Inside the CFL: Recent suspension of CFL reminiscent of WWI

By GRAHAM KELLY on November 10, 2021.

Due to COVID, the CFL cancelled the 2020 season, meaning the Calgary Stampeders who were born in 1945, are actually playing their 75th season this year.

The only other time play was suspended including the Grey Cup, was 1916 through 1919 because of the First World War. It was a different story during World War II when the Grey Cup was contested without interruption. Teams comprised of members of the Armed Forces played for the treasured trophy in 1942, ’43 and ’44.

Canada declared war against Germany Sept. 10, 1939. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers finished first in the West with a record of 10-2 and then knocked off the Calgary Bronks in the division final. They beat Ottawa 8-7 to win their second Grey Cup.

The Eastern-dominated Canadian Rugby Union was dismayed that a Western upstart had won the Cup for a second time and were determined it wouldn’t happened again. They disqualified the Western Conference from Grey Cup competition and staged the only two-game total point series for the championship in 1940 between Ottawa and the Ontario Rugby Football Union Sarnia Imperials. Ottawa won the round 20-7. With the gate receipts the lowest in the history of the event, saner heads prevailed with the West allowed in the following year. Winnipeg defeated Ottawa 18-16. Because most young athletes in the country were fighting the war, the Western Interprovincial Football Union and eastern Big Four suspended operations. Football was played by service teams as well as the Hamilton Flying Wildcats. Considered good for morale on the home front, competition for the Grey and Stanley Cups continued through the war. The divisions resumed operations with abbreviated schedules in the autumn of 1945.

In 1942, the Winnipeg RCAF Bombers were to meet the Toronto RCAF Hurricanes on December 12. But the Air Force had ruled their teams couldn’t play after Dec. 1. Under considerable pressure the Air Force compromised and the big game took place Dec. 5. The home team defeated the Westerners 8-5. Toronto was coached by Lew Hayman who won his fourth Cup and is tied with Frank Clair, Don Matthews, Wally Buono and Hugh Campbell with five Grey Cup victories.

In the late Gord Walker’s book “Grey Cup Tradition” published on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the Cup, he quotes Hurricane player Don Durno who said it was the truly last amateur team to play for the Grey Cup. His season’s ‘salary’ consisted of $15, two pounds of butter and one pound of tea.

In 1943, the Winnipeg RCAF Bombers returned to the big game after defeating a Regina all-services team. Their opponent was a non-service aggregation, the Hamilton Flying Wildcats, led by one of the greatest to ever play the Canadian game, Joe Krol from Windsor, Ont. who was in his rookie campaign.

His team was formed in 1942. They had an advantage in recruiting and keeping players. Years ago, Kroll told me, “We didn’t have any problems keeping a team together. We were all working in the wartime plants, and we were playing mostly service teams. The calibre of play wasn’t as good because most of the good ballplayers were in the service all over the country and overseas.”

Some would dispute his analysis of the quality of play. Winnipeg’s Ches McCance, Hamiltonian Jake Gaudaur, Kroll and Lew Hayman are in the Hall of Fame. The Winnipeg service team dominated the 1943 championship game in every category except the scoreboard with Hamilton prevailing 23-14. Kroll was a one-man wrecking crew.

Western gridirons were deserted in 1944. Down east, dropping their Flying sobriquet, the Hamilton Wildcats played HMCS Stadacona of St. Hyacinthe, losing 7-6. The Navy champion was actually Toronto HMCS York who obeyed the rule that a service team couldn’t play a civilian team for the rest of the war. Donnaconas pleaded ignorance of the regulation and kept the Cup despite the Commander of the RCN asking the Canadian Rugby Union to ignore the victory and give the Cup back. The CRU refused.

Football was also played overseas. There were long stretches where the Canadian Army sat idle in England and looked for ways to relieve the monotony. Some organized teams. Football games were staged between different regiments as well as against the Americans. Too many never lived to play again.