1952 in Canadian football

The Toronto Argonauts faced the Edmonton Eskimos in the Grey Cup. Although the Argos would hold on to win the game and their tenth Grey Cup championship, an Argo would not sip from the silver mug again until 1983.^[1]

Events in Canadian football in 1952

The Canadian Rugby Union received television revenue for the first time when it was paid $7,500 by CBC for the rights to televise the Grey Cup game. CBLT Toronto was the only station to carry the game live.

The WIFU increased their games to 16 per team.

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
Winnipeg Blue Bombers	16	12	3	1	394	211	25
Edmonton Eskimos	16	9	6	1	291	280	19
Calgary Stampeders	16	7	9	0	293	340	14
Saskatchewan Roughriders	16	3	13	0	216	363	6

**Interprovincial Rugby Football Union**
Team	GP	W	L	T	PF	PA	Pts
Hamilton Tiger-Cats	12	9	2	1	268	162	19
Toronto Argonauts	12	7	4	1	265	191	15
Ottawa Rough Riders	12	5	7	0	200	238	10
Montreal Alouettes	12	2	10	0	136	278	4

**Ontario Rugby Football Union**
Team	GP	W	L	PF	PA	Pts
Sarnia Imperials	12	11	1	312	68	22
Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers	11	8	3	215	156	16
Brantford Redskins	10	2	10	100	189	4
Windsor Royals	9	0	9	60	274	0

Bold text means that they have clinched the playoffs.
Winnipeg has a bye and will play in the WIFU Finals.
The last three Windsor Royals games were canceled, leading to an uneven number of games played. The Royals stopped competing in the ORFU after this season.

Grey Cup playoffs

Note: All dates in 1952

Semifinals

**WIFU semifinals – game 1**
Edmonton Eskimos @ Calgary Stampeders
Date	Away	Home
October 22	Edmonton Eskimos 12	Calgary Stampeders 31

**WIFU semifinals – game 2**
Calgary Stampeders @ Edmonton Eskimos
Date	Away	Home
October 25	Calgary Stampeders 7	Edmonton Eskimos 30

Edmonton won the total-point series by 42–38. The Eskimos will play the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the WIFU Finals.

Finals

**WIFU Finals – Game 1**
Winnipeg Blue Bombers @ Edmonton Eskimos
Date	Away	Home
November 1	Winnipeg Blue Bombers 28	Edmonton Eskimos 12

**WIFU Finals – Game 2**
Edmonton Eskimos @ Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Date	Away	Home
November 8	Edmonton Eskimos 18	Winnipeg Blue Bombers 12

**WIFU Finals – Game 3**
Edmonton Eskimos @ Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Date	Away	Home
November 11	Edmonton Eskimos 22	Winnipeg Blue Bombers 11

Edmonton wins the best of three series 2–1. The Eskimos will advance to the Grey Cup game.

**ORFU Finals – Game 1**
Sarnia Imperials @ Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers
Date	Away	Home
November 9	Sarnia Imperials 41	Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers 12

**ORFU Finals – Game 2**
Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers @ Sarnia Imperials
Date	Away	Home
November 15	Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers 7	Sarnia Imperials 24

Sarnia won the total-point series by 65–19. The Imperials will play the Toronto Argonauts in the Grey Cup semifinal.

**IRFU Finals – Game 1**
Toronto Argonauts @ Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Date	Away	Home
November 15	Toronto Argonauts 22	Hamilton Tiger-Cats 6

**IRFU Finals – Game 2**
Hamilton Tiger-Cats @ Toronto Argonauts
Date	Away	Home
November 19	Hamilton Tiger-Cats 27	Toronto Argonauts 11

**IRFU Finals – Game 3**
Toronto Argonauts @ Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Date	Away	Home
November 22	Toronto Argonauts 12	Hamilton Tiger-Cats 7

Toronto wins the best of three series 2–1. The Argonauts will play the Sarnia Imperials in the Grey Cup semifinal.

Grey Cup semifinal

Sarnia Imperials @ Toronto Argonauts
Date	Away	Home
November 26	Sarnia Imperials 15	Toronto Argonauts 34

The Toronto Argonauts will advance to the Grey Cup game.

Playoff bracket

Quarterfinals

Semifinals

Grey Cup final

IRFU

Hamilton Tiger Cats

6-27-7

IRFU

Toronto Argonauts

22-11-12

IRFU

Toronto Argonauts

34

EAST

ORFU

Sarnia Imperials

15

ORFU

Sarnia Imperials

41-24

ORFU

Toronto Balmy Beach

12-7

IRFU

Toronto Argonauts

21

WIFU

Edmonton Eskimos

11

WIFU

Winnipeg Blue Bombers

WIFU

BYE

WIFU

Winnipeg Blue Bombers

28-12-1

WEST

WIFU

Edmonton Eskimos

12-18-22

WIFU

Edmonton Eskimos

12-30

WIFU

Calgary Stampeders

31-7

Grey Cup Championship

November 29 40th Annual Grey Cup Game: Varsity Stadium – Toronto
WIFU Champion	IRFU Champion
Edmonton Eskimos 11	Toronto Argonauts 21
The Toronto Argonauts are the 1952 Grey Cup Champions

Note: WIFU Semifinal, as well as Eastern Playoff dates are not confirmed, however since [1] the regular season ended October 18 in the West, and November 8 in the East, and [2] WIFU Final dates, as well as Grey Cup date are accurate, it is reasonable to assume the above dates are accurate.

1952 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 – Bill Mackrides, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
RB – Hal Waggoner, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
RB – Ulysses Curtis, Toronto Argonauts
RB – Gene Roberts, Ottawa Rough Riders
E – Red O'Quinn, Montreal Alouettes
E – Al Bruno, Toronto Argonauts
FW – Bob Simpson, Ottawa Rough Riders
C – Red Ettinger, Toronto Argonauts
G – Eddie Bevan, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
G – Vince Scott, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
T – Jim Staton, Montreal Alouettes
T – Vince Mazza, Hamilton Tiger-Cats

1952 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.

1st Team

QB – Jack Jacobs, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
HB – Tom Casey, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
HB – Rollie Miles, Edmonton Eskimos
FB – Johnny Bright, Calgary Stampeders
E – Rollin Prather, Edmonton Eskimos
E – Bob Shaw, Calgary Stampeders
FW – Bud Korchak, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
C – Bill Blackburn, Calgary Stampeders
G – Mario DeMarco, Edmonton Eskimos
G – Jim McPherson, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
T – Dick Huffman, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
T – Buddy Tinsley, Winnipeg Blue Bombers

2nd Team

QB – Frank Filchock, Edmonton Eskimos
QB – Claude Arnold, Edmonton Eskimos
HB – Pete Thodos, Calgary Stampeders
HB – Normie Kwong, Edmonton Eskimos
FB – Ralph McAlister, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
E – Paul Salata, Calgary Stampeders
E – Joe Aguirre, Edmonton Eskimos
E – Holland Alphin, Saskatchewan Roughriders
FW – Butch Avinger, Saskatchewan Roughriders
G – Harry Langford, Calgary Stampeders
G – Dean Bandiera, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
T – Martin Ruby, Saskatchewan Roughriders

1952 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 – Jack McKelvie, Sarnia Imperials
HB – John Pont, Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers
HB – Archie McAffer, Sarnia Imperials
HB – John Duchene, Sarnia Imperials
E – Fred Smale, Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers
E – Jack Glendenning, Sarnia Imperials
FW – John Florence, Sarnia Imperials
C – Bruce Mattingly, Sarnia Imperials
G – Bob O'Ree, Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers
G – Wally McIntosh, Sarnia Imperials
T – Oatten Fisher, Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers
T – Maurice Dorocke, Sarnia Imperials
T – Lloyd "Dutch" Davey, Sarnia Imperials

1952 Canadian Football Awards

Jeff Russel Memorial Trophy (IRFU MVP) – Vince Mazza (OT), Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Jeff Nicklin Memorial Trophy (WIFU MVP) - Jack Jacobs (QB), Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Gruen Trophy (IRFU Rookie of the Year) - John Fedosoff (RB), Toronto Argonauts
Dr. Beattie Martin Trophy (WIFU Rookie of the Year) - Lorne Benson (FB), Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Imperial Oil Trophy (ORFU MVP) - John Pont - Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers

References

^ "Grey Cup Memories: 1952". CFL.ca. 2005-11-10. Retrieved 2019-10-06.

[1] "Grey Cup Memories: 1952". CFL.ca. 2005-11-10. Retrieved 2019-10-06.

[1]