1966 CFL season

1966 CFL season
1966 CFL season
Regular season
Duration	June – October, 1966
Playoffs
Start date	November 6, 1966
East Champions	Ottawa Rough Riders
West Champions	Saskatchewan Roughriders
54th Grey Cup
Date	November 26, 1966
Site	Empire Stadium, Vancouver
Champions	Saskatchewan Roughriders

The 1966 CFL season was the Canadian Football League's ninth season since the 1958 merger of the Interprovincial Rugby Football Union and the Western Interprovincial Football Union to create a national league. It was the 13th season in modern-day Canadian football.

CFL news in 1966[]

The Canadian Football League made several rule changes. The league started to legalize unlimited blocking on rushing plays and introduced their new goose-necked goal posts. The league rewrote its rule book and reduced it in size.

The Canadian Rugby Union, owners of the trophy, granted trusteeship of the Grey Cup to the Canadian Football League in exchange for annual financial support for amateur football.

One of the more notable games of the regular season was Montreal's 1–0 victory over Ottawa, the lowest scoring game in CFL history, and only the second 1–0 game since a 1949 win by Winnipeg over Calgary in the WIFU.^[1]

Regular season standings[]

Note: GP = Games Played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PF = Points For, PA = Points Against, Pts = Points

**Western Football Conference**
Team	GP	W	L	T	PF	PA	Pts
Saskatchewan Roughriders	16	9	6	1	351	318	19
Winnipeg Blue Bombers	16	8	7	1	264	230	17
Edmonton Eskimos	16	6	9	1	251	328	13
Calgary Stampeders	16	6	9	1	227	459	13
BC Lions	16	5	11	0	254	269	10

**Eastern Football Conference**
Team	GP	W	L	PF	PA	Pts
Ottawa Rough Riders	14	11	3	278	177	22
Hamilton Tiger-Cats	14	9	5	264	160	18
Montreal Alouettes	14	7	7	156	215	14
Toronto Argonauts	14	5	9	166	271	10

Bold text means that they have clinched the playoffs.
Saskatchewan and Ottawa have first round byes.

Grey Cup playoffs[]

Note: All dates in 1966

Conference semi-finals[]

**Western Semi-Finals**
Edmonton Eskimos @ Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Date	Away	Home
November 6	Edmonton Eskimos 8	Winnipeg Blue Bombers 16

**Eastern Semi-Finals**
Montreal Alouettes @ Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Date	Away	Home
November 6	Montreal Alouettes 14	Hamilton Tiger-Cats 24

Conference finals[]

**Western Finals**
Winnipeg Blue Bombers vs Saskatchewan Roughriders
Game	Date	Away	Home
1	November 13	Winnipeg Blue Bombers 7	Saskatchewan Roughriders 14
2	November 16	Saskatchewan Roughriders 22	Winnipeg Blue Bombers 19
Saskatchewan wins the best of three series 2–0

**Eastern Finals**
Ottawa Rough Riders vs Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Game	Date	Away	Home
1	November 13	Ottawa Rough Riders 30	Hamilton Tiger-Cats 1
2	November 19	Hamilton Tiger-Cats 16	Ottawa Rough Riders 42
Ottawa won 2 game total-point series 72–17

Playoff bracket[]

Division Semifinals

Division Finals

54th Grey Cup

E1

Ottawa Rough Riders

72
(30+42)

E2

Hamilton Tiger Cats

24

E2

Hamilton Tiger Cats

17
(1+16)

E3

Montreal Alouettes

14

E1

Ottawa Rough Riders

14

W1

Saskatchewan Roughriders

29

W1

Saskatchewan Roughriders

2
(14,21)

W2

Winnipeg Blue Bombers

16

W2

Winnipeg Blue Bombers

0
(7,19)

W3

Edmonton Eskimos

8

^[2]

Grey Cup Championship[]

November 26 54th Annual Grey Cup Game: Empire Stadium – Vancouver, British Columbia
Western Champion	Eastern Champion
Saskatchewan Roughriders 29	Ottawa Rough Riders 14
The Saskatchewan Roughriders are the 1966 Grey Cup Champions

CFL Leaders[]

CFL Passing Leaders
CFL Rushing Leaders
CFL Receiving Leaders^[3]

1966 CFL All-Stars[]

Offence[]

QB – Russ Jackson, Ottawa Rough Riders
RB – George Reed, Saskatchewan Roughriders
RB – Jim Thomas, Edmonton Eskimos
RB – Dave Raimey, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
SE – Jim Worden, Saskatchewan Roughriders
TE – Tommy Joe Coffey, Edmonton Eskimos
F – Hugh Campbell, Saskatchewan Roughriders
C – Ted Urness, Saskatchewan Roughriders
OG – Al Benecick, Saskatchewan Roughriders
OG – Chuck Walton, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
OT – Bill Frank, Toronto Argonauts
OT – Frank Rigney, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
OT – Clyde Brock, Saskatchewan Roughriders

Defence[]

DT – John Barrow, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
DT – Don Luzzi, Calgary Stampeders
DE – Billy Ray Locklin, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
DE – E. A. Sims, Edmonton Eskimos
LB – Wayne Harris, Calgary Stampeders
LB – Phil Minnick, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
LB – Ken Lehmann, Ottawa Rough Riders
LB – Jim Conroy, Ottawa Rough Riders
DB – Gene Gaines, Ottawa Rough Riders
DB – Garney Henley, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
DB – Marv Luster, Toronto Argonauts
DB – Ed Ulmer, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
DB – Joe Poirier, Ottawa Rough Riders

1966 Eastern All-Stars[]

Offence[]

QB – Russ Jackson, Ottawa Rough Riders
RB – Don Lisbon, Montreal Alouettes
RB – Bo Scott, Ottawa Rough Riders
RB – Dave Thelen, Toronto Argonauts
TE – Ted Watkins, Ottawa Rough Riders
SE – Hal Patterson, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
F – Whit Tucker, Ottawa Rough Riders
C – Doug Specht, Ottawa Rough Riders
OG – Tony Pajaczkowski, Montreal Alouettes
OG – Chuck Walton, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
OT – Bill Frank, Toronto Argonauts
OT – Moe Racine, Ottawa Rough Riders

Defence[]

DT – John Barrow, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
DT – Angelo Mosca, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
DE – Billy Ray Locklin, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
DE – Billy Joe Booth, Ottawa Rough Riders
LB – Wilbert Scott, Montreal Alouettes
LB – Ken Lehmann, Ottawa Rough Riders
LB – Jim Conroy, Ottawa Rough Riders
DB – Gene Gaines, Ottawa Rough Riders
DB – Garney Henley, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
DB – Marv Luster, Toronto Argonauts
DB – Ed Learn, Montreal Alouettes
DB – Joe Poirier, Ottawa Rough Riders

1966 Western All-Stars[]

Offence[]

QB – Ron Lancaster, Saskatchewan Roughriders
RB – George Reed, Saskatchewan Roughriders
RB – Jim Thomas, Edmonton Eskimos
RB – Dave Raimey, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
SE – Jim Worden, Saskatchewan Roughriders
TE – Tommy Joe Coffey, Edmonton Eskimos
F – Hugh Campbell, Saskatchewan Roughriders
C – Ted Urness, Saskatchewan Roughriders
OG – Al Benecick, Saskatchewan Roughriders
OG – Jack Abendschan, Saskatchewan Roughriders
OG – Tom Hinton, BC Lions
OT – Frank Rigney, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
OT – Clyde Brock, Saskatchewan Roughriders

Defence[]

DT – Mike Cacic, BC Lions
DT – Don Luzzi, Calgary Stampeders
DE – Garner Ekstran, Saskatchewan Roughriders
DE – E. A. Sims, Edmonton Eskimos
LB – Wayne Harris, Calgary Stampeders
LB – Phil Minnick, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
LB – Wayne Shaw, Saskatchewan Roughriders
DB – Jerry Keeling, Calgary Stampeders
DB – Bob Kosid, Saskatchewan Roughriders
DB – Ernie Pitts, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
DB – Ed Ulmer, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
DB – Bill Redell, Edmonton Eskimos

1966 CFL Awards[]

CFL's Most Outstanding Player Award – Russ Jackson (QB), Ottawa Rough Riders
CFL's Most Outstanding Canadian Award – Russ Jackson (QB), Ottawa Rough Riders
CFL's Most Outstanding Lineman Award – Wayne Harris (LB), Calgary Stampeders
CFL's Coach of the Year – Frank Clair, Ottawa Rough Riders
Jeff Russel Memorial Trophy (Eastern MVP) – Gene Gaines (DB), Ottawa Rough Riders
Jeff Nicklin Memorial Trophy (Western MVP) - Ron Lancaster (QB), Saskatchewan Roughriders
Gruen Trophy (Eastern Rookie of the Year) - Mike Wadsworth (DL), Toronto Argonauts
Dr. Beattie Martin Trophy (Western Rookie of the Year) - Garry Lefebvre (WR/P), Edmonton Eskimos
DeMarco–Becket Memorial Trophy (Western Outstanding Lineman) - Wayne Harris (LB), Calgary Stampeders

References[]

^ "Als Slip By Riders 1-0, Tie Record Low". Montreal Gazette. October 31, 1966. p. 25.
^ "1966".
^ "CFLapedia".

[1] "Als Slip By Riders 1-0, Tie Record Low". Montreal Gazette. October 31, 1966. p. 25.

[2] "1966".

[3] "CFLapedia".

[1]

[2]

[3]

v t 1966 CFL season by team
Western	BC Calgary Saskatchewan
Eastern	Ottawa Toronto
See also	1966 CFL Draft 54th Grey Cup