WINNIPEG -- Jeremy Ito has provided another subplot in Sunday's critical game between the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
The Ticats import rookie will make his pro debut and handle all the kicking chores after two-time CFL all-star Nick Setta injured a quad muscle during Friday's practice.
After arriving in Winnipeg Saturday, the Ticats didn't make Ito available to the media.
Hamilton head coach Marcel Bellefeuille said it wasn't a case of keeping him out of the spotlight before the game which will decide second place in the CFL East Division.
The game can be seen live on TSN and TSN HD at 1pm et/10am pt.
"It was nothing clandestine," Bellefeuille said. "It was just one of those situations where (we were) just getting him situated. We didn't have a flight booked, we didn't have a room booked (for him)."
Ito, who graduated from Rutgers University in 2007 after four seasons, was cut by the Ticats on Thursday when the league deadline for expanded practice rosters expired. He had signed Oct. 10.
He had a flight booked to go home to New Jersey on Saturday and was re-signed on Friday after Setta's injury. Bellefeuille didn't yet know the seriousness of the injury.
"It is what it is," Bellefeuille said of the impact of Setta's absence.
"These things happen at different position groups and we're fortunate that we had a kicker in for the last couple weeks on the expanded practice roster."
Setta had been perfect on his last 10 field-goal attempts and has a 42.9-yard punting average in his third CFL season.
Bellefeuille noted receiver Dave Stala can also punt and kick field goals and did some of that in the team's first game of the season when Setta got injured.
While Winnipeg's Canad Inns Stadium can be tough in windy conditions, the forecast may gave Ito a break. Sunday's forecast calls for a high of 11 C with a southwest wind of about 10 km/h.
The Ticats (8-9) have already secured a spot in the playoffs for the first time since 2004. Now the team is aiming for a home playoff date for the first time since 2001.
If Hamilton defeats Winnipeg (7-10), it will knock the Bombers out of the playoffs because the league's crossover format will kick in.
The B.C. Lions sit at 8-10 and in fourth place in the West, but can grab third place in the East only if they have more points than the third-place finisher.
A Winnipeg win would give the Bombers the season series with Hamilton and second place. The Ticats won their first meeting 25-13 at home in July. Winnipeg visited again on Oct. 12 and came away with a 38-28 victory.
"This is what we live for," Bombers offensive lineman Obby Khan said. "This, right now, is playoffs for us. It just starts a week early...
"This is why we play the game. This is as big as it gets."
The game has plenty of juicy storylines.
It features the return of a number of former Bombers, most notably starting quarterback Kevin Glenn, offensive linemen Alexandre Gauthier and Dan Goodspeed and defensive co-ordinator Greg Marshall.
Glenn was dumped by new Bomber head coach Mike Kelly in the off-season, Gauthier left through free agency, Goodspeed was traded to Saskatchewan and then flipped to Hamilton and Marshall quit when he didn't get Winnipeg's head-coaching job.
The former players have been in touch with their old teammates, having fun with the revenge plot line.
"I talked to (Glenn Friday night)," Bombers slotback Terrence Edwards said with a grin.
"I just told him he could tell the truth in the paper, how he really feels about stickin' it to us.
"But Kevin is my boy, we joke, we talk all the time. Even though he's trying to knock us out, I want him to do well, but I think if we come to play we'll be just fine."
Glenn, originally signed as a backup to Quinton Porter, wasn't about to be baited to provide more motivation for his old teammates.
"I don't ever look at anything as revenge or spite," said Glenn, who started the last three games and didn't throw an interception in them.
"Things happen. Anybody that knows me or knows the type of person that I am knows I'm not like that. I just look at it as it's another important game for us Ticats, to go in and hopefully get a win and get a (home) playoff game."
Bombers placekicker Alexis Serna, who has 17-year veteran Troy Westwood handling the punts, used to play against Ito in high school in California.
"He's a good kicker and I'm pretty sure any opportunity to play is going to be a lot of fun for him," Serna said.
"It's going to be a dream for him to get on the field and play professionally."
Serna has been good on 10 of his last 13 field-goal tries and knows his contribution is critical.
"Every point's going to count," he said. "You've just got to be prepared for anything and everything and just go out there with a great mindset.
"I'm happy, I'm excited about tomorrow's game and an opportunity to keep moving on. I love pressure. It's going to be a lot of fun. It's a big game."
Bombers linebacker Barrin Simpson said field position is going to be a key of the game.
"Unless a big play happens early, it'll be a slug-out, rock-`em-sock `em defensive game so the special teams is going to play a huge, huge role," Simpson said.
"If we can go out and win the special-teams game, we'll win the ball game."
Notes -- Winnipeg has won four of its last six games and is 8-2 against the Ticats in their last 10 meetings . . . Hamilton is on a two-game winning streak that snapped four straight losses . . . Winnipeg had sold 28,025 tickets by 4:30 p.m. Saturday. A sellout is 29,533.