THE CANADIAN PRESS

WINNIPEG -- Head coach Mike Kelly doesn't believe he'll have to deliver a stirring pre-game speech to his Winnipeg Blue Bombers when they host the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the first CFL exhibition game for both teams Wednesday night.

"They know what is expected of them," Kelly said Tuesday. "And if they can't perform with that type of reckless abandon and enthusiasm, controlled reckless abandon and enthusiasm, then they'll have a difficult time making this club."

It will be a busy night in the CFL, with three other exhibition contests. In other action, the Toronto Argonauts host the Montreal Alouettes, the Saskatchewan Roughriders visit the Edmonton Eskimos and the B.C. Lions are at McMahon Stadium to face the Grey Cup-champion Calgary Stampeders.

Kelly, in his first season as the club's head coach, isn't overly concerned about winning the game. He's more intent on evaluating talent and deciding the roughly 15 cuts he'll have to make to reach his self-imposed roster limit of 60 players Friday.

Kelly knows fans will be watching every series to evaluate the roster he's assembled since replacing the fired Doug Berry last December.

He wants to see them in action, too.

"I know there's a lot of people who are anxious, excited, apprehensive," Kelly said. "I don't know what word to use, but there's an awful lot of, curiosity is probably the best word, about what kind of football team we're going to have this year."

The new lineup is minus about 20 players who started games last year for the under-achieving 8-10 squad.

Two former Bombers returning to Canad Inns Stadium are quarterback Kevin Glenn and offensive lineman Dan Goodspeed. Glenn signed with Hamilton after being released by Winnipeg while Goodspeed landed with the Ticats in a trade.

Neither Goodspeed nor Glenn said they will have redemption on their mind Wednesday night.

"I'm going to play as hard as I can against Winnipeg as I do against Toronto or B.C.," Goodspeed said. "I was surprised (to be traded) but Hamilton obviously wanted me and Winnipeg didn't want me anymore."

Added Glenn: "It's a business trip. We're going out there to try and get a win. It's nothing personal.

"It's the Hamilton Tiger-Cats trying to get a win over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Winning is infectious and once you get that ball rolling you want to continue and keep doing it."

A third former Bomber, tackle Alexandre Gauthier, signed with Hamilton as a free agent this off-season but didn't make the trip.

One of the Bombers' biggest question marks heading into the season is at quarterback. Projected starter Stefan LeFors will start the game with Bryan Randall, James Kilian and former Ticat Richie Williams all expected to see action.

"I'm looking for people behind the centre that are intelligent, that are poised, that can command the huddle, that can distribute the football correctly," Kelly said. "We think we have some very good playmakers here, that the onus of the offence doesn't have to rely directly on the quarterback position."

Another unit under the spotlight is the offensive line, which also lost starting centre Dominic Picard to Toronto in free agency this off-season.

Replacing them in the Bombers' lineup are the likes of veteran tackles Steve Morley and Glenn January and guards Kelly Bates and Luke Fritz.

"It's a big proving ground for us, too, because a lot of guys were castoffs or misfits from other teams and we've got something to prove," said centre Obby Khan, who missed most of the past two seasons battling colitis. "So we're playing with a big edge on our shoulders.

"I know I am after two years off. There's going to be some fireworks (Wednesday) night on the offensive line."

Khan says fans overly concerned about the Bombers' revamped offensive line should simply chill out.

"The No. 1 thing I think fans have to realize is that the offensive line we have are not just some guys we got off the street," he said. "They're not just some bums or players who don't have experience.

"They're all guys who have played in the CFL, established starters . . . We know what we're doing and we're going to kick some butt (Wednesday)".

Hamilton head coach Marcel Bellefeuille also left running back Kenton Keith, receiver Prechae Rodriguez and linebackers Otis Floyd and Markeith Knowlton back home for the game.

But Glenn will play for a quarter, along with Quinton Porter, Adam Tafralis and Jason Boltus.

While fans will likely boo the much-maligned Glenn, Bombers defensive end Gavin Walls will try to sack him - with no hard feelings.

"Kev, he's still a heck of an athlete," Walls said. "He still has that arm. I don't take anything from him."

Some of Winnipeg's veterans will only see a bit of action, including defensive tackle Doug Brown and running backs Joe Smith and Fred Reid. Receiver Derick Armstrong won't play at all.

Alouettes versus Argonauts

At Toronto, veteran Kerry Joseph gets the start for the Argos. Former Alouettes running back Jarrett Payton will also dress and is expected to see action against his one-time team. Former New Orleans Saint Adrian McPherson will be under centre for Montreal, which will be minus a host of veterans, including incumbent Anthony Calvillo, slotback Ben Cahoon and running back Avon Cobourne.

Roughriders versus Eskimos

At Edmonton, Eskimos head coach Richie Hall makes his CFL debut against his former team. Hall spent 15 seasons as an assistant coach and defensive co-ordinator with the Roughriders before being hired this off-season by the Eskimos when Danny Maciocia stepped down to concentrate on being the club's full-time GM.

Lions versus Stampeders

At Calgary, quarterback Henry Burris, the 2008 Grey Cup MVP, will see action for the Stampeders. Also expected to line up under centre are Barrick Nealy, Drew Tate and Matt D'Orazio. B.C. got a head start on reducing its training camp roster, releasing import receiver Jerel Myers and import defensive back John Guice on Tuesday.