Hamilton Tiger-Cats sign preseason hero Chris Smith, one other

Photo courtesy: Winnipeg Blue Bombers

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats have signed American running back Chris Smith and Canadian receiver Keaton Bruggeling.

Smith dressed for four games with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 2024, recording 12 kickoff returns for 247 yards and 13 punt returns for 141 yards. The 24-year-old garnered national attention during the preseason when he returned a punt for a 109-yard touchdown against the Calgary Stampeders.

The five-foot-nine, 194-pound native of Louisville, Miss. played collegiately at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette where he was twice named first-team All-Sun Belt. He has also had professional stints with the Seattle Seahawks and the San Antonio Brahmas of the UFL.

Bruggeling has played 31 career games with the Ottawa Redblacks, recording eight catches for 83 yards and one touchdown. The six-foot-three, 205-pound native of St. Catharines, Ont. was originally a third-round pick in the 2022 CFL Draft out of Carleton University. The 26-year-old also participates in Canada’s National Bobsleigh program during the offseason.

The Ottawa Redblacks finished third in the East Division in 2024 with a record of 9-8-1 before losing to the Toronto Argonauts in the East Semi-Final. The team will open the 2025 CFL regular season against the Saskatchewan Roughriders at Mosaic Stadium on Thursday, June 5 with kickoff slated for 9:00 p.m. EDT.