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The 1973 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 20th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 16th Canadian Football League season.

CFL News in 1973[]

Both the Western and Eastern Conferences adopt the same playoff procedure, consisting of the second place teams in each conference hosting the third place teams in the conference semifinal games and the first place teams hosting the semi-finals' winners in the conference finals. All rounds now consisted of single-game playoffs, as opposed to a two-game total point series (although this format would return in use by what was by then the East Division in 1986 only); the West adopted this format the previous year. Other than the addition of the crossover rule in 1997, this playoff format is in still in use to this day in the CFL.

This was the final season where the conferences would play seasons of different lengths. The Eastern Conference would expand its schedule to sixteen games for 1974. Somewhat ironically, this was also the most recent season (as of 2017) where a fourth-placed Eastern team would earn more points (despite playing fewer games) than the third placed Western team - the scenario which triggers a "crossover" under the current playoff format.

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

Western Football Conference
Team GP W L T PF PA Pts
Edmonton Eskimos 16 9 5 2 329 284 20
Saskatchewan Roughriders 16 10 6 0 360 287 20
BC Lions 16 5 9 2 261 328 12
Calgary Stampeders 16 6 10 0 214 368 12
Winnipeg Blue Bombers 16 4 11 1 267 315 9
Eastern Football Conference
Team GP W L T PF PA Pts
Ottawa Rough Riders 14 9 5 0 275 234 18
Toronto Argonauts 14 7 5 2 265 231 16
Montreal Alouettes 14 7 6 1 273 238 15
Hamilton Tiger-Cats 14 7 7 0 304 263 14
  • Bold text means that they have clinched the playoffs.
  • Edmonton and Ottawa have first round byes.

Grey Cup playoffs[]

The Ottawa Rough Riders are the 1973 Grey Cup champions, defeating the Edmonton Eskimos, 22–18, at Toronto's Exhibition Stadium. Ottawa's Charlie Brandon (DE) was named the Grey Cup's Most Valuable Player, while Edmonton's Garry Lefebvre (DB) was named Grey Cup's Most Valuable Canadian.

Playoff bracket[]

  November 10/11: Division Semifinals     November 17/18: Division Finals     November 25: 61st Grey Cup @ Exhibition StadiumToronto
                           
  East     E2  Montreal Alouettes 14  
  E3  Montreal Alouettes 32*     E1  Ottawa Rough Riders 23    
  E2  Toronto Argonauts 10         E1  Ottawa Rough Riders 22
      W1  Edmonton Eskimos 18
  West     W2  Saskatchewan Roughriders 23    
  W3  BC Lions 13     W1  Edmonton Eskimos 25  
  W2  Saskatchewan Roughriders 33  

*-Team won in Overtime.

CFL Leaders[]

  • CFL Passing Leaders
  • CFL Rushing Leaders
  • CFL Receiving Leaders [1]

1973 CFL All-Stars[]

Offence[]

Defence[]

1973 Eastern All-Stars[]

Offence[]

Defence[]

  • DT – Gordon Judges, Montreal Alouettes
  • DT – Rudy Sims, Ottawa Rough Riders
  • DE – Carl Crennel, Montreal Alouettes
  • DE – Jim Corrigall, Toronto Argonauts
  • LB – Jerry Campbell, Ottawa Rough Riders
  • LB – Gene Mack, Toronto Argonauts
  • LB – Mike Widger, Montreal Alouettes
  • DB – Tim Anderson, Toronto Argonauts
  • DB – Dickie Harris, Montreal Alouettes
  • DB – Al Marcelin, Ottawa Rough Riders
  • DB – Lewis Porter, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
  • DB – Dick Adams, Ottawa Rough Riders

1973 Western All-Stars[]

Offence[]

Defence[]

1973 CFL Awards[]

References[]

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