1951 in Canadian football

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Years in Canadian football

1951 in sports

After a 17-year absence, the Saskatchewan Roughriders returned to the Grey Cup final. Their losing streak in the big game continued, however, as it was the other Rough Riders that took home the prize. [1]

Contents

Canadian football news in 1951

The BC Lions were formed in January at the Arctic Club in Vancouver; however, the franchise would begin play at the start of the 1954 season.

E. Kent Philips of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, was appointed WIFU Commissioner. The IRFU allowed the third-place Toronto Argonauts to be in the playoffs due to similar regular season records with the other top two teams.

On October 27, The Duke of Edinburgh and The Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh (later Queen Elizabeth II) attended the western semi-final in Edmonton. [2]

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
TeamGPWLTPFPAPts
Saskatchewan Roughriders 1486027721916
Edmonton Eskimos 1486030626216
Winnipeg Blue Bombers 1486030331116
Calgary Stampeders 1441002052998
Interprovincial Rugby Football Union
TeamGPWLTPFPAPts
Ottawa Rough Riders 1275021819714
Hamilton Tiger-Cats 1275022913114
Toronto Argonauts 1275022620514
Montreal Alouettes 123901462866
Ontario Rugby Football Union
TeamGPWLTPFPAPts
Sarnia Imperials 109102686018
Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers 1073017312414
McMaster University 62401141128
Windsor Royals 100100272860

Grey Cup playoffs

Note: All dates in 1951

Semifinals

WIFU semifinals
Winnipeg Blue Bombers @ Edmonton Eskimos
DateAwayHome
October 27 Winnipeg Blue Bombers 1 Edmonton Eskimos 4
IRFU semifinals – game 1
Hamilton Tiger-Cats @ Toronto Argonauts
DateAwayHome
November 7 Hamilton Tiger-Cats 24 Toronto Argonauts 7
IRFU semifinals – game 2
Toronto Argonauts @ Hamilton Tiger-Cats
DateAwayHome
November 10 Toronto Argonauts 21 Hamilton Tiger-Cats 7

Finals

WIFU Finals – Game 1
Saskatchewan Roughriders @ Edmonton Eskimos
DateAwayHome
November 3 Saskatchewan Roughriders 11 Edmonton Eskimos 15
WIFU Finals – Game 2
Edmonton Eskimos @ Saskatchewan Roughriders
DateAwayHome
November 10 Edmonton Eskimos 5 Saskatchewan Roughriders 12
WIFU Finals – Game 3
Edmonton Eskimos @ Saskatchewan Roughriders
DateAwayHome
November 12 Edmonton Eskimos 18 Saskatchewan Roughriders 19
ORFU Finals – Game 1
Sarnia Imperials @ Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers
DateAwayHome
November 3 Sarnia Imperials 15 Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers 23
ORFU Finals – Game 2
Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers @ Sarnia Imperials
DateAwayHome
November 10 Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers 30 Sarnia Imperials 41
IRFU Finals – Game 1
Hamilton Tiger-Cats @ Ottawa Rough Riders
DateAwayHome
November 14 Hamilton Tiger-Cats 7 Ottawa Rough Riders 17
IRFU Finals – Game 2
Ottawa Rough Riders @ Hamilton Tiger-Cats
DateAwayHome
November 17 Ottawa Rough Riders 11 Hamilton Tiger-Cats 9

Eastern Finals

Sarnia Imperials @ Ottawa Rough Riders
DateAwayHome
November 21 Sarnia Imperials 17 Ottawa Rough Riders 43

Playoff bracket

QuarterfinalsSemifinalsGrey Cup final
         
IRFU Ottawa Rough Riders 17-11
IRFU Hamilton Tiger Cats 7-9
IRFU Ottawa Rough Riders 43
EAST
ORFU Sarnia Imperials 17
ORFU Sarnia Imperials 15-26
ORFU Toronto Balmy Beach 23-7
IRFU Ottawa Rough Riders 21
WIFU Saskatchewan Roughriders 14
WIFU Saskatchewan Roughriders
BYE
WIFU Saskatchewan Roughriders 11-12-19
WEST
WIFU Edmonton Eskimos 15-5-18
WIFU Edmonton Eskimos 4
WIFU Winnipeg Blue Bombers 1

Grey Cup Championship

November 24

39th Annual Grey Cup Game : Varsity StadiumToronto, Ontario

WIFU Champion IRFU Champion
Saskatchewan Roughriders 14 Ottawa Rough Riders 21
The Ottawa Rough Riders were the 1951 Grey Cup Champions

1951 Interprovincial Rugby Football Union 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.

1951 Western Interprovincial Football Union 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.

1st Team

2nd Team

1951 Ontario Rugby Football Union 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.

1951 Canadian Football Awards

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The Toronto Argonauts won the Grey Cup for the second time in five years.

For the second consecutive season the Toronto Argonauts and Winnipeg Blue Bombers met for the Grey Cup. The Argonauts won the game.

The only two-game total point series in Grey Cup history was played between the Ottawa Rough Riders and the Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers. It was Ottawa's first Grey Cup championship since the Senators won back-to-back titles in 1925 and 1926. It was Balmy Beach's fourth and final appearance at a Grey Cup, winning two times in four opportunities.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers were once again permitted to challenge for the Grey Cup following a rule dispute a year earlier. In a meeting of the previous two Grey Cup champions, the Blue Bombers prevailed, sending the coveted mug west for the third time.

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For the first time in Grey Cup history, the same two teams challenged for the trophy for the third consecutive year. But unlike the previous two years, the Toronto Argonauts needed some late game heroics to win their third consecutive title.

The Calgary Stampeders had an opportunity to defend their Grey Cup title in 1949, but the Montreal Alouettes returned the trophy to Quebec for just the third time in its history.

The Toronto Argonauts faced the Edmonton Eskimos in the Grey Cup. Although the Argos would hold on to win the game and their 10th Grey Cup championship, an Argo would not sip from the silver mug again until 1983.

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats defeated the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the annual Grey Cup in 1953.

The Edmonton Eskimos upset the Montreal Alouettes to send the Grey Cup trophy back west for the first time since 1948.

The Edmonton Eskimos defeat the Montreal Alouettes in the first Grey Cup held in the west. This was also the first year that the Grey Cup was open to professional teams only, as the amateur Ontario Rugby Football Union was not invited to compete in an inter-union playdown, leaving only the Eastern Canadian Interprovincial Rugby Football Union and the Western Canadian Western Interprovincial Football Union to compete for the Canadian championship.

The Edmonton Eskimos faced the Montreal Alouettes in the Grey Cup game for the third consecutive year. And for the third consecutive year, the Edmonton Eskimos were Grey Cup champions. It was the first time in a Grey Cup that a touchdown was worth six points instead of five.

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats defeat the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Grey Cup.

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References

  1. "Grey Cup Memories: 1951". CFL.ca. 2005-11-09. Retrieved 2019-10-06.
  2. Dick Beddoes (October 29, 1951). "Eskimos eliminate Bombers". The Vancouver Sun. Retrieved December 22, 2011.