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1986 CFL season
Regular season
Duration June 24, 1986 – November 9, 1986 1986-06-24 | 1986-11-09 | 1986 CFL season
Playoffs
Start date November 15, 1986 1986-11-15 | 1986-11-30 | Playoffs
East Champions Hamilton Tiger-Cats Error: Invalid time.
West Champions Edmonton Eskimos Error: Invalid time.
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74th Grey Cup
Date November 30, 1986
Site BC Place, Vancouver
Champions Hamilton Tiger-Cats
1985  CFL seasons  1987

The 1986 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 33rd season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 29th Canadian Football League 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 1996 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 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 Sports Network started to carry live coverage of the first round of the 1986 Canadian College Draft from coast-to-coast.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers and the Montreal Alouettes played the first CFL pre-season game at Canada Games Stadium in Saint John, New Brunswick. 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 in June; the Football Canada name had long been used in French.

The CTV Television Network ceased CFL broadcasts after this season; it had aired CFL games since 1962. The league-run syndicated Canadian Football Network 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

West Division
Team GP W L T PF PA Pts
Edmonton Eskimos 18 13 4 1 540 365 27
BC Lions 18 12 6 0 441 410 24
Winnipeg Blue Bombers 18 11 7 0 545 387 22
Calgary Stampeders 18 11 7 0 484 380 22
Saskatchewan Roughriders 18 6 11 1 382 517 13
East Division
Team GP W L T PF PA Pts
Toronto Argonauts 18 10 8 0 417 441 20
Hamilton Tiger-Cats 18 9 8 1 405 366 19
Montreal Alouettes 18 4 14 0 320 500 8
Ottawa Rough Riders 18 3 14 1 346 514 7
  • Bold text means that they have clinched the playoffs.

Grey Cup playoffs[]

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are the 1986 Grey Cup champions, defeating the Edmonton Eskimos 39–15, at Vancouver's BC Place Stadium. This was Hamilton's first Grey Cup victory since 1972. The Tiger-Cats' Mike Kerrigan (QB) was named the Grey Cup's Most Valuable Player on Offence and Grover Covington (DE) was named Grey Cup's Most Valuable Player on Defence, while Paul Osbaldiston (K/P) was named the Grey Cup's Most Valuable Canadian.

Playoff bracket[]

  November 16: Division Semifinals/East Game 1 November 23: Division Finals/East Game 2 November 30: 74th Grey Cup @ BC Place StadiumVancouver, BC
                           
  E2  Hamilton Tiger-Cats 17  
E1  Toronto Argonauts 31  
  E1  Toronto Argonauts 25  
East
  E2  Hamilton Tiger-Cats 42  
   
     
    E2  Hamilton Tiger-Cats 39
  W1  Edmonton Eskimos 15
  W3  Winnipeg Blue Bombers 14  
W2  BC Lions 21  
  W2  BC Lions 5
West
  W1  Edmonton Eskimos 41  
W4  Calgary Stampeders 18
  W1  Edmonton Eskimos 27  
  • 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
  • CFL Rushing Leaders
  • CFL Receiving Leaders [1]

1986 CFL All-Stars[]

Offence[]

Defence[]

Special teams[]

1986 Eastern All-Stars[]

Offence[]

Defence[]

Special teams[]

  • P – Hank Ilesic, Toronto Argonauts
  • K – Lance Chomyc, Toronto Argonauts
  • ST – Jeff Treftlin, Montreal Alouettes

1986 Western All-Stars[]

Offence[]

Defence[]

Special teams[]

1986 CFL Awards[]

References[]

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