Grey Cup Notes: Can the Elks complete fairy tale season against Alouettes?

The Division Finals recap

East Final: Winnipeg Blue Bombers at Montreal Alouettes: 

The East-leading Montreal Alouettes showed no rust following their bye week, jumping out to a 13-0 lead by the 18:45 mark. Zach Collaros and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers fought back, narrowing the gap to three points and trailing 23-26 with 10:18 remaining in the fourth quarter. The Bombers’ defence held firm, forcing a punt to give their offence the ball back. The Winnipeg offence then marched the ball six plays from their own 23-yard line to the Montreal 30, poised to tie or take the lead. However, Alouettes linebacker Tyrice Beverette made the play of the game, forcing a fumble by Collaros and recovering it at the Montreal 34-yard line with 3:28 left. The Als’ offence took over, orchestrated an eight-play, 76-yard drive that took 2:33 off the clock, and extended their lead to two scores following a 21-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Snead. With this victory, the Alouettes are crowned East Champions and head to their fourth Grey Cup in Calgary (following a 1975 loss to Edmonton, a 2000 loss to BC, and a 2009 victory over the Riders).

West Semi Final: BC Lions at Edmonton Elks: 

The worst-to-first Edmonton Elks opened the game with back-to-back field goals for a 6-0 lead. The visiting BC Lions struck back with three field goals in the second quarter, heading into the locker room at halftime with a 9-6 lead. True to the Elks’ script all season, the team made critical halftime adjustments to dominate the second half. Edmonton forced the Lions to punt on their first two possessions while scoring on every second-half drive, except when running out the clock at the end of the game, securing their path to their 24th Grey Cup appearance. Below are the five key plays that defined the game:

• 5) 3rd Quarter: Play 82 Edm 2/10 at E48: Cody Fajardo drops back to pass and finds nothing available and scramble 29 yards to the B33. The gain is fantastic but what is outstanding, there are 2 receivers that make subtle blocks that create a crease for Fajardo. It sets up a 35 yd Blanchard FG that ties the game at 9 and the Elks momentum builds.
• 4) 4th Quarter: Play 133 BC 1/10 at E30: There is 2:45 left in the game. The Lions come out of a timeout and take a procedure penalty. Why? There were 40,000 plus fans making noise and making a difference. The home crowd showed up for this game and did their job.
• 3) 4th Quarter: Play 121 Edm 2/2 at B23: The Elks are up by 3 pts and are facing a 2nd and 2. The Lions need a stop and bring defenders into the box. The Elks show run, keep both slot receivers into block, Lions bring the heat, the Elks run play action and with 2 receivers in the pattern, a QB on his back, Fajardo finds Mack for a 23 yd TD that will be etched in Edmonton football history.
• 2) 4th Quarter: Play 126 BC 3/10 at E47: The Lions are down by 9 and have 5:31 to salvage their season. Rourke completes a 9 yd pass to McInnis that would be short but Joel Dublanko, who has been flying around the entire game, forces a fumble and JJ Ross returns the loose ball 62 yds to the BC 10 yd line. This sets up a 27 yd Blanchard FG for an Elks 12 point lead
• 1) 3rd Quarter: Play 75 BC 2/inches at E43: It is BC’s first drive of the 2nd half. They are up by 3 points. They just moved the ball 33 yds in 5 plays. Instead of falling forward and keep the drive going, they look at taking a ‘free’ play but the Elks defence and Malik Carney sack Rourke for an 8 yd loss. The Lions punt the ball away and the E-train starts rolling down the track.

2026 GREY CUP – Calgary, Alta. November 15, 2026  – Montreal Alouettes vs Edmonton Elks

The History: The storied rivalry is rekindled. When these two teams meet, they often face off for the Grey Cup in bunches. Edmonton bested the Alouettes in 1954, 1955, and 1956, before they clashed again in 1974, 1975, 1977, 1978, and 1979. They later met for titles in 2002, 2003, and 2005. Many of us recall the legends of the 1950s dynasty, featuring Montreal’s high-flying passing attack led by Sam Etcheverry against the Eskimos’ ground-and-pound machine of Jackie Parker, Johnny Bright, and Normie Kwong. In those days, teams traveled by train, players competed on both sides of the ball, and the Most Outstanding Player award — sponsored by a Canadian distillery — was still lovingly referred to as “The Schenley.” Edmonton secured their first Grey Cup in 1954, sealed by Jackie Parker’s iconic 90-yard fumble return and Bob Dean’s game-winning convert.

Edmonton’s next era of dominance began in the 1970s with their “Decade of Excellence,” appearing in nine Grey Cups over ten years (1973–82). They faced the Alouettes in five of those nine contests, winning in 1975, 1978, and 1979. The 1975 championship, held in this year’s host city of Calgary, is remembered for its bitter cold, a memorable streaker, and a low scoring one-point finish.

Fast forward to the early 2000s, and the rivalry reached a fever pitch in a series of quarterback battles. Edmonton was led by the tandem of Ricky Ray and Jason Maas, while Montreal boasted the passing prowess of Anthony Calvillo. Those three meetings became instant classics, with the Eskimos claiming victory in two of the three matchups.

The Strategic Matchup – Montreal Offence vs Elks Defence:

The Alouettes’ offence is led by the CFL Most Outstanding Player, Davis Alexander, the league’s top receiver and Most Outstanding Canadian, Tyson Philpot, and the CFL’s second-leading receiver, Tyler Snead. The Elks counter with the league’s top-ranked defence, boasting playmakers across the defensive line, linebackers, and secondary. As ElksNation’s Eddie Steele often notes, “defence travels” and “defence wins championships.” Statistically, the CFL’s Most Outstanding Player has appeared in 38 Grey Cups, winning 16, while the Most Outstanding Canadian has appeared in 31, winning 13.

The Strategic Matchup – Edmonton Offence vs Alouettes Defence:

The Elks are led by former Alouettes Cody Fajardo and Austin Mack. Fajardo enjoyed a career year, while Mack quietly amassed 1,254 receiving yards. Last week, the duo connected for the most significant touchdown since Edmonton rebranded as the Elks. Additionally, the Elks feature the CFL’s second-leading rusher, Justin Rankin. While his 1,170 rushing yards ranked second overall, his 11 runs of 20-plus yards were a league-best, three of which came against the Alouettes. Montreal’s third-ranked defence will look to contain them, led by Geoffrey Cantin-Arku, Tyrice Beverette, and Lorenzo Burns.

The Strategic Matchup – Special Teams:The Elks have the West Division All-Star Punter, Jake Julien and Place-Kicker, Vincent Blanchard while the Alouettes have #2 ranked place-kicker Jose Maltos and veteran punter Joseph Zema. Both return games rank in the later half in league rankings but both teams have the potential to break the game open for either team.

Elks-Alouettes Head-to-Head Statistical Matchup

These two teams have been on top all year long. It doesn’t surprise anyone that they are facing off for the League’s biggest prize. When looking on paper, it is not hard to notice the both teams leadership leads back to a proud Eskimo franchise of the past that held itself to higher than a platinum standard but a Green-and-Gold standard. This Grey Cup is closing out a CFL tradition of East vs West but don’t be surprised if you see this Edmonton vs. Montreal rivalry for the next bunch of years.