10 things we learned after OK Tire Labour Day Weekend

Now that the blur that was OK Tire Labour Day Weekend — featuring two finishes that were absolutely bananas — has faded into the near past, we can regroup and get ready for what’s ahead by taking a sober second look back to glean some things from this year’s versions of those three traditional holiday games.

Here are 10 things we learned from the Labour Day clashes.

18 SECONDS IS ENOUGH

“It would take a bit of a miracle for the Argos to win this now,” I said to my wife, just as the Hamilton Tiger-Cats lined up to kick off after taking a 33-32 lead over Toronto.

Turns out that 18 seconds is enough, but only if you get a decent run back and the aforementioned miracle, which Toronto did on a circus catch from receiver Dejon Brissett, which took them from the Toronto 44-yard line to the Hamilton four.

THE EAST IS UP FOR GRABS

Not sure of Toronto has climbed back enough to be considered a threat for first in the East, but after Hamilton lost its third game in a row, the Montreal Alouettes — two points back and with a home game against the ‘Cats on Saturday — certainly are. We await further developments.

THE WEST REMAINS THAT WAY ALSO

If Winnipeg had come all the way back to win in Regina on Labour Day Weekend, boy-howdy, we’d have had a three-way tussle for top spot to look forward to. That’s still not completely out of the question but what we do know is that we definitely have, at least, a very intriguing two-way sprint for top spot to look forward to this fall. Here again we await further developments.

LOOKS LIKE THEY GOTTA PROVE SOMETHING TO THE COACH

Asked if their gut-wrenching loss to Toronto would be motivating for his team going ahead, Hamilton head coach Scott Milanovich said “If we’re winners it’ll be motivating.” We’ll see what the Ticats come up with in their biggie in Montreal on Saturday.

CONFIRMED: CODY IS A TOUGH SON OF A GUN

Edmonton quarterback Cody Fajardo really did get belted around by that Calgary defence. Time and time again the veteran pivot was punished by that very physical Stampeders’ D and he kept on coming back into the Edmonton huddle. In fact, Fajardo trotted back out for his team’s final series, with just seconds on the clock and the outcome already long decided.

HE CAN STILL WRITE FOOTBALL POETRY

If Winnipeg quarterback Zach Collaros, at the age of 37, isn’t the same swashbuckling artist he was when he was 27, that’s okay. What football player is? But he still provides beautiful gridiron lyrics often enough and that is exactly what his rolling to the right, touchdown strike to Nic Demski was.

CARNEY IS CRANKED UP

Saskatchewan defensive lineman Malik Carney has been having a very good season in 2025, and his Labour Day Weekend performance — two sacks, a forced fumble and a recovery, three tackles including a tackle for a loss — should have him now squarely in the group at the forefront of Most Outstanding Defensive Player discussions.

THAT GUY TOO

Calgary linebacker Jacob Roberts had a stellar Labour Day game against Edmonton, totalling nine defensive tackles, another on specials, and picking up a sack and a forced fumble too. He’s been talked about as a breakout player of the year and that is true. He has continually been breaking out in 2025. But maybe it’s time to elevate him into a higher conversation, the one that Malik Carney is already in.

IT SEEMS SAFE TO CALL HIM ‘TOUCHDOWN JAKE’ NOW

With two more touchdown catches against Hamilton, Argo receiver Jake Herslow is habitually celebrating sixes on a week in, week out basis. Jake Wieneke was the most recent Touchdown Jake when he was scoring at will for the Montreal Alouettes a few seasons back, but now the title is Herslow’s.

I GUESS WE CAN SAY THERE’S ALWAYS ROOM FOR MORE

Both the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Hamilton Ticats had sold out regular season home games before but there’s always room to bring a few more in, it turns out. In Regina, the ‘Riders set a Mosaic regular season attendance record with 34,234 in the building while the Ticats set a new standard for Hamilton Stadium with 25,619 on hand. While those classics are usually exceptionally well attended, setting records for attendance tells you just how excited those two sets of fans are about the season their teams have been having in 2025.

10 things we learned after OK Tire Labour Day Weekend

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