The 1961 CFL season is considered to be the eighth season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the fourth Canadian Football League season.
The season was notable for being the first in which all CFL teams played each other during the regular season. In the previous three seasons the Eastern and Western sections, despite being formally unified in a single "League," they had maintained separate regular season schedules and playoff schedules.
CFL news in 1961 The Western Canada Intercollegiate Rugby Union merged with the Canadian Intercollegiate Athletic Union.
The WIFU changed its name to become the Western Football Conference.
The CFL season schedule was partially interlocked to allow teams of the Eastern Football Conference to play regular season games against the teams of the Western Football Conference. Beginning this season, teams played opponents in their own conference three times and opponents in the other conference once, meaning the length of the regular season remained unchanged in both conferences (i.e. sixteen games for Western teams and fourteen games for Eastern teams). The format remained as such until 1974 when the Eastern Conference extended its schedule to sixteen games.
A third consecutive year of interleague exhibition matches were scheduled with teams in the National Football League. As in 1959 and 1960, both CFL teams lost, with the Toronto Argonauts falling to the St. Louis Cardinals, 36–7, on August 2, and the Montreal Alouettes losing to the Chicago Bears, 34–16, on August 5). The Hamilton Tiger-Cats had a better idea for success: challenge the nascent American Football League to a duel. The Tiger-Cats faced off against their cross-border "rivals", the Buffalo Bills, on August 8. The Tiger-Cats defeated the Bills, 38–21, giving the Canadian league its first win over an American team since 1941. The AFL, embarrassed over the loss, declined to play another international game, and with the CFL consistently losing to NFL teams, the CFL ended international competition.
The 49th edition of the Grey Cup went to overtime for the first time at Toronto's CNE Stadium. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers won championship over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, 21–14.
The CFL made rule changes for the 1962 season, permitting four defensive backs per team to have unlimited blocking during rushing plays, as long as they are lined up outside the ends. Additionally the tackle-eligible play became illegal.
Regular season standings
Winnipeg and Hamilton have first round byes.
Grey Cup playoffs Note: All dates in 1961
Conference Semi-Finals + Western Semi-FinalsEdmonton Eskimos vs Calgary StampedersGame Date Away Home1 November 11 Edmonton Eskimos 8 Calgary Stampeders 102November 13Calgary Stampeders 17Edmonton Eskimos 18Calgary won the total-point series by 27–26
+ Eastern Semi-Finals Toronto Argonauts @ Ottawa Rough Riders Date Away Home November 11 Toronto Argonauts 43Ottawa Rough Riders 19
Conference Finals
+ Western FinalsWinnipeg Blue Bombers vs Calgary StampedersGame Date Away Home1 November 18 Winnipeg Blue Bombers 14 Calgary Stampeders 12November 22Calgary Stampeders 14Winnipeg Blue Bombers 43Winnipeg wins the best of three series 2–0 +Eastern FinalsHamilton Tiger-Cats vs Toronto ArgonautsGame Date Away Home1 November 18 Hamilton Tiger-Cats 7 Toronto Argonauts 252 (OT)November 25Toronto Argonauts 2Hamilton Tiger-Cats 48Hamilton won total-point series by 55–27
Playoff bracket
Grey Cup Championship December 2 49th Annual Grey Cup Game: Exhibition Stadium – Toronto Western Champion Eastern Champion Winnipeg Blue Bombers 21 (OT)Hamilton Tiger-Cats 14 The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are the 1961 Grey Cup Champions Ken Ploen (QB), Winnipeg Blue Bombers – Grey Cup's Most Valuable Player. The 1961 Grey Cup was the first CFL championship game to be decided in overtime. The 2005, 2016, and 2021 Grey Cups were also decided in overtime. It also marked the fourth time in five years that the championship was decided between the Blue Bombers and Tiger-Cats.
CFL leaders CFL passing leaders CFL rushing leaders CFL receiving leaders
1961 Eastern All-Stars
Offence QB – Bernie Faloney, Hamilton Tiger-Cats RB – Dick Shatto, Toronto Argonauts RB – Don Clark, Montreal Alouettes RB – Ron Stewart, Ottawa Rough Riders E – Marv Luster, Montreal Alouettes E – Paul Dekker, Hamilton Tiger-Cats F – Dave Mann, Toronto Argonauts C – Norm Stoneburgh, Toronto Argonauts OG – Ellison Kelly, Hamilton Tiger-Cats OG – Kaye Vaughan, Ottawa Rough Riders OT – Milt Crain, Montreal Alouettes OT – Tom Jones, Ottawa Rough Riders
Defence DT – Bobby Jack Oliver, Montreal Alouettes DT – John Barrow, Hamilton Tiger-Cats DE – Billy Ray Locklin, Montreal Alouettes DE – Pete Neumann, Hamilton Tiger-Cats DG – Marty Martinello, Toronto Argonauts LB – Hardiman Cureton, Hamilton Tiger-Cats LB – Jim Andreotti, Toronto Argonauts LB – Ron Brewer, Montreal Alouettes LB – Gerald Nesbitt, Ottawa Rough Riders DB – Don Sutherin, Hamilton Tiger-Cats DB – George Brancato, Ottawa Rough Riders S – Jim Rountree, Toronto Argonauts
1961 Western All-Stars
Offence QB – Jackie Parker, Edmonton Eskimos RB – Willie Fleming, British Columbia Lions RB – Earl Lunsford, Calgary Stampeders RB – Leo Lewis, Winnipeg Blue Bombers RB – Johnny Bright, Edmonton Eskimos E – Jack Gotta, Saskatchewan Roughriders E – Farrell Funston, Winnipeg Blue Bombers C – Neil Habig, Saskatchewan Roughriders OG – Cornel Piper, Winnipeg Blue Bombers OG – Mike Kmech, Edmonton Eskimos OT – Frank Rigney, Winnipeg Blue Bombers OT – Don Luzzi, Calgary Stampeders
Defence DT – Mike Wright, Winnipeg Blue Bombers DT – Bill Clarke, Saskatchewan Roughriders DE – Tony Pajaczkowski, Calgary Stampeders DE – Herb Gray, Winnipeg Blue Bombers MG – Ron Atchison, Saskatchewan Roughriders LB – Gord Rowland, Winnipeg Blue Bombers LB – Bob Ptacek, Saskatchewan Roughriders LB – Wayne Harris, Calgary Stampeders LB – Dave Burkholder, Winnipeg Blue Bombers DB – Oscar Kruger, Edmonton Eskimos DB – Norm Rauhaus, Winnipeg Blue Bombers S – Harvey Wylie, Calgary Stampeders
1961 CFL awards CFL's Most Outstanding Player Award – Bernie Faloney (QB), Hamilton Tiger-Cats CFL's Most Outstanding Canadian Award – Tony Pajaczkowski (DE), Calgary Stampeders CFL's Most Outstanding Lineman Award – Frank Rigney (OT), Winnipeg Blue Bombers CFL's Coach of the Year – Jim Trimble, Hamilton Tiger-Cats Jeff Russel Memorial Trophy (Eastern MVP) – Bobby Jack Oliver (DT), Montreal Alouettes Jeff Nicklin Memorial Trophy (Western MVP) – Jackie Parker (QB), Edmonton Eskimos Gruen Trophy (Eastern Rookie of the Year) – Gino Berretta (OE/P), Montreal Alouettes Dr. Beattie Martin Trophy (Western Rookie of the Year) – Larry Robinson (DB), Calgary Stampeders DeMarco–Becket Memorial Trophy (Western Outstanding Lineman) – Frank Rigney (OT), Winnipeg Blue Bombers
References