1944 in Canadian football

The Hamilton Flying Wildcats were trying to defend their championship, but the St. Hyacinthe-Donnacona Navy team finished off a Cinderella season by returning the Grey Cup back to Montreal for the first time since 1931. ^[1]

Canadian football news in 1944

The WIFU and the IRFU suspended operations for the duration of World War II. ^[2]

In late August, the Winnipeg Rugby Club (aka Blue Bombers) suspended operations for the 1944 season. The team loaned its equipment to local high schools. ^[3]

The Regina Roughriders disbanded in early October. Unlike the previous season, the 1944 Roughriders did not have servicemen available to the team. Regular practices were conducted but the team gave up on the season when they failed to recruit enough civilian men to field a team. ^[4]

Regular season

Final regular season standings

Note: GP = Games Played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PF = Points For, PA = Points Against, Pts = Points

Western Interprovincial Football Union

• NO LEAGUE PLAY

Interprovincial Rugby Football Union

• NO LEAGUE PLAY

Ontario Armed Services Football League Team GP W L T PF PA Pts Hagersville RCAF Flying Tigers 6 4 1 1 74 46 9 Toronto HMCS York Bulldogs 6 4 2 0 80 54 8 Camp Borden RCAF Hurricanes 6 3 2 1 94 57 7 St. Thomas Hornets 6 0 6 0 18 109 0

Ontario Rugby Football Union Team GP W L T PF PA Pts Hamilton Flying Wildcats 6 5 1 0 102 28 10 Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers 6 4 2 0 105 33 8 Ottawa Trojans 6 3 3 0 74 74 6 Toronto Indians 6 0 6 0 19 168 0

Quebec Rugby Football Union Team GP W L T PF PA Pts St. Hyacinthe-Donnacona Navy 4 3 1 0 58 18 6 McGill 4 2 2 0 29 53 4 Verdun 4 1 3 0 17 33 2

• Bold text means that they have clinched the playoffs.

Manitoba Inter-Services Rugby League Team GP W L T PF PA Pts No.3 Wireless School Bombers (Winnipeg) 4 4 0 0 58 16 8 No.1 Central Navigation School Pathfinders (Rivers) 4 3 1 0 62 16 6 Army Grenades (Camp Shilo) 4 2 2 0 53 47 4 No.18 Service Flying Training School Hurricanes (Gimli) 4 1 3 0 36 66 2 No.3 Bombing & Gunnery Mustangs (MacDonald) 4 0 4 0 12 76 0

Navy and Armed Services playoffs

OASFL Final Toronto HMCS York Bulldogs vs. Hagersville RCAF Flying Tigers @ Toronto Date - - Nov. 11 Toronto HMCS York Bulldogs 20 Hagersville RCAF Flying Tigers 1

All Navy Semi-Final St. Hyacinthe-Donnacona Navy vs. Halifax Navy Stadaconnas @ Montreal Date - - Nov. 11 Halifax Navy Stadaconnas 0 St. Hyacinthe-Donnacona Navy 13

All Navy Final St. Hyacinthe-Donnacona Navy vs. Toronto HMCS York Bulldogs @ Montreal Date - - Nov. 18 Toronto HMCS York Bulldogs 12 St. Hyacinthe-Donnacona Navy 1

• The Navy playoffs did not affect the Grey Cup playoffs. The Grey Cup was played between the ORFU winners (Hamilton) and the QRFU winners (St. Hyacinthe-Donnacona Navy) despite the Toronto Navy team beating the QRFU champions. The OSFL did not participate in the Grey Cup playoffs.

Manitoba Inter-Services Rugby League

MISRL Semi-Final Rivers Pathfinders vs. Army Grenades @ Winnipeg Date Away Home October 25 No.1 CNS Rivers Pathfinders 15 Army Grenades 5 [5]

MISRL Finals – Game 1 Rivers Pathfinders vs. Winnipeg Bombers @ Winnipeg Date Away Home October 28 No.1 CNS Rivers Pathfinders 7 No.3 Wireless School Bombers 11 [6]

MISRL Finals – Game 2 Rivers Pathfinders vs. Winnipeg Bombers @ Winnipeg Date Away Home November 11 No.1 CNS Rivers Pathfinders 5 No.3 Wirelss School Bombers 15 [7]

• Bombers won the total-point series by 26-12. The MISRL did not compete for the Grey Cup.

Ontario Rugby Football League playoffs

ORFU Final Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers @ Hamilton Flying Wildcats Date Away Home Nov. 11 Hamilton Flying Wildcats 13 Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers 4

ORFU Final Hamilton Flying Wildcats @ Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers Date Away Home Nov. 18 Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers 6 Hamilton Flying Wildcats 0

• Hamilton will play the St. Hyacinthe-Donnacona Navy in the Grey Cup.

Grey Cup Championship

November 25 32nd Annual Grey Cup Game: A.A.A. Grounds - Hamilton, Ontario
St. Hyacinthe-Donnacona Navy 7	Hamilton Flying Wildcats 6
St. Hyacinthe-Donnacona Navy are the 1944 Grey Cup Champions

1944 Ontario Armed Services Football League All-Stars

NOTE: During this time most players played both ways, so the All-Star selections do not distinguish between some offensive and defensive positions.

• QB – LS Annis Stukus, Toronto Navy Bulldogs
• HB – LS Tom Waldon, Toronto Navy Bulldogs
• HB – LAC Ray Mullins, St. Thomas Hornets
• DB – LAC Doug Smylie, Hagersville RCAF Flying Tigers
• E – Sgt. Dick Groom, Hagersville RCAF Flying Tigers
• E – LS Al Upper, Toronto Navy Bulldogs
• FW – Sgt. Doug Pyzer, Camp Borden RCAF Hurricanes
• C – F/O Jake Gaudaur, Camp Borden RCAF Hurricanes
• G – LS Hank McMahon, Toronto Navy Bulldogs
• G – Cpl. Fred Lamoureaux, Hagersville RCAF Flying Tigers
• T – Flt. Lt. Mike Ozarko, Camp Borden RCAF Hurricanes
• T – F/O Al Langford, Hagersville RCAF Flying Tigers

1944 Canadian Football Awards

• Jeff Russel Memorial Trophy (IRFU MVP) – no award given due to World War II
• Imperial Oil Trophy (ORFU MVP) - Joe Krol - Hamilton Wildcats

References

1. "Grey Cup Memories: 1944". CFL.ca. 2005-11-05. Retrieved 2019-10-12.
2. "CANADIAN FOOTBALL TIMELINES (1860 – 2005)" (PDF). footballcanada.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 January 2017. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
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5. "Casinos & Gambling in Manitoba". Archived from the original on February 19, 2013.
6. "The Winnipeg Evening Tribune 30-OCT-1944 : Digital Resources on Manitoba History". manitobia.ca. Archived from the original on 19 February 2013. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
7. "The Winnipeg Evening Tribune 13-NOV-1944 : Digital Resources on Manitoba History". manitobia.ca. Archived from the original on 19 February 2013. Retrieved 6 June 2022.