Stampeders honour Mylan Hicks, then pull off emotional win over Ticats

The Calgary Stampeders were dealing with a lot of emotions Saturday against Hamilton, their first game after defensive back Mylan Hicks was fatally shot outside a Calgary nightclub last Sunday, but they managed to come together and pull off an impressive 36-17 win over the Tiger-Cats. The game was filled with tributes to Hicks, which started even before the game with the playing of the American national anthem (Hicks was from Detroit, Michigan) in addition to the Canadian anthem and then a moment of silence in memory of Hicks (which will be taking place before each CFL game this weekend). Here's video of the anthem from TSN 1150's Marshall Ferguson:

Canadian Press photographer Peter Power was on the scene to capture all the different tributes to Hicks. Many Stampeders wore personalized tributes to Hicks with his initials or his #31, including DB Joshua Bell:

And fellow DB Tommie Campbell:

Defensive tackle Quinn Smith wore Hicks' number on his arm:

And Jabar Wall has taken Hicks' #31 jersey, and will wear it for the rest of the year to honour him:

The Stampeders all wore helmet decals honouring Hicks:

As seen up top, the Stampeders all stood for a moment of silence honouring Hicks. So did the Ticats. Members of both teams joined forces to pray after the game, too, and Hamilton receiver Junior Collins held up a towel with Hicks' name written on it:

Here's a closer look at Collins holding up that towel:

Dealing with a situation like this is incredibly tough, but the Stampeders found a way to pull through. Head coach Dave Dickenson sent them out onto the field with a cheer of "Family!", and they showed that togetherness on the field as well, getting key contributions from a number of players. Quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell threw for 299 yards and two touchdowns, but he also tossed two picks and needed a little more help from his defence than he often has. They stood strong, though, holding Hamilton to 271 passing yards(120 from quarterback Zach Collaros before he was hurt, 151 from replacement Jeremiah Masoli in the second half) and 39 rushing yards.

The Stampeders' special teams came through as well, with Simon Charbonneau-Campeau making a particularly great play. Late in the game when the Ticats threatened a comeback, he grabbed a Hamilton onside kick and returned it for a touchdown that all but sealed the lead. Overall, it wasn't the prettiest or the most dominant win we've seen from Calgary this year, but it was an impressive one considering all they've been through this week, and the Stampeders found a way to push on and extend their unbeaten streak to 13 games. Their hearts are unquestionably heavy now, and will remain so, but Saturday suggested they're still very capable of coming together to play great football despite the tragic loss of their teammate.