After a 13-year losing streak, the Montreal Alouettes are preparing for their first Gray Cup game.
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The Belle Province team will face the Winnipeg Blue Bombers this Sunday for the top honor of the 2023 season. To get you going, here is the story of the seven conquests in the history of the Montreal organization:
1949
The Alouettes’ first win came in the 37th game of the Gray Cup. It was also the first appearance in the final game of a CFL season for the franchise, which was only four seasons old. It was founded in 1946 by Léo Dandurand, Eric Cradock and renowned coach Lew Hayman.
With a record of 12-8, the Als finished second in the Interprovincial Rugby Football Union, the precursor to the Eastern Section. The Sparrows defeated the Ottawa Rough Riders in the first phase of the playoffs, which consisted of two home and away games. They then humiliated the Hamilton Tigers 40-0 in the group final.
The Montreal club’s first triumph was a 28:15 against the Calgary Stampeders. It took place in front of more than 20,000 spectators and at Varsity Stadium in Toronto.
1970
The fans had to wait 21 years until their favorites could lift the big trophy a second time. The Alouettes have now taken part in the final three times. The 1970 win was somewhat of a surprise considering the Als had missed the playoffs the previous three seasons and finished third in their group in the regular season.
Led by head coach Sam Etcheverry, the Alouettes triumphed over the Stampeders 23-10. The game at the CNE Stadium in Toronto was marked by the catastrophic condition of the pitch. It was the last Gray Cup game played on natural grass until the 1984 game.
That victory in 1970 marked the beginning of what many consider to be the best decade in the club’s history.
1974
The Alouettes’ third win came again against a team from Alberta, but this time at the expense of the Edmonton Eskimos.
The Als alternated between two quarterbacks, Jimmy Jones and Sonny Wade, during the 1974 season. He was the first to face Edmonton. However, Jones was not effective and Wade replaced him in the second quarter when the score was 7-0 in favor of the Eskimos. The Alouettes ultimately triumphed 20-7 and the Pivot secured its second title as Finals MVP, having previously received this honor in 1970.
1977
The famous “Ice Bowl” of 1977 is burned into the collective imagination. The duel against the Eskimos, which took place at the Olympic Stadium in Montreal, ended with a 41-6 victory for the Alouettes. However, it was once again the condition of the ground that drew attention.
Two days before the game, a snowstorm hit the metropolis of Quebec. Groundskeepers used coarse salt to melt the snow, but the next day the temperature dropped and a layer of ice formed.
It was particularly thanks to the genius of defender Tony Proudfoot that the Alouettes had the best. The American thought about putting clips under his shoes to get better traction and urged his teammates to do the same. This gave the “Sparrows” a significant advantage and dominance by the crowd favorites followed.
This is the Alouettes’ third and final championship of the 1970s, having appeared in six Gray Cup games (1970, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1978 and 1979).
2002
After a name change to the Concordes (1982 to 1985), the team’s disappearance (1897 to 1995), and its return via a trade from the Baltimore Stallions (1996), the Alouettes finally returned to the top of the mountain at the end of the 2002 season.
The club, led by head coach Don Matthews, was dominant and finished first in the East Division with a record of 13-5-1. The star players were quarterback Anthony Calvillo, running back Mike Pringle, receiver Ben Cahoon and defensive back Barron Miles.
In the grand final, the Als defeated the Eskimos 25 to 16 in their stadium. Many will remember the parade that took place two days later in the streets of Montreal. Around 250,000 people came to cheer on their champions.
2009
Between the 2002 and 2009 conquests, the Alouettes lost in the final three times (2005, 2006 and 2008). In his second season at the helm, head coach Mark Trestman helped his team maintain a 15-3 record and finish in first place in the East.
After defeating the British Columbia Lions 56-18 in the Eastern final, the Als staged an incredible comeback to beat the Saskatchewan Roughriders 28-27 in their final game.
With just under eight minutes to play, the West club led 27 to 11. The Calvillo-led offense scored two touchdowns, including one made possible by an interception by Jerald Brown. Trailing 27-25, the Alouettes got the ball for a final sequence with 1:45 left.
Several important catches followed, but the victory ultimately fell to Damon Duval. With five seconds left, the kicker missed a 43-yard attempt. However, the Roughriders had one too many players on the field. So they received a 10-yard penalty and Duval got a second chance. He missed his shot from 33 yards, giving the Alouettes the sixth Gray Cup in their history.
2010
A year later, the same two teams met for a revenge match. The Alouettes triumphed again, this time by a score of 21-18. The Montreal club became the first CFL team in 13 years to win two straight Gray Cup games.
This duel, which had a much less spectacular ending than the previous one, was characterized by the brilliant performance of receiver Jamel Richardson. The American made eight catches for 109 yards and was named the game’s MVP.
This championship was the third and final of Calvillo’s career. He, Cahoon, Scott Flory and Anwar Steward are the four members of the team who have won the Gray Cup in the organization’s last three conquests.
1931 and 1944
You may be surprised to learn that the Alouettes are not the first “Montreal” team to win the Gray Cup. That honor goes to the Montreal AAA Wingred Wheelers, who defeated the Regina Roughriders 22-0 at State Percival-Molson on December 5, 1931. The amateur team existed from 1872 to 1936.
The second championship goes to Navy St. Hyacinthe-Donnacona, an amateur club founded during World War II. The team, which played its games at the same venue as the current edition of the Als, won the prized trophy by defeating the Hamilton Wildcats 7-6 in Ontario on November 25, 1944.