Alouettes: the history of conquests

After a 13-year drought, the Montreal Alouettes are preparing to play their first Gray Cup game.

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The Belle Province team will face the Winnipeg Blue Bombers this Sunday for the top honors of the 2023 campaign. To get into the swing of things, here is the story of the seven conquests in the history of the Montreal organization:

1949

The Alouettes’ first victory came in the 37th game of the Gray Cup. It was also a first participation in the final game of a CFL season for the franchise which was only four seasons old. It was founded by Léo Dandurand, Eric Cradock and renowned trainer Lew Hayman in 1946.

With a 12-8 record, the “Als” finished second in the Interprovincial Rugby Football Union, the ancestor of the Eastern section. The Sparrows defeated the Ottawa Rough Riders during the first stage of the playoffs, which was a two-game home-and-away game. They then humiliated the Hamilton Tigers 40-0 in the sectional final.

The Montreal club’s first triumph was 28-15 against the Calgary Stampeders. It was in front of more than 20,000 spectators and Varsity Stadium in Toronto.

1970

Fans had to wait 21 years before seeing their favorites lift the big trophy a second time. In the meantime, the Alouettes have participated in the final three times. The 1970 victory was somewhat of a surprise, considering that the “Als” had missed the playoffs in the previous three campaigns and had finished third in their section during the regular season.

Led by head coach Sam Etcheverry, the Alouettes triumphed over the Stampeders 23 to 10. The match played at CNE Stadium in Toronto was marked by the disastrous condition of the field. It was the last Gray Cup game played on natural grass until the 1984 game.

This win in 1970 would mark the start of what is considered by many to be the best decade in the club’s history.

1974

The Alouettes’ third victory was again achieved against a team from Alberta, but this time at the expense of the Edmonton Eskimos.

The “Als” alternated between two quarterbacks during the 1974 campaign, Jimmy Jones and Sonny Wade. He was the first to get the start against Edmonton. Jones was not effective, however, and Wade replaced him in the second quarter, when the score was 7-0 in favor of the Eskimos. The Alouettes finally triumphed 20-7 and the pivot got his hands on his second title of MVP of the final, he who had also received this honor in 1970.

1977

The famous “Ice Bowl” of 1977 has remained etched in the collective imagination. Played at the Olympic Stadium in Montreal, the clash against the Eskimos resulted in a 41-6 victory for the Alouettes. However, it was once again the state of the ground that caught the attention.

Two days before the match, a snowstorm hit the Quebec metropolis. The groundskeepers used coarse salt to melt the snow, but the temperature dropped the next day and a layer of ice formed.

It was in particular thanks to the genius of defensive back Tony Proudfoot that the Alouettes had the best. The American thought about putting clips under his shoes to get better traction and he urged his teammates to do the same. This allowed the ‘Sparrows’ to have a considerable advantage and a domination of the crowd favorites ensued.

This is the Alouettes’ third and final championship in the 1970s, having participated in six Gray Cup games (1970, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1978 and 1979).

2002

After a name change to the Concordes (1982 to 1985), the disappearance of the team (1897 to 1995) and its return via a move 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, taking first place in the East Division with a 13-5-1 record. 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 followed two days later in the streets of Montreal. Around 250,000 people came to cheer their champions.

2009

Between the 2002 conquest and that of 2009, the Alouettes lost in the final on three occasions (2005, 2006 and 2008). In his second season at the helm of the team, head coach Mark Trestman helped his team maintain a 15-3 record and finish first in the East.

After crushing the British Columbia Lions 56-18 in the Eastern final, the “Als” managed an incredible comeback to win the final game 28-27 against the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

The West club led 27 to 11 with just under eight minutes left in the game. The Calvillo-led offense scored two touchdowns, including one made possible by a Jerald Brown interception. Trailing 27 to 25, the Alouettes got the ball for a final sequence with 1:45 left.

Several important catches followed, but victory was however at the end of Damon Duval’s foot. With five seconds on the clock, 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 did not miss his shot from 33 yards and thus allowed the Alouettes to win the sixth Gray Cup in their history.

2010

A year later, the same two teams met for a revenge-flavored match. The Alouettes triumphed again, this time by a score of 21 to 18. The Montreal club became the first CFL team to win two Gray Cup games in a row in 13 years.

This duel with a much less spectacular ending than the previous one was marked by the brilliant performance of receiver Jamel Richardson. The American had eight catches for 109 yards, earning the game’s MVP award.

This championship was the third and last of Calvillo’s career. He, Cahoon, Scott Flory and Anwar Steward are the four members of the team to have lifted 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 toppled the Regina Roughriders 22-0 on December 5, 1931 at State Percival-Molson. The amateur team existed from 1872 to 1936.

The second championship belongs to Navy St. Hyacinthe-Donnacona, an amateur club founded during World War II. The team which played its matches at the same place as the current edition of the “Als” won the precious trophy by beating the Hamilton Wildcats 7 to 6 on November 25, 1944, in Ontario.