1954 in Canadian football

The 1954 season of Canadian football is widely considered to be the first season of the modern era of Canadian football, although the Canadian Football League would not be officially founded for another four years.

Canadian Football News in 1954

The BC Lions joined the WIFU and adopted the colours of burnt orange and brown. The Lions played their first regular season game on Saturday, August 28, which they lost 8–6 to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers at Empire Stadium.

Winnipeg's Gerry James (RB), became the first player to win the Most Outstanding Canadian Award.

The NBC national network were televising IRFU games.

This was the last season that the Ontario Rugby Football Union would challenge for the Grey Cup.

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 Team GP W L T PF PA Pts Edmonton Eskimos 16 11 5 0 255 163 22 Saskatchewan Roughriders 16 10 4 2 239 204 22 Winnipeg Blue Bombers 16 8 6 2 202 190 18 Calgary Stampeders 16 8 8 0 271 165 16 BC Lions 16 1 15 0 100 345 2

Interprovincial Rugby Football Union Team GP W L T PF PA Pts Montreal Alouettes 14 11 3 0 341 148 22 Hamilton Tiger-Cats 14 9 5 0 275 207 18 Toronto Argonauts 14 6 8 0 212 265 12 Ottawa Rough Riders 14 2 12 0 129 337 4

Ontario Rugby Football Union Team GP W L T PF PA Pts Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen 12 9 2 1 269 183 19 Sarnia Imperials 12 7 4 1 218 193 15 Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers 12 1 11 0 169 280 2

• Bold text means that they have clinched the playoffs.
• Edmonton has a bye and will play in the WIFU Finals.

Grey Cup playoffs

Note: All dates in 1954

SEMI-FINALS

WIFU Semi-Finals – Game 1 Saskatchewan Roughriders @ Winnipeg Blue Bombers Date Away Home October 30 Saskatchewan Roughriders 14 Winnipeg Blue Bombers 14

WIFU Semi-Finals – Game 2 Winnipeg Blue Bombers @ Saskatchewan Roughriders Date Away Home November 1 Winnipeg Blue Bombers 13 Saskatchewan Roughriders 11

• Winnipeg won the total-point series by 27–25. The Blue Bombers will play the Edmonton Eskimos in the WIFU Finals.

FINALS

ORFU Finals – Game 1 Sarnia Imperials @ Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen Date Away Home November 3 Sarnia Imperials 12 Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen 13

ORFU Finals – Game 2 Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen @ Sarnia Imperials Date Away Home November 11 Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen 16 Sarnia Imperials 8

• Kitchener-Waterloo wins the best of three series 2–0. The Dutchmen will advance to the Grey Cup Semi-Final.

WIFU Finals – Game 1 Winnipeg Blue Bombers @ Edmonton Eskimos Date Away Home November 6 Winnipeg Blue Bombers 3 Edmonton Eskimos 9

WIFU Finals – Game 2 Edmonton Eskimos @ Winnipeg Blue Bombers Date Away Home November 11 Edmonton Eskimos 6 Winnipeg Blue Bombers 12

WIFU Finals – Game 3 Winnipeg Blue Bombers @ Edmonton Eskimos Date Away Home November 13 Winnipeg Blue Bombers 5 Edmonton Eskimos 10

• Edmonton wins the best of three series 2–1. The Eskimos will advance to the Grey Cup Semi-Final.

IRFU Finals – Game 1 Montreal Alouettes @ Hamilton Tiger-Cats Date Away Home November 17 Montreal Alouettes 14 Hamilton Tiger-Cats 9

IRFU Finals – Game 2 Hamilton Tiger-Cats @ Montreal Alouettes Date Away Home November 20 Hamilton Tiger-Cats 19 Montreal Alouettes 24

• Montreal wins the best of three series 2–0. The Alouettes will advance to the Grey Cup game.

Grey Cup Semi-Final

Edmonton Eskimos @ Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen Date Away Home November 20 Edmonton Eskimos 28 Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen 6

• The Edmonton Eskimos will advance to the Grey Cup game.

Grey Cup Championship

November 27 42nd Annual Grey Cup Game: Varsity Stadium – Toronto, Ontario WIFU Champion IRFU Champion Edmonton Eskimos 26 Montreal Alouettes 25 The Edmonton Eskimos are the 1954 Grey Cup Champions

1954 Ontario Rugby Football Union All-Stars

NOTE: During this time most players played both ways, so the All-Star selections do not distinguish between some offensive and defensive positions.

• QB – Bob Celeri, Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen
• RB – Cookie Gilchrist, Sarnia Imperials
• RB – Paul Amodio, Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen
• RB – Nayland Moll, Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers
• RB – Blake Taylor, Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen
• E – Harvey Singleton, Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers
• E – Gerry McTaggart, Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen
• FW – Carl Totzke, Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen
• C – Bruce Mattingly, Sarnia Imperials
• G – Jay Fry, Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen
• G – Lloyd "Dutch" Davey, Sarnia Imperials
• T – Keith Carpenter, Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers
• T – Dan Nykoluk, Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers

1954 Canadian Football Awards

• Most Outstanding Player Award – Sam Etcheverry (QB), Montreal Alouettes
• Most Outstanding Canadian Award – Gerry James (RB), Winnipeg Blue Bombers
• Jeff Russel Memorial Trophy (IRFU MVP) – Sam Etcheverry (QB), Montreal Alouettes
• Jeff Nicklin Memorial Trophy (WIFU MVP) - Jackie Parker (RB), Edmonton Eskimos
• Gruen Trophy (IRFU Rookie of the Year) - Ron Howell (WR), Hamilton Tiger-Cats
• Dr. Beattie Martin Trophy (WIFU Rookie of the Year) - Lynn Bottoms (HB), Calgary Stampeders
• Imperial Oil Trophy (ORFU MVP) - Bob Celeri - Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen

Preceded by 1953 in Canadian football

Canadian football seasons

Succeeded by 1955 in Canadian football