With Canadians serving on battlefields across Europe and the Pacific, the first ever non-civilian Grey Cup took place in 1942. The Toronto RCAF Hurricanes defeated the Winnipeg RCAF Bombers on an icy field at Varsity Stadium in Toronto.
Canadian football news in 1942 The WIFU and the IRFU suspended operations for the duration of World War II. A couple of military teams based in Toronto, the RCAF Hurricanes and the Navy York Bulldogs, joined the regular ORFU teams like Balmy Beach and the Toronto Indians. The Ottawa Rough Riders continued operation, but as part of an Ottawa-based league. Out West, a three-team Winnipeg city league was formed with the Winnipeg Bombers, the University of Manitoba Bisons and a military team called the RCAF Flyers.
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 Rugby Football Union Team GP W L T PF PA Pts Toronto RCAF Hurricanes 10 8 1 1 180 61 17 Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers 10 7 3 0 125 89 14 Hamilton Wildcats 10 6 4 0 119 66 12 Toronto HMCS York Bulldogs 10 5 4 1 94 44 11 Toronto Indians 10 3 7 0 66 113 6 Kitchener-Waterloo Panthers 10 0 10 0 21 222 0+ Ottawa City Rugby Football Union Team GP W L T PF PA PtsOttawa Rough Riders 4 3 1 0 66 13 6Ottawa RCAF Uplands 4 3 1 0 53 31 6Ottawa Civil Service 4 0 4 0 8 83 0+ Winnipeg City League Team GP W L T PF PA Pts Winnipeg Bombers 6 4 1 1 93 30 9 Winnipeg RCAF Flyers 5 3 1 1 60 42 7 University of Manitoba Bisons 5 0 5 0 25 106 0 Bold text means that they had clinched the playoffs.
Grey Cup playoffs Note: All dates in 1942
Winnipeg City playoffs Bombers vs. RCAF Flyers Game Date Team 1 Team 2 1 October 31 RCAF Flyers 18 Bombers 14 2 November 3 Bombers 20 RCAF Flyers 11 The Bombers won the total-point series by 34–29.
Ottawa City Finals Ottawa RCAF Uplands @ Ottawa Rough Riders Date Away HomeNovember 21 Ottawa RCAF Uplands 9 Ottawa Rough Riders 0
ORFU Finals Toronto Balmy Beach @ Toronto RCAF Hurricanes Date Away HomeNovember 25 Toronto Balmy Beach 0 Toronto RCAF Hurricanes 24
Western Finals Regina Navy @ Winnipeg RCAF Bombers Date Away HomeNovember 7 Regina Navy 6 Winnipeg RCAF Bombers 13 Winnipeg Tribune - November 9, 1942
Eastern Finals Toronto RCAF Hurricanes @ Ottawa RCAF Uplands Date Away HomeNovember 28 Toronto RCAF Hurricanes 18 Ottawa RCAF Uplands 13
Playoff bracket
Grey Cup Championship December 5 30th Annual Grey Cup Game: Varsity Stadium - Toronto, Ontario Toronto RCAF Hurricanes 8 Winnipeg RCAF Bombers 5 Toronto RCAF Hurricanes are the 1942 Grey Cup Champions.
1942 Ottawa City Senior Rugby Football Union All-Stars selected by Canadian Press Note: During this time most players played both ways, so the All-Star selections do not distinguish between some offensive and defensive positions.
QB – P/O Bobby Coulter, Ottawa RCAF Uplands FW – Joseph "Curley" Moynahan, Ottawa Rough Riders HB – P/O Tony Golab, Ottawa RCAF Uplands HB – Tommy Daley, Ottawa Rough Riders DB – Arnie McWatters, Ottawa Rough Riders DB – Thain Simon, Ottawa RCAF Uplands E – Pete O'Conner, Ottawa Rough Riders E – Hart Findley, Ottawa RCAF Uplands E – Jack Beull, Ottawa RCAF Uplands C – Doug Turner, Ottawa RCAF Uplands G – Leo Seguin, Ottawa Rough Riders G – George Fraser, Ottawa Rough Riders T – F/O George Sprague, Ottawa RCAF Uplands T – Eric Chipper, Ottawa Rough Riders
1942 Canadian Football Awards Jeff Russel Memorial Trophy (IRFU MVP) – no award given due to World War II Imperial Oil Trophy (ORFU MVP) - Bill Stukus - Toronto RCAF Hurricanes
References