Montreal Alouettes sign Montana standout Cannon Panfiloff, release two

Photo: Montana Athletics. Photo edit: 3DownNation.

The Montreal Alouettes have signed American offensive lineman Cannon Panfiloff to a two-year contract, the team announced on Wednesday.

The six-foot-six, 294-pound blocker made 30 starts over three collegiate seasons at the University of Montana, where he played a total of 41 games.

The 24-year-old was named second-team All-American by Stats Perform, third-team All-American by FCS Central/Sports Illustrated, and an All-American honourable mention by the Associated Press in 2025. He also won the Paul Weskamp Award as Montana’s top offensive lineman and was named first-team All-Big Sky.

The native of Ogden, Utah played his first three collegiate seasons at Utah Tech, where he dressed for 18 games.

The Alouettes have also released American offensive lineman Arlington Hambright and American defensive lineman Chidozie Nwankwo.

Hambright signed with the team in February after spending five years in the NFL. The six-foot-five, 300-pound blocker was originally a seventh-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears. In total, he played 15 regular-season NFL games as a member of the Bears, New England Patriots, Indianapolis Colts, Houston Texans, and Tennessee Titans.

Nwankwo also joined the Alouettes this offseason following his collegiate career at the University of Colorado. The five-foot-11, 290-pound defender was named an honourable mention All-Big 12 selection in 2024 after making 32 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery.

The Alouettes hold the eighth overall pick in the 2026 CFL Draft, which is scheduled for Tuesday, April 28 at 7:00 p.m. EDT. All CFL training camps are scheduled to open on May 10. The team will play its first preseason game against the Ottawa Redblacks on Friday, May 22 and its first regular-season game against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Thursday, June 4.

In 2025, Montreal finished second in the East Division standings with a 10-8 record and beat the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the East Final before losing the 112th Grey Cup to the Saskatchewan Roughriders.