On Sunday, January 22, representatives of the two largest and most powerful leagues in the Canadian Rugby Union, the Interprovincial Rugby Football Union and the Western Interprovincial Football Union , met in Winnipeg and formed the Canadian Football Council as an umbrella organization. G. Sydney Halter , QC, was named as commissioner of the CFC, which would evolve into today's Canadian Football League . The CFC introduced a national negotiation list.
Television rights for Canadian football games were sold for $101,000. The touchdown point value was increased from five to six points.
The first East -West All-Star game was played at Vancouver 's Empire Stadium on December 8. The day after the game, Trans-Canada Air Lines Flight 810 crashed into Mount Slesse , killing five players and one official who were on their way from Vancouver to Calgary . The five players who died in the crash included four members of the Saskatchewan Roughriders : offensive linemen Mario DeMarco and Ray Syrnyk , centre/tight end Mel Becket , and defensive lineman Gordon Sturtridge , along with Winnipeg Blue Bomber offensive lineman Cal Jones . The official killed in the crash was Ed Pettit, of Calgary.
Regular season 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 the team clinched a playoff berth.
Edmonton and Montreal had first-round byes.
X – Rochester withdrew from the league.
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Grey Cup playoffs Note: All dates in 1956
SEMI-FINALS Saskatchewan won the total-point series 50–26. The Roughriders moved on to play the Edmonton Eskimos in the WIFU Finals.
The Tiger-Cats advanced to play the Montreal Alouettes in the IRFU Finals.
Edmonton won the best of three series 2–1 and advanced to the Grey Cup game.
Montreal won the total-point series 78–62 and advanced to the Grey Cup game.
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Playoff Bracket
Quarter Finals
Semi Finals
Grey Cup
IRFU
Montreal Alouettes
IRFU
BYE
IRFU
Montreal Alouettes
30 -48
EAST
IRFU
Hamilton Tiger Cats
21-41
IRFU
Hamilton Tiger Cats
46
IRFU
Ottawa Rough Riders
21
IRFU
Montreal Alouettes
27
WIFU
Edmonton Eskimos
50
WIFU
Edmonton Eskimos
WIFU
BYE
WIFU
Edmonton Eskimos
22-20 -51
WEST
WIFU
Saskatchewan Roughriders
23 -12-7
WIFU
Saskatchewan Roughriders
42 -8
WIFU
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
7-19
Grey Cup Championship Note: The WIFU and IRFU finals dates are not confirmed. However, since (1) the regular season ended October 27 in the West and November 3 in the East, and (2) the WIFU and IRFU semi-final and Grey Cup dates are accurate, it is reasonable to assume the above dates are correct.
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QB – Sam Etcheverry , Montreal Alouettes
RB – Cookie Gilchrist , Hamilton Tiger-Cats
RB – Pat Abbruzzi , Montreal Alouettes
RB – Dick Shatto , Toronto Argonauts
E – Hal Patterson , Montreal Alouettes
E – Bobby Simpson , Ottawa Rough Riders
FW – Joey Pal , Montreal Alouettes
C – Tommy Hugo , Montreal Alouettes
OG – Francis Machinsky , Toronto Argonauts
OG – Larry Hayes , Ottawa Rough Riders
OT – Kaye Vaughan , Ottawa Rough Riders
OT – Bill Albright , Toronto Argonauts
DT – Kaye Vaughan , Ottawa Rough Riders
DT – Bill Albright , Toronto Argonauts
DE – Pete Neumann , Hamilton Tiger-Cats
DE – Jim Miller , Montreal Alouettes
DG – Vince Scott , Hamilton Tiger-Cats
MG – Hardiman Cureton , Toronto Argonauts
LB – Tommy Hugo , Montreal Alouettes
LB – Ken Vargo , Montreal Alouettes
DB – Hal Patterson , Montreal Alouettes
DB – Ralph Goldston , Hamilton Tiger-Cats
DB – Ray Truant , Hamilton Tiger-Cats
S – Don Pinney , Ottawa Rough Riders
QB – Jackie Parker , Edmonton Eskimos
RB – Ken Carpenter , Saskatchewan Roughriders
RB – Ed Vereb , British Columbia Lions
RB – Normie Kwong , Edmonton Eskimos
RB – Bob McNamara , Winnipeg Blue Bombers
E – Don Edwards , British Columbia Lions
E – Bud Grant , Winnipeg Blue Bombers
C – Mel Becket , Saskatchewan Roughriders
C – George Druxman , Winnipeg Blue Bombers
OG – Harry Langford , Calgary Stampeders
OG – Buddy Alliston , Winnipeg Blue Bombers
OT – Martin Ruby , Saskatchewan Roughriders
OT – Buddy Tinsley , Winnipeg Blue Bombers
DT – Dick Huffman , Calgary Stampeders
DT – Martin Ruby , Saskatchewan Roughriders
DE – Frank Anderson , Edmonton Eskimos
DE – Gord Sturtridge , Saskatchewan Roughriders
MG – Ron Atchison , Saskatchewan Roughriders
LB – John Wozniak , Saskatchewan Roughriders
LB – Earl Lindley , Edmonton Eskimos
LB – Bobby Marlow , Saskatchewan Roughriders
LB – Ted Tully , Edmonton Eskimos
DB – Rollie Miles , Edmonton Eskimos
DB – Larry Isbell , Saskatchewan Roughriders
S – Paul Cameron , British Columbia Lions
References v · d · e 1956 Canadian football season by teamWestern Interprovicial Football Union Interprovincial Rugby Football Union See also
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