1954 in Canadian football

The Edmonton Eskimos upset the Montreal Alouettes to send the Grey Cup trophy back west for the first time since 1948.^[1]

Canadian Football News in 1954

1954 is generally recognized as the start of the modern era of Canadian football.^[2]

The BC Lions joined the WIFU and adopted the colours of burnt orange and brown. The NBC national network were televising IRFU games.^[3]

Winnipeg's Gerry James (RB), became the first player to win the Most Outstanding Canadian Award.^[4]

This was the last season that the Ontario Rugby Football Union would be allowed to challenge for the Grey Cup.^[5]

Regular season

Final regular season standings

Source:^[5]

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	PF	PA	Pts
Montreal Alouettes	14	11	3	341	148	22
Hamilton Tiger-Cats	14	9	5	275	207	18
Toronto Argonauts	14	6	8	212	265	12
Ottawa Rough Riders	14	2	12	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

Source:^[5]

Note: All dates in 1954

Semifinals

**WIFU semifinals – game 1**
Saskatchewan Roughriders @ Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Date	Away	Home
October 30	Saskatchewan Roughriders 14	Winnipeg Blue Bombers 14

**WIFU semifinals – 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 semifinal.

**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 semifinal.

**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 semifinal

Edmonton Eskimos @ Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen
Date	Away	Home
November 20	Edmonton Eskimos 38	Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen 6

The Edmonton Eskimos will advance to the Grey Cup game.

Playoff bracket

Quarterfinals

Semifinals

Grey Cup

IRFU

Montreal Alouettes

IRFU

BYE

IRFU

Montreal Alouettes

14-24

EAST

IRFU

Hamilton Tiger Cats

9-19

IRFU

Hamilton Tiger Cats

IRFU

BYE

IRFU

Montreal Alouettes

25

WIFU

Edmonton Eskimos

26

WIFU

Edmonton Eskimos

9-12-10

WIFU

Winnipeg Blue Bombers

3-6-5

WIFU

Edmonton Eskimos

38

WEST

ORFU

Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen

6

ORFU

Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen

13-16

ORFU

Sarnia Imperials

12-8

Final appearance in the Grey Cup playoffs by the ORFU

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

Canadian Football Leaders

1954 Eastern (Interprovincial Rugby Football Union) All-Stars

Offence

QB – Sam Etcheverry, Montreal Alouettes
RB – Alex Webster, Montreal Alouettes
RB – Gene Wilson, Toronto Argonauts
RB – Bernie Custis, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
E – Red O'Quinn, Montreal Alouettes
E – Ray Ramsey, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
FW – Joey Pal, Montreal Alouettes
C – Tommy Hugo, Montreal Alouettes
OG – Ray Cicia, Montreal Alouettes
OG – Herb Trawick, Montreal Alouettes
OT – Tex Coulter, Montreal Alouettes
OT – Vince Mazza, Hamilton Tiger-Cats

Defence

DT – Tex Coulter, Montreal Alouettes
DT – Jim Staton, Montreal Alouettes
DE – Pete Neumann, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
DE – Doug McNichol, Montreal Alouettes
DG – Vince Scott, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
DG – Eddie Bevan, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
LB – Red Ettinger, Toronto Argonauts
LB – Tommy Hugo, Montreal Alouettes
DB – Lou Kusserow, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
DB – Hal Patterson, Montreal Alouettes
S – Bill MacFarlane, Toronto Argonauts
S - Billy Cross, Toronto Argonauts

1954 Western (Western Interprovincial Football Union) All-Stars

Offence

QB – Frank Tripucka, Saskatchewan Roughriders
RB – Rollie Miles, Edmonton Eskimos
RB – Jackie Parker, Edmonton Eskimos
RB – Howard Waugh, Calgary Stampeders
RB – Ed Macon, Calgary Stampeders
E – Mac Speedie, Saskatchewan Roughriders
E – Bud Grant, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
C – Eagle Keys, Edmonton Eskimos
OG – Mario DeMarco, Saskatchewan Roughriders
OG – Roy Jenson, Calgary Stampeders
OT – Dick Huffman, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
OT – Martin Ruby, Saskatchewan Roughriders

Defence

DT – Dick Huffman, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
DT – Martin Ruby, Saskatchewan Roughriders
DE – Frank Anderson, Edmonton Eskimos
DE – Gene Brito, Calgary Stampeders
DG – Mike Cassidy, Saskatchewan Roughriders
DG – Bob Levenhagen, BC Lions
LB – John Wozniak, Saskatchewan Roughriders
LB – Ed Henke, Calgary Stampeders
DB – Stan Williams, Saskatchewan Roughriders
DB – Bobby Marlow, Saskatchewan Roughriders
DB – Rollie Miles, Edmonton Eskimos
S – Tom Casey, Winnipeg Blue Bombers

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 – Danny 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

References

^ "Grey Cup Memories: 1954". CFL.ca. 2005-11-10. Retrieved 2019-10-06.
^ "Mullin: Changing the game - The Ratio". CFL.ca. 2011-02-11. Retrieved 2019-10-06.
^ "Canadian Football Timelines (1860-2005)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 January 2017. Retrieved 31 October 2019.
^ https://www.cfl.ca/gibsons Archived 2015-09-28 at the Wayback Machine Gibsons Finest Player Awards
^ ^a ^b ^c "1954". www.cflapedia.com. Retrieved 2019-10-31.
^ "CFLapedia".

[1] "Grey Cup Memories: 1954". CFL.ca. 2005-11-10. Retrieved 2019-10-06.

[2] "Mullin: Changing the game - The Ratio". CFL.ca. 2011-02-11. Retrieved 2019-10-06.

[3] "Canadian Football Timelines (1860-2005)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 January 2017. Retrieved 31 October 2019.

[4] ttps://www.cfl.ca/gibsons Archived 2015-09-28 at the Wayback Machine Gibsons Finest Player Awards

[:0-5] "1954". www.cflapedia.com. Retrieved 2019-10-31.

[6] "CFLapedia".

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v t e 1954 Canadian football season by team
Western Interprovicial Football Union	BC Calgary Edmonton Saskatchewan Winnipeg
Interprovincial Rugby Football Union	Hamilton Montreal Ottawa Toronto
Ontario Rugby Football Union	Kitchener-Waterloo Sarnia Toronto Balmy Beach
See also	1954 IRFU college draft 42nd Grey Cup