Ticats GM says he has been diagnosed with 'a serious form of cancer'

Dan Ralph · The Canadian Press

· Posted: Jun 09, 2025 8:09 AM EDT | Last Updated: 31 minutes ago

Hamilton Tiger-Cats wide manager Ted Goveia says helium has been diagnosed with "a superior signifier of crab that's spread."

In a communicative posted connected the club's website Friday, Goveia, 55, said the diagnosis was made successful April. Although determination was nary circumstantial notation arsenic to the signifier of the disease, 2 league sources said Goveia is battling esophageal cancer.

"I wanted to support my wellness information successful location until we had a accidental to physique our squad and prime our last roster," helium said. "I americium grateful that we were capable to absorption connected fielding the champion squad imaginable for 2025 and not person my wellness go a distraction.

"I fto the players cognize that I'm not going to beryllium present (at squad facilities) each infinitesimal of the day, and I'm going to beryllium successful attraction and request to absorption connected my health. I'm inactive the wide manager, but I'll not ever beryllium successful the building. But successful today's time and age, everything's downloaded to my laptop and there's ever the phone."

Goveia, of Burlington, Ont., was named Hamilton's GM connected Dec. 5, 2024, pursuing 11 years with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. The assignment was a homecoming for Goveia, who played precocious schoolhouse shot astatine Assumption Secondary School and aboriginal coached determination arsenic good arsenic different section organizations.

Goveia's aboriginal days arsenic Ticats' GM were agelong and engaged arsenic helium enactment unneurotic a unit portion looking to amended a roster that past twelvemonth missed the CFL playoffs. All the portion getting to cognize the radical successful his caller workplace.

But successful March, Goveia told The Canadian Press helium ne'er had to look acold to summation a consciousness of position oregon appreciation that he'd landed his imagination job.

"The different greeting I went into the bureau astatine 6:30 a.m.," Goveia said. "Got up, grabbed my java and drove implicit the (Burlington Skyway) span and I'm looking retired and the prima was coming up.

"I conscionable sat determination smiling arsenic I drove thinking, `Man, I'm 17 minutes from home.' I bash emotion confederate Ontario and admit the accidental to enactment backmost astatine home, for sure."

Hamilton (7-11) missed the 2024 CFL playoffs and past won the Grey Cup successful 1999.

"Our CFL household and the full CFL assemblage sends its champion wishes to Ted Goveia aft learning of his crab diagnosis," CFL commissioner Stewart Johnston said successful a statement. "Fans from seashore to seashore to seashore nonstop their spot to you and your family.

"Your travel done the crippled has been an unthinkable inspiration to america all, and we're present present to enactment you each measurement of the mode passim this courageous fight."

Goveia  began his CFL vocation with the Toronto Argonauts successful 2010

Goveia began his tenure successful Winnipeg arsenic the club's adjunct GM/player-personnel manager earlier being promoted to elder adjunct GM successful 2019 pursuing the franchise's 33-12 Grey Cup triumph implicit Hamilton.

Goveia said being distant from the squad portion undergoing attraction volition lone service to motivate him successful his fight.

"I bask being astir our players and I volition miss the regular enactment — it motivates maine to footwear this and get backmost with the team," helium said. "I consciousness similar we're successful bully shape, but I did person to conscionable with everybody successful the gathering due to the fact that I thought they had the close to know.

"As hard a speech arsenic it is to have, I beryllium that to the players and to the radical who are moving here."

And Goveia said the Ticats are successful precise bully hands astatine this time.

"I'm not astatine each acrophobic that we're going to beryllium capable to relation good passim this," helium said. "I don't person 1 interest astir that.

"I consciousness similar we're successful bully shape, and I deliberation we've got a clump of rising stars (in shot operations)."

Goveia began his CFL vocation with the Toronto Argonauts successful 2010, serving arsenic moving backs manager and manager of Canadian scouting earlier being promoted to player-personnel director. Over his 4 seasons with the nine (2010-13), it reached the playoffs 3 times and captured the 100th Grey Cup successful 2012 nether then-head manager Scott Milanovich, who's entering his 2nd play arsenic Hamilton's caput coach/offensive co-ordinator.

Goveia would aboriginal beryllium connected 2 Grey Cup-winning squads successful Winnipeg (2019, 2021).

Before making the determination to the CFL, Goveia spent 15 years coaching Canadian assemblage football, including stops astatine his alma mater, Mount Allison, McMaster, and the University of British Columbia.