ARGONAUTS.CA STAFF

MISSISSAUGA – Today during player media availability at the club's UTM practice facility, injured non-import K/P Noel Prefontaine spoke to the media for the first time since being placed on the 9-game injured list one day earlier.

Prefontaine told reporters that in addition to being on the 9-game injured list, he will be out for the remainder of the season.  He will undergo surgery to his hip to repair a pre-existing injury that was affecting the mechanics of his kicking motion.  Prefontaine though showed optimism about what the surgery will bring and how it will finally deal with this issue.

"Obviously, I have one glimmer of hope and it's getting it fixed and (we'll see) what happens after that. Anyone who has ever been through any surgery knows it is not a guarantee. I am not going to feel like a new person when I come out of this thing but the bottom line is the injury is going to be fixed and then I will just take it from there," Prefontaine explained.

In addition, Prefontaine made a point of noting that he did this for the good of the team. "This team cannot afford to have inconsistency at that position and I feel with my injury, and how I'm feeling right now, I can't fulfill my responsibility to help this team win," he said.

GM Jim Barker commented on Prefontaine's injury earlier in the week, “[Prefontaine] has had an existing thing going on for about two years and he’s kicked through it, and this year, for whatever reason mechanically, it has created some issues for him.”

The longtime Argo re-aggravated this existing injury during the team's 27-36 loss to the Ticats.  He started the game but elected, in the second half, to leave in favour of K/P Anthony Alix. He pulled himself for what he described as the good of the team.

As a result, the Argos have signed import K/P Swayze Waters who is expected to start and handle kicking duties for Wednesday night's game against Winnipeg.

Through three weeks of the CFL season, Prefontaine leads the league with 37 kicking points.