The 1981 Hamilton Tiger-Cats season was the 24th season for the team in the Canadian Football League and their 32nd overall. The Tiger-Cats finished in first place in the East Division for the second consecutive year with an 11–4–1 record. They lost the East Final to the heavy underdog Ottawa Rough Riders team that finished 5–11–0. In the first season of full inter-division play, the Tiger-Cats finished with a 6–0 record against the East Division, outscoring their opponents 197 to 71.
| Week
|
Date
|
Opponent
|
Result
|
Record
|
| A
|
June 7
|
at Montreal Alouettes
|
W 27–21
|
1–0
|
| B
|
June 13
|
vs. Toronto Argonauts
|
L 3–15
|
1–1
|
| C
|
June 18
|
at Toronto Argonauts
|
W 23–16
|
2–1
|
| D
|
June 27
|
vs. Montreal Alouettes
|
L 24–38
|
2–2
|
[1]
[2]
| Week
|
Date
|
Opponent
|
Result
|
Record
|
| 1
|
July 5
|
at Winnipeg Blue Bombers
|
W 33–23
|
1–0
|
| 2
|
July 11
|
vs. Ottawa Rough Riders
|
W 47–10
|
2–0
|
| 3
|
July 17
|
at Calgary Stampeders
|
L 6–26
|
2–1
|
| 4
|
July 25
|
vs. Toronto Argonauts
|
W 57–13
|
3–1
|
| 5
|
Aug 1
|
at Edmonton Eskimos
|
L 5–41
|
3–2
|
| 6
|
Aug 8
|
vs. Calgary Stampeders
|
W 28–16
|
4–2
|
| 7
|
Aug 16
|
at BC Lions
|
W 37–23
|
5–2
|
| 8
|
Bye
|
| 9
|
Aug 29
|
vs. Montreal Alouettes
|
W 16–11
|
6–2
|
| 10
|
Sept 7
|
vs. Edmonton Eskimos
|
T 34–34
|
6–2–1
|
| 11
|
Sept 12
|
at Montreal Alouettes
|
W 26–10
|
7–2–1
|
| 12
|
Sept 20
|
vs. Winnipeg Blue Bombers
|
W 25–13
|
8–2–1
|
| 13
|
Sept 26
|
at Ottawa Rough Riders
|
W 30–16
|
9–2–1
|
| 14
|
Oct 4
|
at Saskatchewan Roughriders
|
W 30–26
|
10–2–1
|
| 15
|
Oct 12
|
vs. Saskatchewan Roughriders
|
L 12–28
|
10–3–1
|
| 16
|
Bye
|
| 17
|
Oct 25
|
vs. BC Lions
|
L 7–34
|
10–4–1
|
| 18
|
Oct 31
|
at Toronto Argonauts
|
W 21–11
|
11–4–1
|
[1]
| Game
|
Date
|
Opponent
|
Result
|
| East Final
|
Nov 15
|
vs. Ottawa Rough Riders
|
L 13–17
|
[1]
