Episode 1 – A New Chapter in Steeltown | Made in the Hammer Docuseries | Powered by @PorterAirlines

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are starting fresh. With new faces, a new vision, and the same unshakable drive that fuels football in Steeltown.

In the debut episode of Made in the Hammer, produced and narrated by acclaimed journalist Stephen Brunt, we go behind the scenes with new General Manager Ted Goveia as he reshapes the team’s culture while facing personal health challenges. We follow rookie linebacker Devin Veresuk, who fights his way onto the roster and becomes an early-season spark, veteran defensive back Jonathan Moxey as he adapts to life in Black and Gold, and legendary quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell as he leads the charge to turn an 0–2 start into something more.

This is football as Hamilton lives it: raw, emotional, and relentless.

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hear those roars and you hear those cheers, you know you earned them. It’s loud. It’s electric. It’s time to see black and gold back on top. You know, make them feel down. Touchdown. Like I always say, winning is fun. [Music] Hamilton and football. It’s pretty much impossible to talk about one without the other. The Steel City, an unpretentious workingclass town, has always seen itself mirrored in the rough, tough teams that wear black and gold and ply their trade within sight of the factory smoke stacks. The city’s changed over the decades. It’s certainly not just about steel anymore. But around the same sacred patch of ground where football has been played since the Tiger Cats came into being more than 75 years ago, the ritual endures. Cars parked on lawns, fans wearing the colors, the words of that ancient chant echoing in the air. [Applause] football. It’s different here. Truth is, for too long, the Taiats have been stuck on the goal line. This week, put it in the hands of that man right there and he can’t believe it. Season two tonight and Evans had a stud knocked out of his hands by Jackson Coat. Dietrich Nicholls was there. It falls incomplete. Than a quarter century has passed since they last lifted the Grey Cup champs. No surprise then that heading into training camp before the 2025 season. The evidence of change is everywhere. New faces on the roster. New coaches, a new voice, Thaiats legend Simone Lawrence, and a new man in charge coming home to take on his dream job. The pressure is on to get off to a winning start, to get back to the playoffs, and to reward the fans in a place where loyalty and hometown pride run deep. So, uh, Orlando Steiner, most people just call me O, or Coach O., uh, I’ve been in Hamilton since, I guess, 2013. I think what we do in Hamilton um from the inside out is unique. There’s a a nice blend of pride and tradition and then also um a lot of creativity and innovation for making it the best fan experience that you can. I’ve been coming to games since I was 6 years old since my dad worked for the team for about 20 years. I remember loading up my grandparents grand marquee all six of us in there and the big bench seat in the front just being part of the atmosphere and seeing what big fans my grandparents were. I think some of the biggest things was how important and what it meant to them as as bluecollar Hamiltonians. I’m born and raised in Hamilton, so growing up, my parents had season tickets at uh at Iverwin, and they would take my brother and I to games, and if we weren’t at the stadium, we were uh watching on TV, often with our uh aunts and uncles and cousins. It was always a family affair. I think football is a huge part of this city. To to see the the fan base and to see, you know, the passion that fans have for the sport of football and for the Thaiats, I think is is huge. I I’ve been to so many different cities throughout the CFL and I’ve been to Vancouver. I’ve been to Calgary and I’ve been to multiple Grey Cups and, you know, there’s something special about the city of Hamilton. The Hamilton fan base is loud and proud. Um, you know, we’ve always had that rich history and it runs deep. Sitting there as a six-year-old with the big lights, they had the tiger in the end zone. It’s the beast from the And I remember before the games, my dad used to walk me around the field and we used to go right up to the cage with no really workers around or anything, just this kind of loose tiger. As a six-year-old, I was in awe of being at the games and being part of the whole experience. Yeah. Gray Cups aren’t won in the winter, but the foundations start being laid even before the final whistle of the championship game. Success in the everchanging CFL requires a great architect. Someone who understands how to assemble both the talent and the culture of a winning team. For the Thaiats, 2025 turns out to be a season of homecomings. General manager Ed Hervey has returned to Edmonton to take on the challenge of rebuilding the Elks. His replacement is a Burlington guy, a McMaster guy given the opportunity to create a team of his own for the first time in his long football career. Gavvi is a passionate guy, has ties to the franchise going back to his childhood that he talked about at his press conference as well. and oh by the way as an executive has been to five straight Gay Cups with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. I do think this is such an ideal fit. Uh Ted Gavay, I’m the new general manager for the Cats. What I do is I I acquire talent, I build teams, and uh build synergy. It’s uh it’s a daily process. It’s um it’s never ending, and it shouldn’t be, especially right now. We’re we’re looking for every way to get better. Uh, you know, I want people that are motivated. I certainly know what to stay away from. Um, but you know, the nucleus of the team, it starts with the Canadians. You know, I want gritty Canadians that have special teams value in their DNA. They get it. They’re the glue. All right, the pick is in. With Hamilton’s pick, number two overall in the draft. Here is the commissioner. With the second pick in the 2025 CFL draft, the Hamilton Tiger Cats select Devin Verasuk. Linebacker Windsor. My name is Deon Verasuk. I’m from Windsor and I went to Windsor and I played middle linebacker. It was it was a pretty crazy process. Um, I kind of went through the combine with the thought of I’d be like a late first kind of second round guy. So, um, getting the call out to from the team that I wanted to play for was a pleasant surprise and it was definitely a rush. It was really, really cool. Really exciting. How you doing? How you doing? Good, man. Good to talk to you again. Welcome to Hamilton. I know. I know. Fired up, man. Fired up to have you. I like I don’t even know what happened. I just picked up the phone. I was just so excited. He just said, “We’re going to pick you with the next pick.” So, um, enjoy the time with your family and to see him on call on TV was pretty cool. I want to build a locker room where, you know, you hand it off to them. And the real leaders of our football team, they run the locker room. But that takes time to build up that trust. [Music] Spring is the season of renewal. And in football, the season of unbridled optimism since everyone opens training camp undefeated. We about to have a great day. The Taiats players and staff check in at McMaster University, renewing acquaintances, welcoming new faces, ready for a fresh start, and hoping to build on their strong finish to the 2024 season. Uh Jonathan Moxy, defensive back, and I went to Boise State. You know, you got to earn your role. So, um coming from another team last year, I couldn’t just pull up and start barking at everybody. But now that I’ve been here for a year going into my second season, um being able to continue to make plays, uh guys will start listening to you more. So, you lead by example. And then now as a older player, I could kind of guide the team in certain situations in the secondary and then the younger guys as well. They just watch you do the right things and that’s how you become a leader. I think the guys welcomed me in and kind of brought me up to speed and kind of helped me out, get my feet wet a little bit, but just the overall speed of the game was definitely something I had to get used to. Uh Mitchell, quarterback, and this is my 13th year in the CFL. You know, that that first meeting, you know, you come into training camp and you see guys, right? Like you signed, you know, Johnny Augustine, all a sudden you start to get a feel for like, oh, that’s Johnny. Oh, there’s Kenny, right? they’re stubbed. Like all these new guys coming in, the excitement starts to build when you see guys that are put together the way a football player is supposed to be put together, right? Like you’re like, man, Johnny looks like he can block. Like that guy like he can run the ball. You know, you see Kenny in person, I go to shake his hand and like his hand just absolutely destroys mine. So, you know, there was a buzz and and you know, I guess an aura is what all the young ones are saying nowadays about um we just felt like, you know, we had something early. [Music] The two a days are done. The exhibition season is finished. The crowd of players who began camp has been whittleled down to those who will wear the black and gold when the games start to count. Excitement and optimism are running high as everyone looks ahead to opening night. And then suddenly, it’s not just about football anymore. The players and coaches learn that general manager Ted Gobaya has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer. The news sends shock waves not just through the Hamilton locker room, but the entire city and the whole CFL family. Organization, they have always said, “Hey, listen. Everybody in here is going through something. Period. Whether you want to admit it or not, doesn’t matter what it is, big or small, everybody is going through something.” When we learned of the Ted situation, um, wow. Uh, this is a different level of everybody going through something. Um, yeah, this is heavy to see this man fight, to see everybody else rally around. I’m actually I told Ted, I said, I’m so glad that we were chosen. You know, whatever you may believe in, I’m glad that we were chosen to go through this with you. It’s a humbling experience. I have a personal, you know, experience with, uh, you know, with my wife having a few battles, um, with that. And, uh, it’s just something until you’ve been through it, um, and been with somebody who’s been through it, it’s pretty hard to explain. Teddy’s a fighter and so I’m just really, really looking forward to continuing to fight this battle with him organizationally and as a friend. Still reeling from the news of Gova’s cancer battle, the Thaiats set off for Calgary and the season opener against a remade Stampeder squad. For Bo Levi Mitchell, it’s a return to a city and a stadium with which he is intimately familiar. And for players still getting to know each other, the road trip provides the first real opportunity to form bonds. Starting the the year on the road, it is special. You know, those are the times like you get to spend that time together and create that bond of all right, Woody’s my center for the first time this year. I can sit there and sit next to him, talk to him the entire time while I’m playing cards with staff. And then it’s it’s the staff, too, right? You get to see the staff up front. You know, it’s one of those things when you’re on the road, it just builds the excitement of that first plane ride. You guys are coming with the cameras. Everybody’s trying to show out and uh it’s just a good time. And once again, welcome aboard Porter Airlines. Our flight time today is 3 hours and 48 minutes. We would also like to welcome the Hamilton Tiger Cats on board. Best of luck in your game tomorrow and thank you for flying with Porter Airlines. I always love the road for bonding. Uh our approach here is sure we should take advantage of the airplane, the bus rides, the laughs, all the things. That’s all bonding that uh I think pays dividends. When you plant those seeds, you you usually yield the fruit a little bit later. Um, my biggest thing is just uh trying to control all the all of the emotions. You know what I’m saying? I’ve been in that city for about 5 years before I came to Hamilton. So, there’s a lot of friends there, a lot of old coaches there. Um, it was good to go back and see the city, see see a couple of my old restaurants that I like, the apartments. It was fun to see. Um, and then when I got back on the field, it felt like I was at home again. I was comfortable. I wasn’t didn’t feel like I was in a foreign environment. And I think that’s what allowed me to go out there and play so fast and play freely with my teammates. As smoke swirls in the Calgary foothills, the clarity these two playoff star franchises are searching for could lay in their bigname offseason acquisitions. As we welcome you to McMahon Stadium. [Applause] Tremendous start here for the Calgary Stampeders offense. Looking swinging the ball around the field and getting it done on the ground. [Music] It’s good to have that road game early and we’re just working on being battle tested. Um it’s the CFL. Every game’s going to be close. So, you just got to learn how to fight on the road and at home. Here as well as Hamilton sends the blitz gets his arm. Hands up for grabs and it’s intercepted. Picked off by the Tiger Cats. Jonathan Moxy speedster 10 lane and the Tai Cats have some life side to pass looking firing over the middle. It’s caught at the five. Touchdown. Touchdown Cats. Go Cats. Go catch. Let’s go. Stack it up into the end zone up for grabs. Tipped away and the Calgary Stampeders hold court at home. On the surface, it seems like history is repeating itself. All of those slow starts in recent seasons coming back to haunt the team. But inside the Thaiats locker room, it’s not the same old story. Returning to Hamilton for the home opener against the Saskatchewan Ruff Riders, there’s a new attitude emerging. A determination to fulfill the dreams and expectations of their hometown fans. We’ve been waiting since since, you know, Danny Mack and the boys in 991. It’s been 25 years in a nine team league. We’re getting a little impatient right now, right? You don’t see anyone throwing jerseys on the field or anything like that. We’ve been down bad some seasons, but uh we’re optimistic every year, every start of the season. We’re always optimistic about our chances. But again, yeah, we’re hungry for a championship here. We we we deserve one. The team deserves one. Let’s It’s time to see Black and Gold back on top. You know, man, playing for the Haka fans is one of the best I I’d say opportunities I’ve ever had in my life. And here’s why. I’ve played in Texas. I That’s where I’m raised, right? High school football is our life down there. They’re going to love you no matter what. SMU in college where they couldn’t care. They were just betting on the game and you better hit your over. you know, the Taiat fans, man, these people bleed this team and this these colors. And I think the most beautiful thing about it is you have to embrace the fact that if you don’t play good, they’re going to let you know. And if you play good, they’re going to let you know. And that’s an amazing feeling because they should. As a player, it’s uh it’s exciting. It’s fun. It’s tough. But at the same time, when you hear those roars and you hear those cheers, you know you’ve earned it. [Applause] It’s been years and years. It’s tradition. It’s uh like you can see in this parking lot, it’s amazing that the the pride of Hamilton. It means it’s the start of a brand new season. A lot of hope. We’re going to win the tonight. And away we go. Everyone’s flying flags. We’re all here for the same reason, right? We want to see a win and hopefully we get one today. You’re in the hammer. It’s June. It’s It’s just there’s where else would you want to be? The atmosphere at the games is so much fun. People are great fans, dressed up. It guarantees me 10 date nights a year by having season tickets. It is what it is. Win or lose, it’s Hamilton pride. [Music] I think after that first week, we were all pretty excited and understood that, okay, it’s a loss, but going to the home opener now, you know, hey, let’s go out there and prove in front of our fans who we are. Let’s go out there and play for these guys. It’s a beautiful Saturday evening in Hamilton as we get set for the 1 and0 riders visiting the 0 and1 Tyats to wrap up week two in the Canadian Football League. Saskatchewan coming in here 1 and0. They’re excited after their big win against Ottawa last week and the Hamilton Tiger Cats get the opportunity to prove that they belong and this is the best team to go against to do that. [Applause] We are underway in Hamilton. Mitchell time down the field. Lawler up. He gets it. Are you kidding me? Kenny Lawler, you’re ridiculous. Oh, Levi Mitchell in the shotgun. Here comes the heat from Saskatchewan. Mitchell tosses end zone. Caught. Touchdown. Touchdown Cats. Timmy White. And the Tiger Cats home opener begins with a six-point play. And let on a first down run. Big hole gets to the 40. 3530 near sideline. 2520. Stiff arm at the 15. 10. Five. And a touchdown. Rough riders. Saskatchewan’s on the board. Bobbled. Snap by Mitchell. Grabs it. Throws it deep to Lawler. He’s got it to the end zone. They’re going to rule him out. Liter’s done it before. Can he do it again? Pushing in and he over the goal line for a touchdown. Touchdown Cats. Dante Milanovic. Liter. [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] Harris. Pressure comes. Lofts it near side end zone. It is caught. It is up and that is why he missed it again. Steps up, keeps one down the field. Tim White waiting. Almost intercepted, but it falls incomplete. Second and six. Clock ticks here in the hammer. Mitchell gets it away. Incomplete. 18 seconds. Empty back field for Mitchell. High snap. Ronaldo’s incomplete turnover on down Saskatchewan ball. We gave Ourel a chance to win. We couldn’t pull it off. And sometimes in this league, every every game comes down to four or five plays. And uh that game we just we lost those four or five plays and that’s just what happens. A better performance, but still a loss. And no time for excuses. Even at this early stage in the season, hard decisions have to be made, including asking a rookie from Windsor, Ontario to step up in a new role. In this line of work, there there’s always always change and you can’t always anticipate when it comes. You know, collectively, we made a a decision to move forward and we thought that Devin was ready. Kyle, you know, he was a Thaiat, I believe, for I think he was in his fifth year. um those situations it’s heavy and you know there’s personal relationships there’s family there’s history you know sometimes you have to make tough decisions I mean I remember walking into the locker room and I saw nothing in his locker so I’m like okay well something something happened and like 2 minutes later I get a text from coach Monson’s like come meet me in the in the linebacker room I got I got something to tell you so I go upstairs he’s uh sitting in a dark room by himself I walk in I’m like okay something’s about to go down and uh he pretty much is like he just puts it on. He’s like, “You’re going to be the starting linebacker and uh you know, be ready, lock in, and this is your shot.” After the SAS game going into it, it’s it kind of felt like um you know, a mirror or a copycat of of last year, but you could see it in the eyes and the voices of everybody there. We all knew what we have, but we all know that it was time to go. I talked to the team before the game and I was like, “Guys, if you think that just because you signed with the Hamilton Tiger Cats that these fans are going to come out here and cheer for you and that they respect you and that they’re going to love you up,” I was like, “You’re wrong.” I was like, “You have to go out there and earn it.” A lot of the guys like going through by-week coming back after it, I think they all saw it like cuz that week of practice was different. Like when we ran competitive periods, it was competitive. Guys were, you know, making plays on the ball, getting on top, and just, you know, doing everything we can to push each other. So, um, it felt like one of those where we knew the outside world wasn’t going to exactly, you know, believe us to go out and win that game. Um, but there was just a different feeling in the locker room the moment we stepped in there. The Tyats audio network. It is a hot and steamy night in Steeltown. It’s going to be Caliente on the football field tonight as the Tigerats host the Montreal Aloetses. Tyats are coming off the bye-week. They’re at home. They’re wearing their maid in the hammer uniforms. Are the stars aligned for the Cats? Devin Verick making his CFL first start tonight. Yeah, so I was I was all I was cool and calm, cool, calm and collected all through the introductions. I mean, it was really cool having my name screamed out. It was probably really cool for my parents as well. I’m running around and I kind of just take it in. I’m looking around and I’m seeing all the fans and um once I settled in and once I realized that it’s just football, it just all came naturally again. Come on now. Hey, they hey, they show up. They show up over here, they going to leave in a body bag, hit some [ __ ] Make them feel it. Make them feel it. I think it gets to a point, you know, um you go on a week, you go home, you get a chance to self-reflect, and now we’re back on our home turf. Are we going to let down our fans again? What are we going to do? It’s time for us to step up to the plate and get this W. I told the defense straight up. This [ __ ] ain’t going to be easy. They going to come in here and try to think this they [ __ ] [ __ ] that. We at home. We missed the mark before. Don’t let that [ __ ] happen again. This [ __ ] going to be up and down, but [ __ ] that. Give me everything you [ __ ] got. Soon as they think they got life. Soon as they think they got life, we going to take that [ __ ] We going to take that [ __ ] Do this [ __ ] for the [ __ ] city. Do this [ __ ] for the [ __ ] next to you. Let’s get this [ __ ] dub, man. Hey, we’re in 03. 1 2 3. [Applause] Let’s go Hamilton. We are beating the hammer. [Applause] Great job. Way around those uprights in front of the CFL end zone. McBth goes over the top. strikes it and it is intercepted. [Applause] Hamilton with great field position after the defense steps up. It’s Jamal Peters making the play. I get paid for I get paid for a run. Four receivers, two to each side on third and goal from the one. But Levi has it. Looks locks far side caught. Touchdown. Touchdown Cats. Kenny Lawler. Beautiful. Beautiful. Beautiful. That’s That’s unheard of. You got the one of the best receivers in the league wide open for the touchdown. And a great strong long drive by the offense letting them know they can score on this defense. They should go in there with confidence and come back out here and put it on Montreal even more. Let’s go. God damn it. You all right? I I got into a big hit and my headset flew out. So, I’m on the sideline. I put my helmet on and I’m I’m supposed to get a call to throw my helmet and I’m like, “Nothing’s coming in.” So, I take it off. There’s no headset in it. So, I’m scrambling all on the sidelines asking like my club manager. Um I couldn’t find him. My teammate ends up giving me his headset. So I ran on the field finally [Music] [Applause] at the 35 at the 20 10 5 touchdown touchdown pass Kevin I [Applause] want to go to take something he gets his first start of his career But what does he do in front of the home crowd? He scores a touchdown. Great job by the rookie. It was just I was I was honestly like over the moon. So like it was just all a big blur. But um I remember just sitting or coming to the sidelines, everybody’s, you know, hyping me up like crazy. Everybody’s shaking me up. Casey Casey ran out on the sideline and gave me a big hug. So it was cool seeing the guys kind of rally around me and be happy for me kind of meant a lot to me. The fact that it happened in my first start was just like like a movie. You can play anybody from that. Isn’t that awesome? That’s a That’s what you want to see for a first game. That’s a gift. That’s a surprise. Mitchell has three receivers to the far wide side. Two to the near short side. And now TAR Smith. Lots of motion in the back field and Mitchell will toss it. It is caught at the five and out of bounds into first down territory with a big catch. Tawn Ward first and goal. Mitchell. Two tight ends, three receivers. Has the football. Looks, tosses, caught. Touchdown. Touchdown catch. Tim White. Welld deserved by Tim White. He was He deserves a touchdown for this game for all of the catches that he’s been catching and gap yards immediately after it. And now he gets rewarded with a touchdown, putting the Tats up by two touchdowns. And we’re looking really good right now, Rick. [Music] against Jason Moslo. And here we go in a wild. Here we go. Into the end zone. Hamilton’s on it. Julian Hower. Touchdown. [Applause] Oh my. Let’s go. It’s 100th game. A sack and a touchdown. And just the way that they wanted to finish the game. The defenses puts the foot on Montreal’s neck. It’s win number one. 3517. Cats get it done. Winless no more is Hamilton. Unbeaten no more are the Montreal Aloetses. I just think the mindset of the team is that we know we have something special. Um and it was just a matter of uh of when when it’s going to start clicking, when it’s going to start going. So, I think no matter how many times they punch us, we’re always going to get back up. And that’s kind of the mindset that we have. And even on the weeks that did end up with a loss, we still attack the week and we still attack the day. And um really just trying to get better every day. Hey, listen. We talked about critical plays, right? We made them tonight. All three [ __ ] phases, right? PT in the last half of the defense two scores. [Applause] And an offense critic right in the fourth quarter to take a two-core lead. Hey, there’s only one guy I want to talk about and I don’t want to embarrass him. Teddy, where you at? [Applause] Hey, I’m not going to talk about too much here, right? But if we need an inspiration, we’ve got one right in the [ __ ] building. All right. First of many, my friend. [ __ ] everybody deserves this ball tonight. I’m not worthy of taking it just yet. I had to win a few more. I think this down the road, but 11 guys on defense that played around 49 and the effort of 49 tonight. [Applause] You see it, brother. You see it, brother. I just want to say something. When uh when coach the other day asked if we got rich playing Canadian football, I was about to raise my hand cuz I’m rich in life, man. This is the happiest ever band. I [ __ ] love you. It’s a start. A win over an Eastern powerhouse, a complete team effort, an emotional victory, the first signs of something resembling swagger, of a team that is beginning to believe in itself. Four of the next five games are on the road. The Thaiats will cover more than 20,000 km before they get to Labor Day. But the next step is the shortest road trip of them all. A quick ride down the QW to Toronto. Showtime. This who we live for. The forever rival. The games that hit you where you live. Sure, they won the Gay Cup last year, but that was then and this is now. [Music]