Not going anywhere: referee Andre Proulx dismisses retirement talk ahead of 112th Grey Cup
Photo courtesy: Andrew Mahon/CFL.ca
Andre Proulx will serve as the head referee for the 112th Grey Cup, marking his eleventh appearance in the championship game. Despite having 463 games under his belt, Proulx has no plans to retire.
“I know I said before the season I was considering retirement, but I talked too fast,” he told the media. “It would be ideal if my last game were a Grey Cup. I was telling myself that I was getting old and it might be fun to finish like that, but this year I had a lot of fun, I kind of found it again.”
Before the season, Proulx told Jean St-Onge of Radio-Canada that reaching 500 games officiating seemed impossible, which is why retirement was on his mind. Now, looking back, he believes there’s a chance he could hit that milestone.
“It’s funny because yesterday, I was expecting the question of retirement to come from my boss. When he asked me if I wanted to come back, I asked him if he wanted me back,” Proulx said. “When he said, ‘Of course,’ I said, ‘Perfect, I will come back.’ Who knows if I’ll get there (to 500 games).”
Back Judge Kevin Riopel, who also attended the media availability, insisted that Proulx still has what it takes to be a CFL official for many years.
“Andre is a humble guy, but he’s still able to officiate on the field,” he said. “Not only that, he is a good mentor for the young officials. He is someone who takes care of the new ones, because it’s a hard process when you start. Andre is someone who we need for multiple years. It’s funny because since I joined the league, I always hear him say, ‘I have two more years left,’ but it’s been 10 years and he’s still here.”
As Proulx prepares for the final game of the 2025 season, he is proud of his own performance and that of his five regular crew members who will join him for the big game.
“Nobody knows it, but there are 140 plays per game, and we’re evaluated on each of them,” he said. “We’re probably our best critics. We don’t hide when we make mistakes; we know it’s on tape. The most important thing is not to make too many mistakes.”
Riopel added some context about the pressure officials face from their assessors.
“It’s like every time you answer the phone, someone is listening to see if I say the right thing,” he said. “There is not only one person who assesses us. Coaches watch the tapes as well and give feedback. When you go through everything and get to the Grey Cup, it means you did a very good job.”
The Saskatchewan Roughriders (13-6) and Montreal Alouettes (12-8) will meet in the 112th Grey Cup at Princess Auto Stadium in Winnipeg on Sunday, November 16, with kickoff scheduled for 6:00 p.m. 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 B.C. Lions in the West Final by a score of 24-21. The teams split their two regular-season meetings, though Montreal franchise quarterback Davis Alexander missed both games due to a hamstring injury.
The weather forecast in Winnipeg calls for a high of two degrees with a mix of sun and cloud. The game will be broadcast on TSN, CTV, and RDS in Canada, CBS Sports Network in the United States, and CFL+ internationally.
This marks the fifth time the Grey Cup will be played in Winnipeg and the second time it will be hosted at Princess Auto Stadium. The venue’s first Grey Cup was held in 2015 when the Edmonton Football Team defeated the Ottawa Redblacks by a score of 26-20, and Michael Reilly was named the game’s Most Valuable Player.
