Photo: Geoff Robbins/CFL.ca

By Vicki Hall

And then there were six.

After a gruelling 21 week season, six teams remain standing in the hunt to win the 112th Grey Cup come November 16 in Winnipeg.

All six experienced highs, lows, sweet victories and heartbreaking losses since the season opened back on June 5.

Here’s the story of how all six journeyed from training camp to the promised land of the post-season:

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SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS (12-6)

KEY WIN: 20-13 WIN OVER OTTAWA IN WEEK 18

It’s difficult to nail down a key victory or turning point for a team that led the way and served as the standard-bearer all season long. So we’ll turn to the victory over Ottawa in Week 18 that stopped a two-game September slide that had Rider fans fretting over the sudden blip in a season of consistency. With their faint playoff hopes on the line and 7:52 to play, the REDBLACKS converted three third down gambles to narrow the Saskatchewan lead to 20-10. Then Ottawa pounced on a Trevor Harris fumble, only to settle for a field goal instead of a touchdown. The Riders prevailed and showed they can win ugly en route to finishing first overall for the first time since 1976.

PLAYER OR UNIT THAT STEPPED UP: AJ OUELLETTE

Bouncing back from a disappointing first season in Saskatchewan, AJ Ouellette terrorized opposing defenders this year with the punishing running style he once displayed in Toronto. The charismatic Ouellette lugged the ball 248 times for 1,222 yards and eight touchdowns. And while that’s impressive — good for second place on the CFL rushing chart — the folks in Saskatchewan are raving even more about his 81-yard sprint in that Ottawa game to catch Bryce Carter after the Harris fumble. Those kinds of plays might not show up in the offensive stats, but they’re the hallmark of championship teams.

SIGNATURE STAT: FEWEST POINTS ALLOWED (409)

The Riders surrendered the fewest points (409) in the league this season — a testament to a team that fully buys into the game planning of head coach/defensive coordinator Corey Mace. And there isn’t one clear-cut star on the Saskatchewan defence — it’s more like a committee of excellence led by linebackers Jameer Thurman and A.J. Allen, defensive backs Rolan Milligan Jr. and Tevaughn Campbell and defensive lineman Malik Carney.

BC LIONS (11-7)

 

KEY WIN: 52-23 WIN OVER CALGARY IN WEEK 16

The Lions touched down in Calgary in Week 16 below .500 with a record of 6-7. That set the stage for quarterback Nathan Rourke to serve notice to the nation that the Lions were much more formidable than the standings indicated with a 52-23 thrashing of the high-riding Stampeders. Rourke completed 20-of-24 passes for 331 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran for 43 yards and three touchdowns, including a spectacular 26-yard dash in the opening quarter. The Lions had beaten Ottawa the week prior to that victory in Calgary and now roar into the post-season on a six-game winning streak.

PLAYER OR UNIT THAT STEPPED UP: OFFENCE

It’s easy to laser in on Rourke as the sole reason for the BC turnaround, but, in truth, the entire offence is enough to terrify opposing defences. Keon Hatcher Sr. finished the season as the CFL’s most prolific receiver with 102 catches for 1,688 yards and nine touchdowns. Justin McInnis finished third in the league with 1,256 receiving yards on 75 catches and seven touchdowns. Tailback James Butler finished third in the race for the rushing title with 229 carries for 1,213 yards and 11 touchdowns. And the offensive line surrendered a league-low 20 sacks all season long.

SIGNATURE STAT: 430.2 YARDS OF NET OFFENCE PER GAME

It’s hard to pick just one, but the Lions led the league with an eye-popping average of 430.2 yards of net offence per game. That’s startling and should strike fear into any defence tasked with containing Rourke and the plethora of weapons at his disposal.

CALGARY STAMPEDERS (11-7)

KEY WIN: 24-10 WIN OVER SASKATCHEWAN IN WEEK 6

The Stamps shocked the nation in Week 6 by sauntering into Saskatchewan and beating the undefeated Roughriders 24-10 before a shocked crowd at Mosaic Stadium. Riding the swagger and veteran savvy of Vernon Adams Jr., Calgary stormed out to an 8-4 start this season but faltered down the stretch with a four-game losing streak that started with the OK Tire Labour Day Weekend rematch and ended with a 37-20 road win over Hamilton on WestJet Thanksgiving Weekend.

PLAYER OR UNIT THAT STEPPED UP: DEDRICK MILLS

Adams Jr. gobbles up most of the headlines in Calgary, but tailback Dedrick Mills is arguably the purring engine that powers the Stampeder offence. The four-year vet won the CFL rushing title this season with 250 carries for 1,409 yards and 11 touchdowns. The Nebraska product is the Calgary nominee for Most Outstanding Player and key to hopes of an upset against the Lions in the Western Semi-Final.

SIGNATURE STAT: 80 PER CENT COMPLETION/0 INTERCEPTIONS THROWN OVER THE LAST THREE GAMES BY VERNON ADAMS JR.

Over the last three games, Adams Jr. has completed 80 per cent of his passes and thrown zero interceptions. Combined with his mobility and ability to move the ball with his feet, those recent numbers show a Calgary victory is not out of the realm of possibility on Saturday in Vancouver. 

HAMILTON TIGER-CATS (11-7)

KEY WIN: 32-21 WIN OVER HAMILTON IN WEEK 15

On the same day they received the news that their general manager Ted Goveia had died, the Tiger-Cats defeated the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 32-21. Tailback Greg Bell broke out that night with 22 carries for 137 yards and a touchdown — a sign of promise for a team blessed with the throwing arm of Bo Levi Mitchell. But the victory stands out most for the grit of the Tiger-Cats in the midst of overwhelming grief. Head coach Scott Milanovich called it the toughest day of his professional career, and Mitchell dedicated the victory to Goveia’s family. Goveia was 55. He died of esophageal cancer, which had been diagnosed in the spring.

PLAYER OR UNIT THAT STEPPED UP: BO LEVI MITCHELL

Quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell earned his second-straight passing title this season with 5,296 yards. He also led the CFL with a career-high of 36 touchdown passes and finished tops in pass attempts (626) and completions (428). Not bad for a 35-year-old gunslinger who many thought was past his prime when the Calgary Stampeders dealt his playing rights to Hamilton in 2022. 

SIGNATURE STAT: SECOND-MOST POINTS SCORED (559)

Hamilton finished second in the league behind only the BC Lions for the most points scored (559), with an average of 29.2 points per game. Mitchell and his explosive receiving corps led by Tim White and Kiondré Smith give Hamilton a chance to come back even in games where the score seems far out of reach.

MONTREAL ALOUETTES (10-8)

KEY WIN: 38-20 WIN OVER CALGARY IN WEEK 17

After missing eight games with a hamstring, quarterback Davis Alexander returned to the lineup in Week 17 and led the Alouettes to a 38-20 victory over the Calgary Stampeders at Percival Molson Memorial Stadium. The Als scored four offensive touchdowns that night — a stark contrast from the 11 offensive touchdowns the team managed through those eight games with Alexander on the sidelines. 

PLAYER OR UNIT THAT STEPPED UP: DAVIS ALEXANDER

Football is a team game. It’s usually foolhardy to focus on one player above all others. But in Montreal’s case, Alexander has more than proven his value. The 27-year-old pivot turns the Als from a mediocre team to one with a real chance at repeating as Grey Cup champions. But we’ll give an honourable mention to Tyler Snead, the diminutive receiver who caught 84 passes for 1,129 yards in a breakout season.

SIGNATURE STAT: 11-0 AS A STARTER FOR ALEXANDER

Alexander is a perfect 11-0 as a starter for the Alouettes. That’s the best mark in history of any CFL quarterback — and just think of the names on that list — to start his career. 

WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS (10-8)

KEY WIN: 17-16 WIN OVER SASKATCHEWAN IN WEEK 20

The Blue Bombers have played in the last five Grey Cups, so you will be forgiven for thinking they’re an automatic contender under head coach Mike O’Shea. The 2025 season proved more challenging for Winnipeg, and the Blue Bombers didn’t clinch a playoff spot until they squeaked out a 17-16 win over the Saskatchewan Roughriders in Week 20. After the game, quarterback Zach Collaros said he didn’t like anything his team did on offence. The defence pulled it out, holding the Riders to just 169 yards of net offence.

PLAYER OR UNIT THAT STEPPED UP: BRADY OLIVEIRA

In an up and down year for Winnipeg, running back Brady Oliveira delivered his usual brilliance through 15 appearances with 201 carries for 1,163 yards. His average of 5.8 yards per carry gives the Bombers a chance on every possession and his 546 receiving yards make him the ultimate duel threat. He is Winnipeg’s nominee for Most Outstanding Player and Most Outstanding Canadian for the third year in a row.

SIGNATURE STAT: FEWEST OFFENSIVE POINTS ALLOWED (385)

The Bombers allowed just 385 offensive points this season, which makes their defence the stingiest in the land by that measure for an average of just 21.4 points against per game. If Winnipeg advances as the crossover team in the East, the defence will almost surely lead the way.

Source: CFL.ca