Arbitrator reinstates suspension for Alouettes’ Shawn Lemon

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This time, there’s no turning back for Shawn Lemon or the Alouettes.

An independent arbitrator on Thursday ruled that the veteran rush-end be suspended immediately for wagering on CFL games in 2021, including one in which he played, while a member of the Calgary Stampeders.

Lemon will miss a minimum of the next three Alouettes games, all played at Molson Stadium through the month of July, beginning with Saturday night’s against the Stamps. Montreal entertains Toronto on July 11 and then, following a bye week in the schedule, hosts Saskatchewan on July 26.

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Lemon wasn’t at Thursday’s practice at St-Léonard’s Stade Hébert and couldn’t be reached for comment. Als general manager Danny Maciocia, while stating he knew the possibility of a suspension existed, wasn’t pleased with the timing of the announcement, coming on the day of the team’s final full pre-game workout.

“I don’t condone what took place,” Maciocia said following practice. “There’s no place for that; let me make that crystal clear. What’s bothersome, I will admit, is that we’re three years removed and three teams removed. I can’t speak intelligently, why it took as long as it did. That would be a question for the league.

“This was something that was to be expected,” he added. “I don’t think anybody appreciates the timing of this. That’s a question better suited for the league. I don’t understand and can’t speak intelligently about the process, but the timing is far from ideal, especially when we’re 48 hours removed from a game.”

The CFL initially suspended Lemon on April 24, not long after he surprisingly announced his retirement. Lemon, who attended the team’s Grey Cup ring ceremony on May 10, appealed the suspension through the CFL Players’ Association, allowing him to return to training camp practices on May 14 while continuing to play through Montreal’s first four regular-season games.

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An arbitration hearing was originally scheduled for Friday. Lemon then decided to be represented by his own attorney, and not the CFLPA’s. Lemon’s representative sought an adjournment of the hearing until Aug. 1-2. The CFL requested an immediate suspension, which the arbitrator ruled was justified and reasonable.

CFLPA president Solomon Elimimian was reluctant to comment when contacted by The Gazette, but confirmed via text that Lemon had hired an independent lawyer. Elimimian didn’t respond when asked whether he was upset by Lemon’s decision to no longer involve the PA.

Lemon bet 70 euros (about $100 Canadian) on a two-game parlay, including the one in which he played. But following its investigation, the league stated no evidence was found to indicate games were impacted by its wagering.

Both Lemon and the CFLPA based their appeal on when players were made aware of the league’s policy regarding wagering, according to a source with knowledge of the situation. While the CFL will argue its position was established during the 2021 season, it wasn’t until June 2022, according to a published report, that the league sent an internal memo to all nine franchises, reiterating its existing gambling policies for players.

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Lemon adds an experienced presence to the Als, both on and off the field. Through Montreal’s four games, all wins, he had six defensive tackles, one sack and knocked down one pass. The 6-foot-2, 242 pounder has 102 career sacks through 154 regular-season games during his CFL career, launched in 2011. He has been a member of every CFL organization except Hamilton.

“Obviously this changes the personnel,” Maciocia said. “It changes the roster composition. It’s definitely going to have a domino effect as far as the game’s concerned; as far as we may want to call that we no longer can. We’re just going to have to deal with it. That’s the reality and we move forward.

“We lose someone that’s truly appreciated in the locker room, a leader, someone that has been good to this team since he set foot here last year. His competitive juices are always flowing and that’s pretty contagious in the locker room.”

Based on Thursday’s practice, Lemon will be replaced by Jordan Domineck, a practice roster player who has been around since training camp. The Als also always dress Canadian Isaac Adeyemi-Berglund and import Avery Ellis.

“We have guys in our hangar ready to play like our starters,” head coach Jason Maas said of Domineck. “He’s great with his hands. He’s a great pass rusher; that’s what we saw in camp. An effort guy. He’s a very talented player that just needed an opportunity. He’s got a number of things we really like about him.”

Meanwhile, punter Joseph Zema missed practice, tending to a personal matter according to Maas, but is expected to play on Saturday.

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