112th Grey Cup Playoffs: Division Finals Recap
This year's Division Finals saw three of the four teams with an opportunity to move one win closer to ending a long drought
I've said this many times before, but I do love the last round before the final round in any sport, because when it gets to that round, things have become very real. In the NHL and NBA, it's the conference finals. In MLB, it's the League Championship Series. In the NFL, it's the Conference Championship, but north of the border in the Canadian Football League, it's the Division Finals. This year's Division Finals was interesting. Three of the four teams had long droughts and were looking to end them. A trip to Winnipeg was on the line for all four teams, and here's what took pace on Division Finals Saturday:
Hamilton, Ontario played host to this year's Eastern Final between the Montreal Alouettes and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, a matchup that was pretty much set in stone for months. This was a back-and-forth and low scoring affair; scoreless after one, but the home team was down 6-3 at halftime. It was so close that I had hope that we'd get OT in this thing, as it was tied at 16 very late. However, the Als did make it to field goal range, and that's what sealed it; a last second field goal for the Alouettes.
The Montreal Alouettes won it, 19-16, and they are off to Winnipeg. This will be the Als' second Grey Cup appearance in three years, having won the whole thing in 2023. As for the Tiger-Cats, the curse continues. They are the only team to have never won the Grey Cup in this century--their last championship came in 1999. Also, this marks three straight years that the home team has lost the Eastern Final. Wow!
Later on, the Western Final took place in Regina, Saskatchewan between the BC Lions and the Saskatchewan Roughriders, two teams with long droughts. The game was 1-0 Riders for a good bit, but the scoring would pick up quickly. The fourth quarter was the most explosive, as the Lions and Riders fought tooth and nail for that Western crown. A clutch drive by the Riders put them in the lead very late, and BC's chances of a game-tying drive went up in smoke, but their drought would not.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders won, 24-21, and are in the Grey Cup for the first time in 12 years. As for the Lions, I'll say this. Out of the nine teams in this league, there are only two who I have not seen win the Grey Cup since I started watching in 2013: the Tiger-Cats and the Lions. Both teams lost on Division Finals Weekend, and as for the Lions, they're the only team I have yet to see in the Grey Cup since I started watching the CFL; I've seen Hamilton in the big game four times since 2013.
And then there were two! The 112th Grey Cup is set in stone, and on Sunday, November 16, the Montreal Alouettes and the Saskatchewan Roughriders will face off for the CFL's top prize in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The Riders' last championship came in the very first Grey Cup I watched in 2013, and this year, they are going for their fifth Grey Cup in their long franchise history. As for the Alouettes, this is their second appearance in three years, and 2023 saw the Als victorious over the Blue Bombers. This year, the Als are going for Cup #9, and their second championship in three years.
The 2025 Canadian Football League season will come to a spectacular end on Sunday, November 16 with the 112th Grey Cup between the Alouettes and Roughriders in Winnipeg. In Canada, the game will air on TSN for English speakers, and RDS for French speakers. Here in the States, the 112th Grey Cup will air on CBS Sports Network, while viewers outside of those two countries will watch on CFL+. I am so amped for the Grey Cup this year, I just know it'll be nail-biting and exciting, and whoever wins will have absolutely earned it!
About the Creator
Clyde E. Dawkins
I'm a big sports fan, especially hockey, and I've been a fan of villainesses since I was eight! My favorite shows are The Simpsons and Family Guy, etc.
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