The 1986 Hamilton Tiger-Cats season was the 29th season for the team in the Canadian Football League and their 37th overall. The Tiger-Cats finished in second place in the East Division with a 9–8–1 record and won the Grey Cup over the Edmonton Eskimos.
Tiger-Cats owner Harold Ballard claimed to be losing a million dollars a year as owner of the Tiger-Cats.[1] In 1986, Ballard publicly called the Tiger-Cats a bunch of overpaid losers.[1] After the Tiger Cats beat the Toronto Argonauts in the 1986 Eastern Final, Ballard said "You guys may still be overpaid, but after today, no one can call you losers."[1] A few days later, the Tiger-Cats won the 1986 Grey Cup by beating the Edmonton Eskimos 39–15 and Ballard said it was worth every penny.
Mike Kerrigan and Paul Osbaldiston were in their first years with the Tiger-Cats.
| Week
|
Game
|
Date
|
Opponent
|
Results
|
Venue
|
Attendance
|
| Score
|
Record
|
| 1
|
1
|
June 26
|
at Toronto Argonauts
|
L 20–21
|
0–1
|
Exhibition Stadium
|
23,100
|
| 2
|
2
|
July 3
|
vs. Ottawa Rough Riders
|
L 2–18
|
0–2
|
Ivor Wynne Stadium
|
15,877
|
| 3
|
3
|
July 12
|
vs. Winnipeg Blue Bombers
|
W 28–11
|
1–2
|
Ivor Wynne Stadium
|
13,664
|
| 4
|
4
|
July 18
|
at Calgary Stampeders
|
L 21–23
|
1–3
|
McMahon Stadium
|
26,201
|
| 5
|
5
|
July 25
|
vs. BC Lions
|
L 21–36
|
1–4
|
Ivor Wynne Stadium
|
16,462
|
| 6
|
Bye
|
| 7
|
6
|
Aug 7
|
at Winnipeg Blue Bombers
|
L 30–36
|
1–5
|
Winnipeg Stadium
|
25,982
|
| 8
|
7
|
Aug 16
|
vs. Saskatchewan Roughriders
|
W 23–21
|
2–5
|
Ivor Wynne Stadium
|
14,907
|
| 9
|
8
|
Aug 21
|
at Montreal Alouettes
|
W 28–23
|
3–5
|
Olympic Stadium
|
12,158
|
| 10
|
9
|
Sept 1
|
vs. Montreal Alouettes
|
W 42–7
|
4–5
|
Ivor Wynne Stadium
|
23,185
|
| 11
|
10
|
Sept 7
|
at Toronto Argonauts
|
L 23–25
|
4–6
|
Exhibition Stadium
|
28,531
|
| 12
|
11
|
Sept 14
|
at Saskatchewan Roughriders
|
T 21–21
|
4–6–1
|
Taylor Field
|
18,565
|
| 13
|
12
|
Sept 21
|
vs. Calgary Stampeders
|
W 20–15
|
5–6–1
|
Ivor Wynne Stadium
|
15,105
|
| 14
|
13
|
Sept 27
|
at Ottawa Rough Riders
|
W 31–11
|
6–6–1
|
Lansdowne Park
|
17,192
|
| 15
|
14
|
Oct 4
|
vs. Edmonton Eskimos
|
L 23–24
|
6–7–1
|
Ivor Wynne Stadium
|
17,352
|
| 16
|
15
|
Oct 10
|
at Edmonton Eskimos
|
L 3–30
|
6–8–1
|
Commonwealth Stadium
|
38,385
|
| 17
|
16
|
Oct 18
|
at BC Lions
|
W 23–17
|
7–8–1
|
BC Place
|
40,127
|
| 18
|
17
|
Oct 26
|
vs. Toronto Argonauts
|
W 20–10
|
8–8–1
|
Ivor Wynne Stadium
|
24,430
|
| 19
|
Bye
|
| 20
|
18
|
Nov 7
|
vs. Ottawa Rough Riders
|
W 20–19
|
9–8–1
|
Ivor Wynne Stadium
|
14,101
|
| Teams
|
Q1
|
Q2
|
Q3
|
Q4
|
Final
|
| Edmonton Eskimos
|
0
|
0
|
7
|
8
|
15
|
| Hamilton Tiger-Cats
|
17
|
12
|
7
|
3
|
39
|
[3]
