Photo by Paul Eddy Saint-Vilien
OTTAWA – There will be a Carleton flair to the broadcast booth on Saturday afternoon as the Vanier Cup takes to the air across Canada on CBC. Ravens defensive coordinator Paul Eddy Saint-Vilien will join former Ravens QB and longtime voice of Canadian football Mark Lee in the broadcast booth for the call.
While the Ravens season came to an end on November 6, 2021, the offseason has looked a little different for everyone. On Saturday, Saint-Vilien joined Mark Lee for a remote broadcast of the Mitchell Bowl where the Western Mustangs hosted the StFX X-Men. A member of the the Ravens since 2018, Paul Eddy has a wealth of experience at the big game, having previous won the Vanier Cup in 2003 and 2004 with Laval and again in 2014 with Montreal. As a previous member of the Laval coaching staff, Saint-Vilien will be returning home again, to Telus Stadium, a place he also attended for the 2015 Vanier Cup with Montreal.
The Ravens connections go full circle with Lee in the middle of the booth. The former Raven first made a name for himself under centre at Carleton where he still holds the record for third longest completion of all time – on a 92-yard play with Gary Cook in 1977. After graduating in 1980 with a Bachelor of Journalism, Lee’s career has taken him around the world working in radio and television covering the CFL, Vanier Cup, Hockey Night in Canada and the Olympics among other major sporting events.
For Paul Eddy, the opportunity to work the biggest game in Canadian university football alongside a two-time Gemini Award winner is an honour he won’t soon forget. “On a personal level, it’s an honour to represent Carleton University on a national stage. It’s also an honour to work with a legend like Mark Lee who is an alumnus and former QB in the program.”
Asked about what he’ll bring to the booth, Saint-Vilien plans to rely on his experience and wealth of defensive knowledge. “I hope to bring depth to the defensive analysis and plan to enjoy this opportunity.”
The Vanier Cup, between the University of Saskatchewan Huskies and the Western University Mustangs kicks off on Saturday, December 4 at 1 p.m. Eastern live on CBC TV. The broadcast is also available online through CBCSports.ca and CBC Gem, and the CBC Sports App. The French broadcast will be available via TVASports.
