The 1986 CFL season is considered to be the 33rd season in modern-day

Canadian football Canadian football () is a team sport, sport played in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete for territorial control of a field of play long and wide attempting to advance a pointed oval-shaped ball into the opposing team's sco ...

, although it is officially the 29th

Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...

season.

CFL News in 1986

The Canadian Football League decided that all nine teams will play 18 games each, in the regular season. The playoff structure was revised to allow a fourth place team from one of the divisions to qualify for the playoffs if that fourth place team has earned more points in the regular season standings than the third place team from the other division. Until 1992, however, that team stayed in its own division for the playoffs (the league began American expansion in 1993, changing the rules along the way). The four qualifiers in one division played semi-finals and a final while the two qualifiers in the other division playing a home-and-home, total-points, 2-game playoff (this playoff format was last used in 1972). This was somewhat unfair to the first place team, who might no longer receive a first-round bye based simply on what happened at the bottom of its own division. (The current format, which began in 1997 after the league ceased its American operations, sees a fourth-place qualifier cross-over to the other division, essentially becoming the third-place team in that division.) As it turned out, 1986 was the only year this playoff format was needed. The Canadian Football League and the

Canadian Football League Players Association The Canadian Football League Players' Association (or CFLPA) represents Canadian football players in the Canadian Football League (CFL). The association was established in 1965, when local lawyer John Agro became concerned by the number of Hamilto ...

agreed on a new three-year agreement. The Concordes changed their name to the Alouettes, coinciding with the 40th anniversary of the founding of the original

Montreal Alouettes The Montreal Alouettes (Canadian French, French: Les Alouettes de Montréal) are a professional Canadian football team based in Montreal, Quebec. Founded in 1946, the team has folded and been revived twice. The Alouettes compete in the Canadian F ...

The Sports Network The Sports Network (TSN) is a Canadian English language sports specialty channel established by the Labatt Brewing Company in 1984 as part of the first group of Canadian specialty cable channels. Since 2001, it has been majority-owned by comm ...

started to carry live coverage of the first round of the 1986

Canadian College Draft The CFL Draft (also known as the CFL Canadian Draft, CFL College Draft or the Canadian College Draft) is an annual sports draft in which the teams of the Canadian Football League (CFL) select eligible Canadian/non-import players, typically from ...

from coast-to-coast. The

Winnipeg Blue Bombers The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a professional Canadian football team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The Blue Bombers compete in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member club of the league's West division. They play their home games at IG Fiel ...

and the Montreal Alouettes played the first CFL pre-season game at

Canada Games Stadium Canada Games Stadium is a multi-purpose, fully lit stadium in Saint John, New Brunswick. It was built on the campus of UNB Saint John for the 1985 Canada Summer Games and has a seating capacity of 5,000 spectators. It hosts the UNB Saint John S ...

Saint John, New Brunswick Saint John is a seaport city of the Atlantic Ocean located on the Bay of Fundy in the province of New Brunswick, Canada. Saint John is the oldest incorporated city in Canada, established by royal charter on May 18, 1785, during the reign of Ki ...

. Winnipeg won the game, 35–10. The CFL also amended the quota to the teams 35-man roster to include 13 imports, 19 non-imports and 3 quarterbacks. The designated import rule was eliminated. On the field, the end zones were reduced to 20 yards from 25 yards (in response to the popularity of the shortened end zones first used at BC Place in 1983). The amateur Canadian Football Association changed its name to

Football Canada Football Canada is the governing body for amateur gridiron football in Canada headquartered in Ottawa, Ontario. Football Canada focuses primarily its own Canadian form of the sport, and is currently the world's only national governing body for C ...

in June; the Football Canada name had long been used in French. The

CTV Television Network The CTV Television Network, commonly known as CTV, is a Canadian English-language terrestrial television network. Launched in 1961 and acquired by BCE Inc. in 2000, CTV is Canada's largest privately owned television network and is now a divis ...

ceased CFL broadcasts after this season; it had aired CFL games since 1962. The league-run syndicated

Canadian Football Network The Canadian Football Network (CFN) was the official television syndication service of the Canadian Football League from 1987 to 1990. History Background CFN broadcasts mainly aired on stations via the Atlantic Satellite Network and future G ...

took its place the next season.

Regular season standings

Final regular season standings

''Note: GP = Games Played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PF = Points For, PA = Points Against, Pts = Points'' *Bold text means that they have clinched the playoffs.

Grey Cup playoffs

The

Hamilton Tiger-Cats The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a professional Canadian football team based in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. They are currently members of the East Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL). The Tiger-Cats play their home games at Tim Hortons Fiel ...

are the 1986

Grey Cup The Grey Cup (french: Coupe Grey) is both the championship game of the Canadian Football League (CFL) and the trophy awarded to the victorious team playing in the namesake championship of professional Canadian football. The game is contested be ...

champions, defeating the

Edmonton Eskimos The Edmonton Elks are a professional Canadian football team based in Edmonton, Alberta. The club competes in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member of the league's West Division and plays their home games at the Brick Field at Commo ...

39–15, at

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

BC Place Stadium BC Place is a multi-purpose stadium in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Located at the north side of False Creek, it is owned and operated by the BC Pavilion Corporation (PavCo), a crown corporation of the province. The venue is currently ...

. This was Hamilton's first Grey Cup victory since

1972 Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using Solar time, me ...

. The Tiger-Cats'

Mike Kerrigan Michael Joseph Kerrigan (born April 27, 1960) is an American former professional gridiron football quarterback. College Kerrigan played high school football at Mt. Carmel High School in Chicago. He was recruited by Yale, Weber State, and Utah, ...

(QB) was named the Grey Cup's Most Valuable Player on Offence and

Grover Covington Grover Covington (born March 25, 1956) is a former Canadian Football League defensive end for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and member of the Canadian Football Hall of Fame. Professional career Covington's career began in 1981 as a free agent signin ...

(DE) was named Grey Cup's Most Valuable Player on Defence, while

Paul Osbaldiston Paul Osbaldiston (born April 27, 1964) is a former punter and placekicker for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League from 1986-2003. He was the Assistant Special Teams/Kicking Coach for the Tiger-Cats until 2014. Osbaldiston w ...

(K/P) was named the

Grey Cup's Most Valuable Canadian The Dick Suderman Trophy (french: Trophée Dick Suderman) for the Grey Cup's Most Valuable Canadian (''Le Canadien le plus précieux de la Coupe Grey'') is awarded annually to the Canadian player deemed to have the best performance in the Grey Cup ...

Playoff bracket

*''Hamilton won their 2 game total-point series against Toronto by outscoring them 59–56. The Tiger-Cats advanced to the Grey Cup Championship game.''

CFL Leaders

CFL Passing Leaders The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...

CFL Rushing Leaders The CFL was officially formed in 1958. Statistics for the IRFU/Eastern Division date back to 1954 whereas WIFU/Western Division statistics date back to 1950. See also *List of Canadian Football League annual passing leaders *List of Canadian F ...

CFL Receiving Leaders The CFL was officially formed in 1958. Statistics for the IRFU/Eastern Division date back to 1954 whereas WIFU/Western Division statistics date back to 1950. See also *List of Canadian Football League annual passing leaders *List of Canadian ...

1986 CFL All-Stars

Offence

*QB – Rick Johnson, Calgary Stampeders *RB – Gary Allen, Calgary Stampeders *RB –

Bobby Johnson Robert Alan Johnson (born February 8, 1951) is a retired American football coach and former player. He was most recently the head football coach at Vanderbilt University, a position he held from the 2002 season until his retirement in 2010. In ...

, Saskatchewan Roughriders *SB –

Joe Poplawski Joe Poplawski (born August 2, 1957) is a former professional Canadian football receiver who played for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Canadian Football League (CFL) from 1978 to 1986. Professional career Poplawski was originally a territorial ex ...

, Winnipeg Blue Bombers *SB – Rocky DiPietro, Hamilton Tiger-Cats *WR – James Murphy, Winnipeg Blue Bombers *WR –

James Hood James Alexander Hood (November 10, 1942 – January 17, 2013) was one of the first African Americans to enroll at the University of Alabama in 1963, and was made famous when Alabama Governor George Wallace attempted to block him and fellow ...

, Montreal Alouettes *C –

Bob Poley Robert "Pole Cat" or "Polecat" Poley (born November 15, 1955 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan) is a former professional Canadian football offensive lineman who played fifteen seasons in the Canadian Football League for two teams. He was named CFL All-St ...

, Calgary Stampeders *OG – Roger Aldag, Saskatchewan Roughriders *OG –

Leo Blanchard Leo Blanchard (born March 12, 1955, in Edmonton, Alberta) is a former professional Canadian football offensive lineman who played between 1979 and 1991 in the Canadian Football League, mainly for the Edmonton Eskimos, but also for the Calgary St ...

, Edmonton Eskimos *OT –

Chris Walby Chris Walby (born October 23, 1956) is a retired Canadian Football League player who played the offensive tackle position almost exclusively with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. He won three Grey Cups with the Bombers in 1984, 1988, and 1990. Walby ...

, Winnipeg Blue Bombers *OT – Rudy Phillips, Edmonton Eskimos

Defence

*DT –

Harold Hallman Harold Hallman (December 10, 1962 – December 23, 2005) was a Canadian Football League defensive tackle who played eight seasons in the CFL, mainly for the Toronto Argonauts. Hallman was a four-time All Star and won a Grey Cup with Toronto in ...

, Calgary Stampeders *DT – Brett Williams, Montreal Alouettes *DE –

James "Quick" Parker James "Quick" Parker (January 1, 1958 – March 27, 2018) was a Canadian football player who was a leading defensive player in the Canadian Football League. He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. After attending Wake Forest University from ...

, BC Lions *DE –

, Hamilton Tiger-Cats *LB –

Danny Bass Danny Bass (born March 31, 1958) is a former linebacker for the Toronto Argonauts in 1980, Calgary Stampeders from 1981–1983 and the Edmonton Eskimos from 1984-1991 of the Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: ...

, Edmonton Eskimos *LB –

Tyrone Jones Tyrone Jones (August 3, 1961 – June 10, 2008) was a gridiron football all-star and Grey Cup champion linebacker in the Canadian Football League. Born in St. Mary's, Georgia, Ty's football career began at Camden County High School, Camden Coun ...

, Winnipeg Blue Bombers *LB –

Willie Pless Willy or Willie is a masculine, male given name, often a diminutive form of William or Wilhelm, and occasionally a nickname. It may refer to: People Given name or nickname * Willie Aames (born 1960), American actor, television director, and scree ...

, Toronto Argonauts *CB – Roy Bennett, Winnipeg Blue Bombers *CB –

Less Browne Less Browne (born December 7, 1959) is a former American football defensive back who played in the United States Football League and the Canadian Football League for the Pittsburgh Maulers (USFL), the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, the Winnipeg Blue Bombe ...

, Hamilton Tiger-Cats *DB –

Larry Crawford Larry Crawford (born December 18, 1959) is an American former Canadian football player. He played in the Canadian Football League for nine years. Crawford played defensive back for the BC Lions and Toronto Argonauts from 1981-1989. He was a CFL ...

, BC Lions *DB – Mark Streeter, Hamilton Tiger-Cats *S – Scott Flagel, Winnipeg Blue Bombers

Special teams

*P –

Hank Ilesic Henry "Hank" Ilesic (born September 7, 1959, in Edmonton, Alberta) is a former all-star punter in the Canadian Football League. He also handled place kicking and kickoffs. He was twice an all-star punter and played in the CFL for 19 seasons. He pl ...

, Toronto Argonauts *K –

Lance Chomyc Lance Chomyc (born March 2, 1963) is a former placekicker from 1985 to 1993 for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League. In 1986 and 1991, he was a CFL All-Star. He was most recently an English teacher at Bear Creek Secondary Schoo ...

, Toronto Argonauts *ST – Gary Allen, Calgary Stampeders

1986 Eastern All-Stars

Offence

*QB –

, Hamilton Tiger-Cats *RB –

Walter Bender Walter Bender is a technologist and researcher who works in the field of electronic publishing, media and technology for learning. From the MIT Media Lab's founding 1985 through 2006, Bender directed the lab's Electronic Publishing Group. Previou ...

, Hamilton Tiger-Cats *RB –

Jim Reid James McLeish Reid (born 29 December 1961) is a Scottish singer/songwriter and the lead singer for the alternative rock band The Jesus and Mary Chain, which he formed with his elder brother and guitarist William Reid in 1983. Career The Jes ...

, Ottawa Rough Riders *SB – Mark Barousse, Ottawa Rough Riders *SB – Rocky DiPietro, Hamilton Tiger-Cats *WR –

Tony Champion Tony Champion (born March 19, 1963 in Humboldt, Tennessee) is a former American football and Canadian Football League player. Early sports career A multi-sport star, Champion lived up to his name as a football standout at the high school, coll ...

, Hamilton Tiger-Cats *WR –

, Montreal Alouettes *C – Marv Allemang, Hamilton Tiger-Cats *OG – Jason Riley, Hamilton Tiger-Cats *OG –

Dan Ferrone Dan Ferrone (born April 3, 1958) is a former professional Canadian football player. He played with the Toronto Argonauts for 8 seasons, interrupted by one season with the Calgary Stampeders, in the Canadian Football League (CFL). He was an offens ...

, Toronto Argonauts *OT –

Lloyd Fairbanks Lloyd Fairbanks (born April 28, 1953, in Raymond, Alberta) is a former Canadian Football League offensive lineman who played seventeen seasons in the CFL. Fairbanks was named to the CFL's All-Star team 5 times. Fairbanks was announced as a memb ...

, Montreal Alouettes *OT –

Miles Gorrell Miles Gorrell (born October 16, 1955) is a former all star offensive lineman in the Canadian Football League. The five-time divisional All-Star and two-time Outstanding Lineman finalist sits sixth on the List of Canadian Football League records#Gam ...

, Hamilton Tiger-Cats

Defence

*DT – Mike Walker, Hamilton Tiger-Cats *DT – Brett Williams, Montreal Alouettes *DE – Rodney Harding, Toronto Argonauts *DE –

, Hamilton Tiger-Cats *LB –

Ben Zambiasi Benjamin Ray Zambiasi (born August 19, 1956) is a former linebacker for the University of Georgia and in the Canadian Football League. Zambiasi was born in Valdosta, Georgia, and attended high school at Mount de Sales Academy in Macon playin ...

, Hamilton Tiger-Cats *LB –

Leo Ezerins Leo Ezerins (born August 10, 1956) was a linebacker who played ten seasons in the Canadian Football League for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Background Ezerins is a graduate of Whitworth College in Spokane, Washington ...

, Hamilton Tiger-Cats *LB –

, Toronto Argonauts *CB – Terry Irvin, Montreal Alouettes *CB –

, Hamilton Tiger-Cats *DB –

Carl Brazley Carl Eugene Brazley (born September 5, 1957 in Louisville, Kentucky) is a former football player in the Canadian Football League for thirteen years. Brazley played defensive back for the Montreal Alouettes, Ottawa Rough Riders and Toronto Argon ...

, Toronto Argonauts *DB – Mark Streeter, Hamilton Tiger-Cats *S – Rick Ryan, Montreal Alouettes

Special teams

*P –

, Toronto Argonauts *K –

, Toronto Argonauts *ST – Jeff Treftlin, Montreal Alouettes

1986 Western All-Stars

Offence

*QB – Rick Johnson, Calgary Stampeders *RB – Gary Allen, Calgary Stampeders *RB –

, Saskatchewan Roughriders *SB –

, Winnipeg Blue Bombers *SB –

Emanuel Tolbert Emanuel Tolbert (born December 2, 1958) is a former American college and professional football player who was a slotback and wide receiver in the Canadian Football League (CFL) for eleven seasons during the 1980s and early 1990s. Tolbert playe ...

, Calgary Stampeders *WR – James Murphy, Winnipeg Blue Bombers *WR – Ray Alexander, Calgary Stampeders *C –

, Calgary Stampeders *OG – Roger Aldag, Saskatchewan Roughriders *OG –

, Edmonton Eskimos *OT –

, Winnipeg Blue Bombers *OT – Rudy Phillips, Edmonton Eskimos

Defence

*DT –

, Calgary Stampeders *DT –

James Zachery James Zachery (August 27, 1958 – January 25, 1994) was an American football defensive lineman who played eight seasons in the Canadian Football League (CFL) with the Montreal Alouettes, Montreal Concordes and Edmonton Eskimos. He was drafted by ...

, Edmonton Eskimos *DE –

, BC Lions *DE – Stewart Hill, Edmonton Eskimos *LB –

, Edmonton Eskimos *LB –

, Winnipeg Blue Bombers *LB – Billy Jackson, Saskatchewan Roughriders *CB – Roy Bennett, Winnipeg Blue Bombers *CB – Mel Jenkins, Calgary Stampeders *DB –

, BC Lions *DB –

Richie Hall Richie Hall (born October 4, 1960) is the defensive coordinator for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League. He was formerly the head coach of the Edmonton Eskimos from 2009 to 2010. Early years Hall was born October 4, 196 ...

, Calgary Stampeders *S – Scott Flagel, Winnipeg Blue Bombers

Special teams

*P –

Tom Dixon Tom or Tommy Dixon may refer to: *Tom Dixon (American football) (born 1961), American football player * Tom Dixon (catcher) (1906–1982), Negro league baseball catcher * Tom Dixon (pitcher) (born 1955), Major League Baseball pitcher * Tom Dixon (C ...

, Edmonton Eskimos *K – J. T. Hay, Calgary Stampeders *ST – Gary Allen, Calgary Stampeders

1986 CFL Awards

CFL's Most Outstanding Player Award The Most Outstanding Player Award is annually awarded to the best player in the Canadian Football League. The two nominees for the award are the Terry Evanshen Trophy winner from the East Division, and the Jeff Nicklin Memorial Trophy winner from ...

– James Murphy (WR), Winnipeg Blue Bombers * CFL's Most Outstanding Canadian Award –

(SB), Winnipeg Blue Bombers *

CFL's Most Outstanding Defensive Player Award The Most Outstanding Defensive Player Award is annually awarded to the best defensive player in the Canadian football League. The winner of the award is selected by members of the Football Reporters of Canada along with the head coaches in the CFL. ...

–

(DE), BC Lions *

CFL's Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman Award The Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman Award is annually awarded to the best offensive lineman in the Canadian Football League. The two nominees for the award are the Leo Dandurand Trophy winner from the East Division, and the DeMarco-Becket Memor ...

– Roger Aldag (OG), Saskatchewan Roughriders *

CFL's Most Outstanding Rookie Award The Most Outstanding Rookie Award is annually awarded to the player judged to be the best player in his first year in the Canadian Football League. The two nominees for the award are the Frank M. Gibson Trophy winner from the East Division, and the ...

–

(DT), Calgary Stampeders * CFLPA's Outstanding Community Service Award –

Tyrone Crews Tyrone Crews was a linebacker in the Canadian Football League playing 7 seasons with the BC Lions. A graduate of Kansas State University, Crews joined the Leos in 1981 and was part of their 1985 Grey Cup championship team. He was winner of the To ...

(LB), BC Lions * CFL's Coach of the Year –

Al Bruno Albert P. Bruno (March 28, 1927 – October 5, 2014) was an American gridiron football player, administrator, and coach who served as the head coach of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats from 1983 to 1990. Early life He was born in 1927 in West Chester ...

, Hamilton Tiger-Cats

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:1986 Cfl Season

CFL The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...

Canadian Football League seasons