Countdown to Kickoff

100

Winnipeg will host the Grey Cup for a fifth time this November. It was first the stage for the championship game in 1991, followed by 1998, 2006 and 2015.

99

The Grey Cup was commissioned in 1909 by Albert Grey, then Canada’s Governor General, who originally hoped to donate the trophy to the country’s senior amateur hockey champions. But with the Allan Cup donated that same year for hockey, the Grey Cup was made available to the Canadian Dominion Football Championship.

98

The Toronto Argonauts have won the most Grey Cup titles – 19 – including last year’s championship. Edmonton is second with 14 while Winnipeg is third with 12.

97

The 1995 Baltimore Stallions are the only American team in CFL history to capture the Grey Cup, with a 37-20 victory over the Calgary Stampeders at Taylor Field in Regina. They also competed in the 1994 championship but fell to the B.C. Lions.

96

Winnipeg has appeared in five straight Grey Cups – 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 – the longest stretch of appearances along with Edmonton (1977-82), Hamilton (1961-65) and Regina (1928-32).

95

The 1989 Grey Cup game featured the most combined points scored in the championship’s history – 83 -- with Saskatchewan edging Hamilton 43-40.

94

Six players appeared in nine Grey Cup games – John Barrow and Tommy Grant (Ham), Dave Cutler and Larry Highbaugh (Edm), Angelo Mosca (Ham-Ott) and Hank Ilesic (Edm-Tor).

93

Montreal kicker Don Sweet holds the Grey Cup record for most points scored in the game with 23, set in the Alouettes win over Edmonton in 1977.

92

The 1961 Grey Cup was the first to be decided in overtime, with quarterback Ken Ploen scoring the winning touchdown for a 21-14 Winnipeg win over Hamilton at CNE Stadium in Toronto.

91

The Winnipeg ‘Pegs became the first team from Western Canada to capture the Grey Cup with an 18-12 win over the Hamilton Tigers in 1935 in front of 6,405 fans at the Hamilton Amateur Athletic Association Grounds.

90

The largest Grey Cup attendance in the championship game’s history came in 1977 at Olympic Stadium in Montreal when 68,318 fans watched the Alouettes maul the Edmonton Eskimos 41-6.

89

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats hold the longest current Grey Cup drought in the CFL. The franchise’s last championship came in 1999 with a 32-21 win over the Calgary Stampeders.

88

The Blue Bombers became the fourth club to have reached five consecutive Grey Cups last year with appearances in 2019, 2021-24. Edmonton made six straight appearances from 1977-82, Hamilton was in five consecutive from 1961-65 as was Regina from 1928-32.

87

The weather at kickoff in the previous four Grey Cups in Winnipeg – 1991: -17C; 1998: +10; 2006: 0C; 2015: -5C

86

Queen’s University holds the record for the most points scored in a Grey Cup with 54, in a 54-0 win over Regina in 1923.

85

Hamilton holds the Grey Cup record as the fastest team to score as Don Sutherin hit a kickoff single 12 seconds into the 1965 game against Winnipeg.

84

Mike Pringle is the all-time leading rusher in Grey Cup history with 391 yards on 76 carries in four games.

83

Montreal legend Anthony Calvillo is the all-time leading passer in Grey Cup history. He threw for 2,470 yards in his eight games with the Alouettes.

82

Baltimore’s Calros Huerta holds the Grey Cup record for the longest field goal with 53, set against Calgary in the 1995 game.

81

Ottawa’s Vic Washington is the Grey Cup record holder for the longest rush, with an 80-yard run against Calgary in 1968.

80

The 1950 Grey Cup is known as ‘The Mud Bowl’ as a late snowfall the day before the game turned the field at Varsity Stadium in Toronto into a mess. Toronto won 13-0.

79

Saskatchewan’s James Johnson holds the Grey Cup record with three interceptions in one game, set in 2007 vs. Winnipeg.

78

Hamilton’s Grover Covington had five quarterback sacks in the 1986 Grey Cup, a championship game record.

77

The 1954 Grey Cup was the first televised on national TV, with Jackie Parker leading Edmonton to a 26-25 victory over Montreal.

76

The 1996 Grey Cup game at Ivor Wynne Stadium in Hamilton was known as ‘The Snow Bowl.’ Toronto and Edmonton served up an snow-globe classic, with Toronto winning 43-36.

75

The Montreal Alouettes edged the Saskatchewan Roughriders 28-27 in the 2009 Grey Cup in bizarre fashion. Alouette kicker Damon Duval missed a 43-yard field goal with five seconds remaining, but the Roughriders were penalized for having too many men on the field. Duval then drilled his second attempt after the penalty.

74

Toronto’s Cassius Vaughn returned a Kamar Jorden fumble 109 yards for a touchdown in the 2017 Grey Cup, a 27-24 win by the Argonauts over Calgary.

73

Montreal’s Red O’Quinn had an astonishing 290 receiving yards in the 1954 Grey Cup on 12 receptions, but the Alouettes fell 26-25 to Edmonton.

72

The reported cost of the Grey Cup when it was first donated by Governor General Earl Grey in 1909 was $48.

71

Shania Twain has twice performed as the Grey Cup halftime act – the first in 2002 in Edmonton and the second in 2017 in Ottawa.

70

The halftime acts at the previous Grey Cups in Winnipeg: 1991 – Luba/Burton Cummings; 1998 – Love Inc.; 2006 - Nelly Furtako featuring Saukrates; 2015 – Fall Out Boy.

69

Winnipeg’s win in the 2019 Grey Cup ended the longest championship drought in franchise history, with the club having previously won its last title before that in 1990.

68

The Grey Cup was not played in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic and was not contested from 1916-18 because of World War I. In 1919 the game was not played because of a rules dispute between the Interprovincial Rugby Union and the Canadian Rugby Union.

67

Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson attended the 1965 Grey Cup game while leading a minority government at the time. Prior to the game he told TC reporter Johnny Esaw “I hope one team gets a majority of the points.”

66

The Grey Cup trophy survived a fire in 1947 at the Toronto Argonaut Rowing Club with it being caught on a nail as a shelf collapsed, preventing it from being further damaged.

65

The Grey Cup was contested by military teams during World War II in the years 1942, 1943 and 1944. It was won by the Toronto RCAF Hurricanes in 1942, the Hamilton Flying Wildcats in 1943 and the St. Hyacinthe-Donnacona Navy in 1944.

64

The 1933 and 1937 championships hold the distinction of being the two lowest scoring Grey Cups in history, with the Argonauts edging the Sarnia Imperials 4-3 in ’33 and the Argonauts then knocking off the Blue Bombers by the same score in ’37.

63

The largest deficit to be overcome in a Grey Cup victory came in 1981 when Edmonton rallied from a 20-0 Ottawa lead to win 26-23.

62

The Calgary Stampeders own the Grey Cup record for highest time of possession, holding the ball for 38 minutes and 19 seconds in their 1992 victory over Winnipeg.

61

The Most Outstanding Canadian Player Award in the Grey Cup game was first awarded in 1971, with Calgary defensive end Dick Suderman the first recipient.

60

The Grey Cup MVP trophy was awarded to a quarterback nine times in the 1980s. The only exception? Winnipeg receiver James Murphy earned the honour in the 1988 game.

59

There are 24 players/coaches/builders from the 1990 Blue Bombers Grey Cup squad in the club’s hall of fame: GM Cal Murphy, Greg Battle, James West, Tyrone Jones, Chis Walby, James Murphy, Danny McManus, Less Browne, Bob Cameron, Trevor Kennerd, Lyle Bauer, Bob Molle, David Black, Rod Hill, Ken Hailey, Michael Gray, Stan Mikawos, Paul Randolph, Perry Tuttle, Rick House, head coach Mike Riley, director of player personnel Paul Jones, assistant coach Dave Ritchie and then club president Ted Bartman.

58

The 50th Grey Cup is known as ‘The Fog Bowl’ as the game began on December 1, 1962, but was postponed with 9:29 left and Winnipeg leading Hamilton 28-27 until the next day as fog rolled in off Lake Ontario, making it impossible to see. The two teams resumed play the next day, but there was no further scoring

57

In 2019 Winnipeg running back Andrew Harris became the first player to win both the Grey Cup MVP and Most Valuable Canadian Awards. That feat was repeated a year later by Toronto linebacker Henoc Muamba.

56

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats had an incredible 13 sacks against Edmonton in the 1986 Grey Cup, a championship game record.

55

Saskatchewan’s Kory Sheets set a Grey Cup record with 197 yards rushing in the Roughriders 2013 Grey Cup win.

54

The 2013 Roughriders are the last team to win a Grey Cup in front of their home fans with a 45-23 victory over Hamilton.

53

The 1981 Grey Cup featured the 14-1-1 Edmonton Eskimos against the Ottawa Rough Riders, who finished the year at 5-11. The Rough Riders still hold the distinction of having the worst record of any Grey Cup finalist and held a 20-0 lead at one point before Edmonton rallied to win 26-23.

52

Calgary’s Danny Barrett holds the Grey Cup record for most pass attempts, as he completed 34-of-58 attempts in the Stampeders loss to Toronto in the 1991 Grey Cup in Winnipeg.

51

Toronto’s DeVier Posey teamed up with Ricky Ray for a 100-yard touchdown in the 2017 Grey Cup, the longest passing reception in the game’s history. The Argos won 27-24.

50

Montreal QB Sam ‘The Rifle’ Etcheverry holds the Grey Cup record for most passing yards in the game at 508, as he completed 30-of-41 passes in a 34-19 loss to Edmonton in the 1955 championship.

49

The 1976 Grey was decided on a 24-yard touchdown with 20 seconds left when Ottawa Rough Riders quarterback found Tony Gabriel behind covered in a 23-20 victory over the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

48

Hamilton’s Ian Sunter, just 19 at the time, was named the Most Valuable Canadian in the 1972 Grey Cup when he kicked a 34-yard field goal on the last play for a 13-10 win over Saskatchewan. The Tiger-Cats became the first team in the CFL’s modern era (1958 onward) to win the Grey Cup at home.

47

Dieter Brock and Tom Clements – traded for each other during the 1983 season – would lead their teams to the Grey Cup a year later. Clements would help lead the Winnipeg Blue Bombers to a 47-17 win over Brock and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and was named the offensive MVP of the game.

46

The 2021 Grey Cup game was decided in overtime and ended on a play in overtime that saw a pass attempt by Hamilton Tiger-Cats QB Jeremiah Masoli first tipped by Winnipeg Blue Bombers defensive back Deatrick Nichols, with the ball then scooped up before it could hit the ground by cornerback Winston Rose into the arms of teammate Kyrie Wilson, a linebacker.

45

The 1948 Calgary Stampeders became the first team west of Winnipeg to win the Grey Cup with a 12-7 victory over the Ottawa Rough Riders. Calgary became the only team in CFL history to win a championship while going undefeated, winning 12 games in the regular season and three more in the playoffs.

44

The 1948 Grey Cup champion Calgary Stampeder roster featured Woody Strode, who later starred in such movies as Spartacus and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance.

43

Leading up to their victory in the 2023 Grey Cup, the Montreal Alouettes knocked off the heavily favoured Toronto Argonauts, 16-2 in the regular season, in the Eastern Final. And in the Grey Cup they upset the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, 14-4 during the year, as Cody Fajardo connected with Tyson Philpot for a 19-yard TD with 13 seconds left in a 28-24 victory.

42

Hamilton product Russ Jackson is considered one of the greatest Canadians to play in the CFL and helped lead the Ottawa Rough Riders to three Grey Cups in the 1960s in 1960, 1968 and 1969.

41

The Montreal Alouettes set a Grey Cup record that still stands in the 1954 Grey Cup with 651 yards net offence – 291 yards rushing and 387 yards passing. Alas, they lost the game 26-25 to the Edmonton Eskimos.

40

Winnipeg’s Leo Lewis is the all-time leader in Grey Cup history in combined yards – rushing, receiving, kick returns – with 804 yards (356 rushing, 107 receiving, 341 yards returns) in his six championship game appearances.

39

The Blue Bombers fell in the 1937 and 1938 Grey Cups but captured the second championship in franchise history in 1939 over a heavily favoured Ottawa Rough Riders squad. Playing the championship in the nation’s capital and against a squad which had outscored their opposition 2017-51 in 12 games, the Blue Bombers earned an 8-7 victory when Art Stevenson kicked a rouge into the stands with 45 seconds remaining for the win.

38

In the 1977 Grey Cup the city of Montreal had been blasted by a blizzard leading up to the game, leaving the surface at Olympic Stadium covered in a sheet of ice. Players from both teams attempted to find traction with all sorts of cleats and shoes before Alouette defensive back grabbed a staple gun from an electrician in the building and blasted them into the soles of his footwear. So did his teammates, who romped to a 41-6 win over Edmonton.

37

There have been three reported instances of the Grey Cup being stolen – in 1967 it was nabbed by pranksters before being returned three days later. Two years later it was stolen from the Ottawa Rough Riders and in 1997 it was stolen from Toronto kicker Mike Vanderjagt while at a bar but recovered the next day.

36

In the 1953 Grey Cup the Blue Bombers trailed Hamilton 12-6 when Winnipeg quarterback Jack Jacobs attempted to hit Tom Casey with a pass at the Tiger-Cats goal line on the final play, but the pass was broken up by Lou Kusserow. It was a controversial non-call as Blue Bombers fans claimed it was pass interference, Ticat faithful called it a clean hit.

35

The B.C. Lions captured the franchise’s first Grey Cup in 1964 with a 34-24 win over Hamilton. Bob Swift, Willie Fleming and Jim Carphin scored TDs for the Lions while the TV announcers for the game were Dan Kelly and Blue Bombers head coach Bud Grant.

34

The 1971 Grey Cup was won by Calgary over Toronto by a score of 14-11. Played on a rain-soaked Empire Stadium field in Vancouver, the game was decided late by a critical fumble by Argos running back Leon McQuay at the Calgary 11-yard line.

33

Montreal’s Sonny Wade was named the Grey Cup MVP for a second time in 1974 despite completing only 10-of-22 passes for 139 yards. It was the last Grey Cup played at Empire Stadium, with the next game held in Vancouver staged at the new B.C. Place stadium.

32

The 2005 Grey Cup, placed at B.C. Place, was a dandy with Edmonton knocking off Montreal 38-35 in overtime – the first time since 1961 the championship was decided in extra time. Dave Stala and Jason Tucker scored TDs in OT before Edmonton kicker Sean Fleming decided it with a 36-yard field goal.

31

The 100th Grey Cup took place in 2012 at Rogers Centre in Toronto with the hometown Argonauts capturing their 16th title. It was the second straight year the Grey Cup was won by the host city – B.C. won in Vancouver in 2011.

30

The 2008 Grey Cup was held at Olympic Stadium in Montreal and drew a crowd of 66,308 – just shy of the championship record of 68,318, set in 1977 at the same facility. Calgary knocked off Montreal 22-14 with Stampeder QB Henry Burris named the MVP.

29

The 1957 Grey Cup was won 32-7 by Hamilton over Winnipeg but featured an infamous play not including anyone in uniform. Ticat DB Ray Bawel intercepted a pass and was racing for a TD when he was tripped by a fan as he raced by the Blue Bombers bench. Referee Paul Dojack issued a penalty of half the distance to the goal line as a compromise after meeting with the officiating crew.

28

The 1965 Grey Cup was known as the ‘Wind Bowl’ as winds gusting 48-64 km/h ripped through CNE Stadium in Toronto. Hamilton defeated Winnipeg 22-16. Winnipeg conceded three safeties in the game with the six points being the margin of the Ticat win.

27

The Montreal Alouettes captured the 2002 Grey Cup with a 25-16 win over Edmonton – the franchise’s first championship in 25 years and first since its rebirth in 1996 after folding in 1987. The victory parade attracted an estimated 250,000 fans to downtown Montreal.

26

The 1987 Grey Cup was a dandy, with Edmonton knocking off Toronto 38-36 on a last-minute field goal by Jerry Kauric. The game was telecast on the Canadian Football Network, which was run by the league itself after CTV had ceased its relationship with the league following the 1986 season.

25

The 2014 Grey Cup was originally awarded to Ottawa when the CFL awarded an expansion team to the city. But delays in renovations to Frank Clair Stadium pushed the start of the RedBlacks team to 2014 and the league moved the game to B.C. Place in Vancouver. Calgary defeated Hamilton 20-16 for the win.

24

Edmonton won its third straight Grey Cup in 1956 with a 50-27 victory over Montreal. Two members of the Edmonton squad would become notable political figures with Don Getty serving as Alberta’s Premier from 1985-92 and Normie Kwong as Lieutenant Governor of Alberta from 2005-10.

23

The Toronto Argonauts won the 2024 Grey Cup as heavy underdogs to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers as back-up QB Nick Arbuckle led his squad to a 41-24 victory. Arbuckle was named MVP after he threw for 252 yards and two touchdowns.

22

The Ottawa Rough Riders captured the 1973 Grey Cup with a 22-18 win over Edmonton. It was the first of a stretch that saw Edmonton appear in nine Grey Cups from 1973-82, with its only absence coming in 1976 when they lost to Saskatchewan in the West Final.

21

The 24th Grey Cup was held on December 5, 1956, in front of 5,883 fans at Varsity Stadium in Toronto. The championship was claimed by the Sarnia Imperials with a 26-20 win over Ottawa. It was the Imperials second championship in three years, having also won in 1934.

20

The 1997 Grey Cup was won by the Toronto Argonauts by a score of 47-23 over the Saskatchewan Roughriders and in front of 60,431 fans at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton. The Argos, led by Doug Flutie as well as linebacker Mike O’Shea, went 15-3 in both 1996 and 1997 and, including four playoff wins, were a remarkable 34-6 over those two years.‍

19

Edmonton captured the 1979 Grey Cup by a score of 17-9 over Montreal in front of 65,113 at Olympic Stadium. Despite the win, Montreal players won both the offensive MVP award (David Green) and defensive MVP award (Tom Cousineau)

18

Montreal receiver Jamel Richardson, named the 2010 Grey Cup MVP after the Alouettes 21-18 victory over Saskatchewan, posted three consecutive 100-yard games in his championship appearances.

17

The Sarnia Imperials captured the 1936 Grey Cup with a 26-20 win over the Ottawa Rough Riders. It was the team’s second Grey Cup title, having also won in 1934. The team was part of the Ontario Rugby Football Union and in 1954 the ORFU dropped out of contention for the Grey Cup. The Imperials folded in 1961.

16

The 1970 Grey Cup saw Montreal knock off Calgary 23-10. It is the only time in Grey Cup history two third place teams competed for the title. Montreal was 7-6-1 that season; Calgary was 9-7.

15

The fewest number of pass completions in a Grey Cup game came in 1965, with just five between Winnipeg and Hamilton. That game was known as ‘The Wind Bowl’ with gusts of up to 64 km/h. Hamilton won 22-16.

14

The Toronto Argonauts smashed a Grey Cup record for most interception return yards with 164 last year in their win over Winnipeg.

13

The CFL awarded a Grey Cup Defensive MVP award from 1975-90. Montreal defensive back Lewis Cook was the first to win the award in ’75; Winnipeg linebacker Greg Battle was the last in ’90 The league now awards a Grey Cup MVP and Most Valuable Canadian.

12

A receiver has been named the Grey Cup Most Valuable Canadian four times in the last six games: Dejon Brissett (Toronto, 2024), Tyson Philpt (Montreal, 2023), Nic Demski (Winnipeg, 2021) and Lemar Durant (Calgary, 2018).

11

Only once in the history of the Grey Cup Canadian MVP award (since 1970) has a fullback been so honoured, with Winnipeg’s Warren Hudson saluted in 1990.

10

Montreal’s Ben Cahoon is the all-time leading receiver in Grey Cup games with 46 receptions for 658 yards and three touchdowns.

9

Frank Rigney holds the Grey Cup record for career special teams tackles with 12 in the five championship games in which he played.

8

Quarterback Damon Allen, who appeared in six Grey Cups with three different teams – Edmonton, B.C. and Toronto – hold the record for the most career touchdowns with six.

7

Ottawa’s Russ Jackson set a CFL record in the 1969 game that still stands with four touchdown passes, covering 11, 80, 12 and 32 yards.

6

Winnipeg’s Charlie Shepard and Joe Zuger of Hamilton share the Grey Cup record for most punts in a game at 17; Shepard’s coming in the 1959 win over Hamilton and Zuger’s in 1967 in the Tiger-Cats victory over Saskatchewan.

5

Winnipeg’s Norm Rauhaus was the first to block a kick in the Grey Cup, with his effort coming in a win over Hamilton in 1958. There have been 17 recorded blocked kicks in Grey Cup history since 1945, the most recent coming last year by Michael Ayers of the Blue Bombers.

4

Al Ford of Saskatchewan is credited with the longest punt in Grey Cup history with an 87 yarder in the 1967 game vs. Hamilton.

3

The 2015 Grey Cup game in Winnipeg saw Edmonton and Ottawa combine for the most penalty yards in the championship’s history with 205 – 118 by Ottawa and 87 by Edmonton.  

2

The 2004 Grey Cup saw the underdog Toronto Argonauts (10-7-1) in the regular season knock off the heavily favoured B.C. Lions (13-5) by a score of 27-19 at Frank Clair Stadium in Ottawa. The Tragically Hip was the halftime act.

1

The 1956 Grey Cup saw Edmonton and Montreal combine for the most rushing touchdowns in the championships history with nine – six by Edmonton and three by the Alouettes.