The start of another exciting season in the Canadian Football League is quickly approaching, as teams will get their campaigns underway on June 9th. Last season’s champions the Winnipeg Blue Bombers will be looking to successfully defend the Grey Cup that they won in December, but there are a number of sides that will be gunning for the top prize this year.
Rae Daver has already looked ahead to the new season, and examined the Canadian online sports betting markets to pick out some of the teams that could be in contention for the top prize this year. But, what should all fans be aware of before the season gets underway?
2022 CFL Dates & Post-Season
This season will be the 64th Canadian Football League campaign, and will be the 68th overall in the history of Canadian Football. Fans won’t have to wait much longer before the season gets underway this year, as the CFL’s first fixture in 2022 will be played on June 9th. The regular season will consist of 21 weeks, with each team playing on 18 occasions to determine the sides that will make it through to the playoffs.
The top three teams from the respective West and East Divisions will make it through to the playoffs, with the division semifinals and finals taking place in early November. Teams will be looking for the best possible finish in the standings to ensure the easiest passage through to the Grey Cup, which will be played on November 20th at the Mosaic Stadium in Regina this year. Regina will be hosting the Grey Cup for the third time this year, with their first hosting responsibilities coming back in 1995.
West Division Contenders
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
The West Division will once again be the place to find the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, who will be looking for a third straight honour this year. They were denied the chance to win the title in 2020 after the season was canceled due to the outbreak of COVID-19. However, they regained the title that they won in 2019 after beating the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 2021, as they overcame the challenge posed by the same rivals, winning 33-25 at Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton.
Winnipeg are the clear favourites in the betting to continue their dominant record in the division and Grey Cup this season, as they look to reach the final of the playoffs for a record-extending 27th time. The pressure will be on head coach Mike O’Shea this year to ensure that he gets the best out of his players.
Saskatchewan Roughriders
Saskatchewan Roughriders look to have prepared for the season the best out of the leading contenders in the West, and are the second favourites to win the title this year. They finished last season in second place in the regular season, having recorded a record of 9-5.
They narrowly missed out on reaching the Grey Cup last season after losing in the division final. The Roughriders will be looking for a first Grey Cup since 2013 this season, and will be hoping to push the Blue Bombers close.
East Division Contenders
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats have come close to landing a fatal blow in the Grey Cup against the Blue Bombers in the last two editions of the tournament. Last year would have been a huge disappointment for them, as they were eventually beaten in overtime by the Blue Bombers 33-25. They will be looking to get back on track this season, and positives certainly would have been taken from their performances last campaign.
Hamilton eased through the playoffs in the East, beating the Montreal Alouettes 23-12 in the semi-final, before overcoming the Toronto Argonauts in the final. There is a feeling that this could be their last chance saloon with this crop of players after reaching the Grey Cup on four occasions in the past eight editions before losing in the final.
Toronto Argonauts
There was a feeling around the Toronto Argonauts that they were the team to beat in the East Division last season. They topped the standings at the end of the regular season, winning nine of the 14 games that they played. Toronto were excellent throughout the regular season, but that form deserted them when the playoffs got underway.
As table-toppers, they immediately qualified for the division finals, but were undone in the game against the Tiger-Cats, losing 27-19. Learning from the lessons of last season will be essential this term, as they look to win the Grey Cup for the 18th occasion, and for the first time since 2017. However, whichever side progresses from the East Division will have an almighty challenge overhauling the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
Off Field Action
Clearly, it’s going to be an exciting season of football in the CFL but the action won’t all be on the field. Canada recently shifted sports betting regulations to allow for single game wagering. This will undoubtedly change the game in the Canadian sports betting markets. Will it also draw more fans to watch the action on the field? It remains to be seen but hard to imagine it won’t.
