By Richard Obrand,
MontrealAlouettes.com

Montreal – Tuesday, after a long rain-filled practice at the Alouettes’ training facility next to Olympic Stadium, head coach Marc Trestman stood in front of a scrum of reporters all anticipating wise words on the team’s upcoming regular season debut tonight against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

Trestman, who was sporting a lucky feather which he picked up during practise and tucked it into the back of his hat patiently waited through questions regarding his past and how he plans on implementing his experiene into Thursday’s game.

He responded with the wisest words of all.

“I don’t know.”

No one really does know how the Alouettes will fare against their East Division rivals, let alone this season in general.

What Trestman was quick to imply was that he truly is as curious as to how his team will perform this season. The answer may – and probably will – only be discovered following tonight’s game.

“I’m excited; I’m excited for our players,” he said.

“I don’t know how everything will come into place. We may find out after the game, in a few weeks, even a few months… I really just don’t know.”

Trestman comes into Montreal following time spent with nine different NFL teams, and two different NCAA schools. As Montreal is his first stop in Canada, it is only natural that he would face questions regarding his inexperience in the CFL.

“Do you plan on applying an American style of offence? A West-Coast offence maybe?” one reporter asked.

Once again, the coach responded with wise words.

“We’re the Montreal Alouettes, so we’re going to use the Montreal Alouettes offence,” he replied.

“I’m looking forward to seeing how the players do. They’ve looked real comfortable out there and I’m excited to see how the offence works.”

Following a pre-season during which the Alouettes failed to record a victory for the first time since 1996, Trestman and his team head to Hamilton looking to start off the season on the right foot.

“I want them to win for themselves, not me. This is their time as players and we’re about to find out what they can do,” he said.

History is in the Alouettes’ corner as Montreal hasn’t lost to the Tabbies since 2005.

Montreal will also look to get back on track in the season-opener department as last year they lost their season debut to the Roughriders – they’re first opening night loss since 1996.

Tonight’s game begins at 7 p.m. and can be seen and heard live on RDS, TSN, CKACSPORTS, CJAD 800 AM and CHOM 97.7 FM.