The stadium in which he’s practising may be new, but Chris Getzlaf is in familiar territory.
The 34-year-old Regina product, who spent eight seasons with the Saskatchewan Roughriders earlier in his career, was added to the CFL team’s practice roster Monday. He rejoins the Roughriders after being released by the Edmonton Eskimos in late September.
“I had a bunch of people reach out to me yesterday on social media and whatnot,” Getzlaf said following Monday’s practice at Mosaic Stadium.
“I haven’t got a chance to reply to them or anything like that yet, but you know how passionate the fans are here. Playing in front of them in my hometown for an extended period of time and having a chance to come back is rewarding.”
Getzlaf, who played in the junior ranks with the PFC’s Regina Thunder and in university with the Regina Rams, began his CFL career with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 2007 before being acquired by the Roughriders in August of that year.
He played five games in 2008 before earning a starting job in 
’09 — and he remained a fixture in theRoughriders’ receiving corps through the 2015 campaign. He had 368 catches for 5,694 yards and 38 touchdowns in 119 regular-season games with Saskatchewan and shared in Grey Cup titles in 2007 and 2013.
The Roughriders didn’t re-sign Getzlaf when he became a free agent in February of 2016, so he joined the Eskimos. He re-signed with them in February, but appeared in only eight games this season.
Shortly after Edmonton put him on the practice roster, he asked for his release.
“I was on the practice roster for about a month and I didn’t see that roster spot changing,” said Getzlaf, who lives in Regina in the off-season. “It becomes pretty expensive when you’re paying for a spot at home and paying for a spot out there.
“I just thought it would be best to take my chances of landing somewhere else. Hopefully it would be here — and it ended up being here.”
The Eskimos released Getzlaf on Sept. 26 and he returned to Regina the next day. He kept training in hopes of getting a call, and that call eventually came from the Roughriders.
“I came in, had a good talk with Mr. (Chris) Jones and it was a great discussion, really open and honest,” Getzlaf said, referring to Saskatchewan’s head coach-GM. “It transpired now and I’m super-happy to be here.”
It’s unclear if Getzlaf will play Friday when the Roughriders visit the Calgary Stampeders, but the Roughriders are running short of national receivers.
Devon Bailey and Nic Demski are on the six-game injured list and Brett Blaszko was put on the disabled list Monday. That leaves Rob Bagg and Denzel Radford as the only two Canadian receivers on the active roster.
Getzlaf was sporting No. 71 on Monday, which ironically was the number he wore in his first training camp with Hamilton. The practice Monday was his first time on the turf at Mosaic Stadium; every home game he played in high school, junior and university and with the Roughriders was at historic Mosaic Stadium.
“It was the first time that I really got to experience this locker room and everything that this place has to offer,” Getzlaf said. “It’s first class all the way. It’s nothing but amazing walking in here. It’s a great feeling.”
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Bagg was wearing No. 82 instead of his usual No. 6 during Monday’s practice.
It’s the second time that Bagg has worn Naaman Roosevelt’s jersey to pay tribute to the injured receiver. Bagg also did it Sept. 26, two days after Roosevelt suffered a concussion against the visiting Stampeders.
Roosevelt was dealing with the same injury Monday, three days after hitting his head on the turf during Friday’s 33-32 loss to the visiting Ottawa Redblacks. Roosevelt left that game in the third quarter and didn’t return.
Jones didn’t have a timetable for the receiver’s return.
“I’ve got to play that one with caution,” Jones said. “I’m going to try to play it just like I would if it were my son …
“We’ll go through the protocol and do exactly what the CFL says and then of course the trainers and doctors know a whole lot more than I do.”
Roosevelt was injured against Calgary when he was hit by Stampeders defensive back Tunde Adeleke. Roosevelt didn’t play versus Ottawa on Sept. 29, but was back in the lineup Oct. 7 against the host Toronto Argonauts.
Roosevelt passed all of his tests prior to the game in Toronto and was equally good to go in the rematch against Ottawa, but he was hurt when his head struck the ground after he was tackled.
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With Roosevelt likely sidelined for Friday’s game in Calgary, Chad Owens could make his debut with the Roughriders.
The 35-year-old receiver/returner was signed as a free agent in the off-season, but he was slowed in training camp by the foot injury that ended his 2016 season early with the Tiger-Cats.
Owens was on various injured lists through Saskatchewan’s first 14 regular-season games before being put on the 46-man roster for Friday’s contest against Ottawa. However, Owens was one of the Roughriders’ two scratches for that game.
According to Jones, Owens has “a really good shot of playing” in Calgary.
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Injuries are forcing a shakeup on the offensive line as well.
Guard Derek Dennis has a lower-back injury and isn’t expected to play in Calgary. As a result, the Roughriders have activated Dan Clark off the six-game injured list and he’ll play centre. That will allow Brendon LaBatte to return to his familiar guard position.
Clark started Saskatchewan’s first six regular-season games before suffering an elbow injury that sent him to the injured list for nine games.
The Roughriders also activated linebacker Sam Eguavoen off the six-game list Monday. He missed Friday’s game against Ottawa with a concussion.
As well, Saskatchewan placed linebacker Brandyn Bartlett and tailback Kienan LaFrance on the one-game injured list.
