CFL at a Glance – Discovering Canadian Football Teams

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Canadians are mad about football and this type of sport is among the favorite ones along with hockey and baseball. There is a special league which is called CFL or Canadian Football League. Besides, some local players take part in Canadian NFL teams. Let’s talk about CFL teams, their logos, names, and the most overwhelming stats you can consider about them.

What Are the CFL Teams Names?

The whole idea of the CFL (also called The Ligue Canadienne de Football) was developed in Canada in the early 1880s, while locals started to play Rugby football two decades earlier. As this type of sport gained popularity quickly, it’s not surprising that some teams start their history over 100 years ago.

Most of them belong to local Rugby Football unions and provincial leagues, yet, do you know that even the US team once became the champion of the Canadian Football League? Yes, it’s true, in 1995, the Baltimore Stallions became the winners of the Grey Cup! Yet, since that time, the league consists of 100% Canadian teams with their special CFL team logos, stats, and belonging to divisions.

The first thing to consider is that the CFL has two divisions, namely, the West Division, and the East Division. As for the dispersion of teams’ lineup, today, it’s the following:

The West Division’s teams are as follows: the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, the BC Lions, the Calgary Stampeders, the Edmonton Elks and the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
The East Division members are as follows: the Toronto Argonauts, the Montreal Alouettes, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, and the Ottawa Redblacks.

With 9 teams in total, the CFL season includes three main parts which are:

Pre-season games consist of 2-game three weeks of competitions.
Regular season games which last for 21 weeks and consist of 18 games.
A Single Elimination Playoff tour which collects the top-six teams struggling for 3 weeks.

As for the teams, let’s consider what are the CFL teams’ names and learn a bit about their history.

1. The Saskatchewan Roughriders this year are claimed to be the best-ranked CFL team. It was founded in 1910 and since that time, the team has been based in Regina. The last year wasn’t a winning season for the Roughriders, but their passion for the game and unstoppable optimism bring great hope to their fans. At last, during their history, they managed to win the Grey Cup for 4 times!

2. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are also among the cult teams with a 94-year history. Founded in 1930, this team became a Grey Cup Champion 12 times with a current champion’s status. The team is hosted in Winnipeg, and their logo in a shape of a large white-blue W is almost iconic for football fans.

3. The Toronto Argonauts are the true pride of the Greater Toronto Area. The team is the oldest Rugby football team in Canada, as it was founded in 1873, not too long after the idea of the CFL was developed. The Argonauts managed to finish 17 seasons in the CFL with undoubtful wins.

4. The BC Lions are the strongest British Columbia team founded in 1954. Although they won the Grey Cup only 6 times, its fans are numerous, and their Red Lion mascot is iconic for the CFL fans.

5. The Montreal Alouettes became the champions 7 times. Regarding their 78-year history, it’s quite a good result. The name of this team refers to WWII when the first French-Canadian Air Force squadron with the same name gained its first victories.

6. The Calgary Stampeders are Alberta’s main team, which was founded in 1945. Being an 8-time Grey Cup champion, Stampeders, the team has a stallion as a mascot and a huge fan zone.

7. The Ottawa Redblacks is the CFL’s new team with only a bit more than a decade of experience. Yet, although it was founded in 2010, the Redblacks have already won the championship once.

8. The Edmonton Elks is among the most successful CFL teams as, since 1949, this Alberta team won 14 Grey Cups.

9. The Hamilton Tiger-Cats ends the list yet, it is not an outsider. The team was founded in 1950, and its listing includes 8 wins in the CFL championship.

Some Curious Facts About the CFL Teams to Surprise You

We have also discovered some curiosities that can shock you, even if you are an experienced CFL fan.

Do you know that the highest-scoring CFL game ever finished not too long ago? In September 2021, the Toronto Argonauts managed to get 111 points in their match against the BC Lions.
There is a true Hollywood superstar in one of the CFL teams. Namely, iconic actor and wrestling star Dwayne ‘the Rock’ Johnson got the #1 sign with the Calgary Stampeders.
The oldest CFL team is the Toronto Argonauts. It was found over 150 years ago.
As we’ve mentioned the American team which succeeded in playing in the CFL and even won the Grey Cup, let’s turn to the opposite league. There were no Canadian NFL teams, but over 75 players of the Canadian origin gained success as the NFL players in various teams.

At last, let’s remind you that this year, the Grey Cup celebrates its 70^th season, and it started on the 6^th of June with the release scheduled for December 2024. So, don’t miss it and enjoy the game.