IAN HAMILTON- Senior Reporter, Riderville.com
A stellar showing in the CFL playoffs has paid off for Kienan LaFrance in free agency.
The 25-year-old product of Winnipeg signed a free-agent contract with the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Tuesday — the opening day of the CFL’s open market. The running back spent the previous two seasons with the Ottawa Redblacks.
In spot duty with Ottawa during the 2016 regular season, LaFrance rushed 37 times for 163 yards and caught 12 passes for 76 yards and a touchdown. He outdid himself in the Redblacks’ run to a Grey Cup title, however.
Filling in for an injured Mossis Madu, LaFrance rushed 25 times for 157 yards with a touchdown and a two-point convert to help the Redblacks down the Edmonton Eskimos 35-23 in the East Division final Nov. 20.
That victory sent the Redblacks to the Grey Cup game, in which they defeated the Calgary Stampeders 39-33 in overtime. The 5-foot-9, 210-pound LaFrance rushed 11 times for 42 yards and caught six passes for 31 yards in Ottawa’s victory Nov. 27.
LaFrance is a product of the University of Manitoba, where he played with current Roughriders receiver Nic Demski.
LaFrance was selected by Ottawa in the sixth round (45th overall) of the 2015 CFL draft. Now, two seasons later, he’s joining a new team as a free agent.
The Roughriders’ corps of running backs currently comprises only two other players — Canadian Greg Morris and former NFLer Daniel Thomas — so LaFrance may have an opportunity to earn more playing time in Saskatchewan than he got in his first two CFL seasons.
LaFrance joined offensive lineman Derek Dennis as the Roughriders’ first signings of the 2017 free-agent period.
