Canadian Major Football League

Last updated
Canadian Major Football League
Sport Canadian football
Founded1999
No. of teams15 (as of 2021 season;
AFL and NFC)
Countries Canada
Most recent
champion(s)		 GTA All Stars
Most titles Calgary Wolfpack (4)
TV partner(s)Local TV stations
Related
competitions		 Alberta Football League, Manitoba Football League and Northern Football Conference

The Canadian Major Football League (CMFL) is the national governing body for semi-pro Canadian football (formally known as the Canadian Senior Football League), dedicated to advocating for the promotion of Canadian senior football.

Contents

The CMFL was formed in 1999 by the Alberta Football League (AFL) and Manitoba Football League (MFL) in attempt to crown the amateur national champion of Canada, and replaced the Canadian Senior Intermediate championship game. Since 2002 the game has been played between the AFL and Northern Football Conference (NFC) league champions. The two leagues cooperate but remain legally separate entities. [1]

In 2024 the two leagues reaffirm the agreement, [2] after several teams split from the NFC and founded the Ontario Power 5 Football League. [3]

Trophy

The participating teams compete for the Sid Forster Memorial Trophy, emblematic of the Canadian Major Football Championship. The permanent trophy was provided by the NFC in memory of long-time Sudbury Spartans head coach and Canadian Football Hall of Fame member Sid Forester, [4] who died in 1994. The trophy stays in possession of the game winner for the year following their victory.

Rules

CMFL games are played under the host conference Canadian amateur rules.

When the AFL hosts

When the NFC hosts

Forster Memorial Trophy Games

YearAFL teamScoreNFC team
1999Calgary Wolfpack36-28Thunder Bay Storm (MFL)
2000Winnipeg Mustangs (MFL)14-42Oakville Longhorns
2001^Calgary Thunder0-25Winnipeg Mustangs (MFL)
Calgary Wolfpack0-41Oakville Longhorns
2002Calgary Wolfpack46-54Oakville Longhorns
2003Calgary Wolfpack39-28Oakville Longhorns
2004Calgary Wolfpack27-40Milton Marauders
2005Calgary Wolfpack20-14Tri-City Outlaws
2006Calgary Wolfpack29-43Oshawa Hawkeyes
2007Edmonton Stallions10-59Sault Ste. Marie Steelers
2008Calgary Wolfpack35-7Tri-City Outlaws
2009Edmonton Stallions6-65 [5] Sault Ste. Marie Steelers
2010Lloydminster Vandals0-32Sault Ste. Marie Steelers
2011Calgary Wolfpack14-31Tri-City Outlaws
2012Lloydminster Vandals25-19Toronto Titans
2013Calgary Gators28-50 [6] Montreal Transit
2014Calgary Wolfpack26-49Montreal Transit
2015Calgary Gators38-39GTA All-Stars
2016Fort McMurray Monarchs59-45 [7] GTA All-Stars
2017Calgary Gators17-18 [8] GTA All-Stars
2018Fort McMurray Monarchs22-17GTA All-Stars
2019Calgary Wolfpack0-28 [9] GTA All-Stars
2020Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
2021
2022Cold Lake Fighter Jets35-18 [10] [11] GTA All-Stars
2023Cold Lake Fighter Jets7-11 [12] GTA All-Stars
2024Calgary Gators35-0 [13] GTA All-Stars

* Home team in bold.
^ In 2001 the MFL champion Winnipeg Mustangs beat the AFL champion Calgary Thunder 25-0. The 3rd Place AFL team, the Calgary Wolfpack, traveled to Ontario to play the NFC champion and defending Canadian champion Oakville Longhorns.

Champions

Forster Memorial Trophy appearances [14]
TeamLeagueWinsLossesTotalLast won
Calgary Wolfpack AFL47112008
GTA All Stars [a] NFC4482023
Oakville Longhorns NFC3142002
Sault Ste. Marie Steelers NFC3032010
Cold Lake Fighter Jets [b] AFL2242022
Montreal Transit NFC2022014
Fort McMurray Monarchs AFL2022018
Tri-City Outlaws NFC1232011
Winnipeg Mustangs MFL 1122001
Milton Marauders NFC1012004
Oshawa Hawkeyes NFC1012006
Calgary Gators AFL134
Edmonton Stallions AFL022
Calgary Thunder AFL011
Thunder Bay Storm MFL 011

*Active franchise in bold.

  1. ↑ Including one game as the Toronto Titans.
  2. ↑ As the Lloydminster Vandals. [15]

See also

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References

  1. ↑ "2015 CMFL Agreement" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-10-06.
  2. ↑ "After much discussion and deliberation, the AFL and NFC are proud to jointly announce that the CMFL Championship game will continue on, in the spirit of the longstanding agreement that has seen this game played since 1999". Canadian Major Football League News.
  3. ↑ "The Sault Steelers one of four franchises to join the Ontario Power 5 Football League". The Sault Star.
  4. ↑ "Sidney Forster Class of 2001".
  5. ↑ "Sault Steelers win second CMFL championship". YouTube . 20 September 2009.
  6. ↑ "Calgary Gators @ Transit 2013 09 28". YouTube . 9 October 2013.
  7. ↑ "TSN Original Documentary - The Fort McMurray Monarchs". YouTube . February 2017.
  8. ↑ "Calgary Gators @ GTA All-Stars". YouTube . 19 September 2017.
  9. ↑ "Calgary Wolfpack @ GTA All Stars". YouTube . 24 September 2019.
  10. ↑ "𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 GTA All Stars at Cold Lake Fighter Jets". Facebook .
  11. ↑ "2nd Half of the National Championship is underway!". Facebook .
  12. ↑ "National Championship — Cold Lake Fighter Jets @ GTA All Stars". YouTube . 16 September 2023.
  13. ↑ "GTA All Stars vs Calgary Gators CMFL 2024 National Finals". YouTube .
  14. ↑ "Canadian Men's Senior Football Championship; Sid Forster Memorial Trophy".
  15. ↑ "Lloydminster Vandals re-brand, move to Cold Lake". 15 May 2019.
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