in an era of unprecedented success with the hiring of general manager Kyle Walters and head coach Mike O'Shea. The team has posted a winning record in each of the last nine seasons, resulting in five consecutive championship appearances and two Gray Cup victories, including a victory in 2019 that ended the franchise's 29-year drought.
While 2025 marked the end of that streak, it marked the high point for the team's business. Winnipeg led the CFL in attendance for the fourth year in a row and sold out its home games for the first time in franchise history.
The Commissioner's Award is presented annually to an individual or group who has made an outstanding contribution to Canadian football. Past winners include professional football's first black quarterback Bernie Custis, Hamilton Tiger-Cats caretaker (owner) Bob Young, BC Lions owner Amar Doman and CFL Hall of Famers Wally Buono, Ron Lancaster, Russ Jackson and Hugh Campbell.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders (13-6) and Montreal Alouettes (12-8) will meet in the 112th Gray Cup at Princess Auto Stadium in Winnipeg on Sunday, November 16, with kickoff scheduled for 6:00 pm EST.
The Alouettes defeated the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the East final by a score of 19-16, while the Roughriders came back to defeat the BC Lions in the West final by a score of 24-21. The teams split their two regular-season meetings, although Montreal quarterback Davis Alexander missed both games with a hamstring injury.
The weather forecast for Winnipeg calls for a high of two degrees, sun and clouds. The game will be broadcast on TSN, CTV and RDS in Canada, CBS Sports Network in the US and CFL+ worldwide.
This is the fifth time the Gray Cup will be held in Winnipeg and the second time it will be held at Princess Auto Stadium. The stadium's first Gray Cup was held in 2015, when the Edmonton football team defeated the Ottawa Redblacks 26–20 and Michael Reilly was named the game's MVP.
