Stampeders begin life without Cornish, Rogers against Lions

The Calgary Stampeders will have to rely on some new stalwarts this season in order to get back to the Grey Cup.

When the Stamps take on the B.C. Lions on Saturday, they'll do so without Jon Cornish or Eric Rogers. The former retired in the offseason after being an institution at running back for Calgary since 2007 and dashing for more than 1,000 yards in three of the past four years.

Rogers moved on to the NFL after a campaign that saw him post 1,448 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns.

Longtime head coach John Hufnagel has transitioned into a full-time general manager role, leaving new bench boss Dave Dickenson tasked with developing new weapons around quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell.

While the Stamps are ushering in a new coach, the Lions will welcome a familiar face back to the sidelines. Wally Buono returns to the job for the first time since the 2011 Grey Cup and brings 254 CFL coaching wins with him.

Jconathon Jennings gets the nod at quarterback over Travis Lulay after a strong finish to 2015. Jennings threw for more than 2,000 yards and 15 touchdowns in seven starts last season.