1948 in Canadian football

Canadian Football News in 1948

The WIFU increased their games from 8 to 12 games per team.

The Hamilton Tigers, formerly of the IRFU joined the ORFU, and the Hamilton Wildcats joined the IRFU on Friday, April 9.

The Regina/Saskatchewan Roughriders and the Calgary Stampeders changed their team colours. The Roughriders adopted green and white and the Stampeders reverted to red and white.

In the Grey Cup game, the Stampeders introduced pageantry with saddle horses and chuck wagons as they defeated the Ottawa Rough Riders 12–7 to win their first Grey Cup.

Regular season

Final regular season standings

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

Western Interprovincial Football Union

Team	GP	W	L	T	PF	PA	Pts
Calgary Stampeders	12	12	0	0	218	61	24
Regina Roughriders	12	3	9	0	133	137	6
Winnipeg Blue Bombers	12	3	9	0	81	234	6

Interprovincial Rugby Football Union

Team	GP	W	L	T	PF	PA	Pts
Ottawa Rough Riders	12	10	2	0	264	130	20
Montreal Alouettes	12	7	5	0	221	172	14
Toronto Argonauts	12	5	6	1	160	191	11
Hamilton Wildcats	12	1	10	1	88	240	3

Ontario Rugby Football Union

Team	GP	W	L	T	PF	PA	Pts
Hamilton Tigers	9	9	0	0	279	54	18
Toronto Beaches-Indians	9	5	4	0	124	86	10
Sarnia Imperials	9	3	5	1	72	130	7
Windsor Rockets	9	0	8	1	40	245	1

• Bold text means that they have clinched the playoffs.

Grey Cup playoffs

Note: All dates in 1948

Finals

WIFU Finals – Game 1

Calgary Stampeders @ Regina Roughriders
Date	Away	Home
November 6	Calgary Stampeders 4	Regina Roughriders 4

WIFU Finals – Game 2

Regina Roughriders @ Calgary Stampeders
Date	Away	Home
November 11	Regina Roughriders 6	Calgary Stampeders 17

• Calgary won the total-point series by 21–10. The Stampeders will advance to the Grey Cup game.

ORFU Finals – Game 1

Hamilton Tigers @ Toronto Beaches-Indians
Date	Away	Home
November 5	Hamilton Tigers 8	Toronto Beaches-Indians 0

ORFU Finals – Game 2

Toronto Beaches-Indians @ Hamilton Tigers
Date	Away	Home
November 13	Toronto Beaches-Indians 1	Hamilton Tigers 31

• Hamilton won the total-point series by 39–1. The Tigers will play the Ottawa Rough Riders in the Eastern finals.

IRFU Finals – Game 1

Montreal Alouettes @ Ottawa Rough Riders
Date	Away	Home
November 11	Montreal Alouettes 21	Ottawa Rough Riders 19

IRFU Finals – Game 2

Ottawa Rough Riders @ Montreal Alouettes
Date	Away	Home
November 13	Ottawa Rough Riders 15	Montreal Alouettes 7

• Ottawa won the total-point series by 34–28. The Rough Riders will play the Hamilton Tigers in the Eastern finals.

Eastern Finals

Hamilton Tigers @ Ottawa Rough Riders
Date	Away	Home
November 20	Hamilton Tigers 0	Ottawa Rough Riders 19

• The Ottawa Rough Riders will advance to the Grey Cup game.

Playoff bracket

Quarterfinals

Semifinals

Grey Cup final

IRFU

Ottawa Rough Riders

19-15

IRFU

Montreal Alouettes

21-7

IRFU

Ottawa Rough Riders

19

EAST

ORFU

Hamilton Tigers

0

ORFU

Hamilton Tigers

8-31

ORFU

Toronto Balmy Beach

0-0

IRFU

Ottawa Rough Riders

7

WIFU

Calgary Stampeders

12

WIFU

No quarter final

WIFU

Calgary Stampeders

4-17

WEST

WIFU

Regina Roughriders

4-6

WIFU

No quarter final

Grey Cup Championship

November 27 36th Annual Grey Cup Game: Varsity Stadium – Toronto, Ontario
WIFU Champion	IRFU Champion
Calgary Stampeders 12	Ottawa Rough Riders 7
The Calgary Stampeders are the 1948 Grey Cup Champions

It was the first Grey Cup win for Calgary after the team became the first (and still only) team to go undefeated in the regular season and playoffs.

1948 Eastern (Interprovincial Rugby Football Union) All-Stars

NOTE: During this time most players played both ways, so the All-Star selections do not distinguish between some offensive and defensive positions.

• QB – Bob Paffrath, Ottawa Rough Riders
• HB – Howie Turner, Ottawa Rough Riders
• HB – Virgil Wagner, Montreal Alouettes
• HB – Joe Krol, Toronto Argonauts
• E – Bert Haigh, Ottawa Rough Riders
• E – Ralph Toohy, Montreal Alouettes
• FW – Tony Golab, Hamilton Wildcats
• C – Don Loney, Ottawa Rough Riders
• G – Eddie Michaels, Ottawa Rough Riders
• G – Lloyd "Bronco" Reese, Montreal Alouettes
• T – Herb Trawick, Montreal Alouettes
• T – John Wagoner, Ottawa Rough Riders

1948 Ontario Rugby Football Union All-Stars

NOTE: During this time most players played both ways, so the All-Star selections do not distinguish between some offensive and defensive positions.

• QB – Frank Filchock, Hamilton Tigers
• HB – Jack Harper, Hamilton Tigers
• HB – Jack Stewart, Hamilton Tigers
• DB – Doug Pyzer, Toronto Beaches-Indians
• E – Verne Picard, Toronto Beaches-Indians
• E – Danny DiFrancisco, Hamilton Tigers
• FW – Gerry Walsh, Hamilton Tigers
• C – Jake Gaudaur, Hamilton Tigers
• G – Don McKenzie, Toronto Beaches-Indians
• G – Eddie Remigis, Hamilton Tigers
• T – Pat Santucci, Hamilton Tigers
• T – Lorne Parkin, Toronto Beaches-Indians

1948 Western (Western Interprovincial Football Union) All-Stars

NOTE: During this time most players played both ways, so the All-Star selections do not distinguish between some offensive and defensive positions.

• QB – Keith Spaith, Calgary Stampeders
• HB – Don Hiney, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
• HB – Ken Charlton, Saskatchewan Roughriders
• HB – Gabe Patterson, Saskatchewan Roughriders
• FB – Paul Rowe, Calgary Stampeders
• E – Johnny Bell, Saskatchewan Roughriders
• E – Woody Strode, Calgary Stampeders
• C – Chuck Anderson, Calgary Stampeders
• G – Bud Irving, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
• G – Bert Iannone, Calgary Stampeders
• G – Dave Tomlinson, Calgary Stampeders
• T – Johnny Aguirre, Calgary Stampeders
• T – Mike Cassidy, Saskatchewan Roughriders

1948 Canadian Football Awards

• Jeff Russel Memorial Trophy (IRFU MVP) – Eric Chipper (OT), Ottawa Rough Riders
• Jeff Nicklin Memorial Trophy (WIFU MVP) - Keith Spaith (QB), Calgary Stampeders
• Gruen Trophy (IRFU Rookie of the Year) - Keith English (E), Montreal Alouettes
• Imperial Oil Trophy (ORFU MVP) - Frank Filchock - Hamilton Tigers