MONTREAL — Montreal Alouettes offensive lineman Kristian Matte announced his retirement Thursday after playing 14 seasons with the CFL club.
The six-foot-four, 296-pound lineman from Longueuil, Que., won Grey Cups with the Alouettes in 2010 and 2023 and was twice named a CFL East Division all-star.
Matte's 14 seasons are tied for third in franchise history behind quarterback Anthony Calvillo (16) and offensive lineman Scott Flory (15).
The former Concordia Stinger was drafted in the first round (seventh overall) by Montreal in 2010.
He joined the Alouettes that year after a stint with the NFL's Houston Texans and played in 190 regular-season games and 10 playoff contests over his career. He played in six games last season.
The versatile lineman played primarily guard and centre for Montreal.
"This is the end of an era. Matte was quite a player and always acted as a true gentleman," Alouettes general manager Danny Maciocia said in a release. "He played a key role within our team during his career and did an excellent job leading our younger players.
"He spoke up in our locker room when the team needed it, and never hesitated to encourage his teammates at other times. The Alouettes can consider themselves fortunate to have had such a leader on their team all these years."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 5, 2024.
The Canadian Press
