1973 CFL season
The 1973 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 20th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 16th Canadian Football League season.
CFL News in 1973
Both the Western and Eastern Conferences adopt the same playoff procedure, consisting of the second place teams in each conference hosting the third place teams in the conference semifinal games and the first place teams hosting the semi-finals' winners in the conference finals. All rounds now consisted of single-game playoffs, as opposed to a two-game total point series (although this format would return in use by what was by then the East Division in 1986 only); the West adopted this format the previous year. Other than the addition of the crossover rule in 1997, this playoff format is in still in use to this day in the CFL.
This was the final season where the conferences would play seasons of different lengths. The Eastern Conference would expand its schedule to sixteen games for 1974. Somewhat ironically, this was also the most recent season (as of 2017) where a fourth-placed Eastern team would earn more points (despite playing fewer games) than the third placed Western team - the scenario which triggers a "crossover" under the current playoff format.
Regular season standings
Final regular season standings
Note: GP = Games Played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PF = Points For, PA = Points Against, Pts = Points
| Team | GP | W | L | T | PF | PA | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edmonton Eskimos | 16 | 9 | 5 | 2 | 329 | 284 | 20 |
| Saskatchewan Roughriders | 16 | 10 | 6 | 0 | 360 | 287 | 20 |
| BC Lions | 16 | 5 | 9 | 2 | 261 | 328 | 12 |
| Calgary Stampeders | 16 | 6 | 10 | 0 | 214 | 368 | 12 |
| Winnipeg Blue Bombers | 16 | 4 | 11 | 1 | 267 | 315 | 9 |
| Team | GP | W | L | T | PF | PA | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ottawa Rough Riders | 14 | 9 | 5 | 0 | 275 | 234 | 18 |
| Toronto Argonauts | 14 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 265 | 231 | 16 |
| Montreal Alouettes | 14 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 273 | 238 | 15 |
| Hamilton Tiger-Cats | 14 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 304 | 263 | 14 |
- Bold text means that they have clinched the playoffs.
- Edmonton and Ottawa have first round byes.
Grey Cup playoffs
The Ottawa Rough Riders are the 1973 Grey Cup champions, defeating the Edmonton Eskimos, 22–18, at Toronto's Exhibition Stadium. Ottawa's Charlie Brandon (DE) was named the Grey Cup's Most Valuable Player, while Edmonton's Garry Lefebvre (DB) was named Grey Cup's Most Valuable Canadian.
Playoff bracket
| November 10/11: Division Semifinals | November 17/18: Division Finals | November 25: 61st Grey Cup @ Exhibition Stadium – Toronto | |||||||||||
| East | E2 | Montreal Alouettes | 14 | ||||||||||
| E3 | Montreal Alouettes | 32* | E1 | Ottawa Rough Riders | 23 | ||||||||
| E2 | Toronto Argonauts | 10 | E1 | Ottawa Rough Riders | 22 | ||||||||
| W1 | Edmonton Eskimos | 18 | |||||||||||
| West | W2 | Saskatchewan Roughriders | 23 | ||||||||||
| W3 | BC Lions | 13 | W1 | Edmonton Eskimos | 25 | ||||||||
| W2 | Saskatchewan Roughriders | 33 | |||||||||||
*-Team won in Overtime.
CFL Leaders
1973 CFL All-Stars
Offence
- QB – Ron Lancaster, Saskatchewan Roughriders
- RB – George Reed, Saskatchewan Roughriders
- RB – Roy Bell, Edmonton Eskimos
- RB – John Harvey, Montreal Alouettes
- TE – Peter Dalla Riva, Montreal Alouettes
- WR – George McGowan, Edmonton Eskimos
- WR – Johnny Rodgers, Montreal Alouettes
- C – Paul Desjardins, Toronto Argonauts
- OG – Jack Abendschan, Saskatchewan Roughriders
- OG – Ed George, Montreal Alouettes
- OT – Bill Frank, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
- OT – Charlie Turner, Edmonton Eskimos
Defence
- DT – John Helton, Calgary Stampeders
- DT – Rudy Sims, Ottawa Rough Riders
- DE – Bill Baker, Saskatchewan Roughriders
- DE – Jim Corrigall, Toronto Argonauts
- LB – Jerry Campbell, Ottawa Rough Riders
- LB – Ray Nettles, BC Lions
- LB – Mike Widger, Montreal Alouettes
- DB – Lorne Richardson, Saskatchewan Roughriders
- DB – Larry Highbaugh, Edmonton Eskimos
- DB – Al Marcelin, Ottawa Rough Riders
- DB – Lewis Porter, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
- DB – Dick Adams, Ottawa Rough Riders
1973 Eastern All-Stars
Offence
- QB – Joe Theismann, Toronto Argonauts
- RB – Jim Evenson, Ottawa Rough Riders
- RB – Andy Hopkins, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
- RB – John Harvey, Montreal Alouettes
- TE – Peter Dalla Riva, Montreal Alouettes
- WR – Eric Allen, Toronto Argonauts
- WR – Johnny Rodgers, Montreal Alouettes
- C – Paul Desjardins, Toronto Argonauts
- OG – Ed Chalupka, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
- OG – Ed George, Montreal Alouettes
- OT – Bill Danychuk, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
- OT – Dan Yochum, Montreal Alouettes
Defence
- DT – Gordon Judges, Montreal Alouettes
- DT – Rudy Sims, Ottawa Rough Riders
- DE – Carl Crennel, Montreal Alouettes
- DE – Jim Corrigall, Toronto Argonauts
- LB – Jerry Campbell, Ottawa Rough Riders
- LB – Gene Mack, Toronto Argonauts
- LB – Mike Widger, Montreal Alouettes
- DB – Tim Anderson, Toronto Argonauts
- DB – Dickie Harris, Montreal Alouettes
- DB – Al Marcelin, Ottawa Rough Riders
- DB – Lewis Porter, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
- DB – Dick Adams, Ottawa Rough Riders
1973 Western All-Stars
Offence
- QB – Ron Lancaster, Saskatchewan Roughriders
- RB – George Reed, Saskatchewan Roughriders
- RB – Roy Bell, Edmonton Eskimos
- RB – Johnny Musso, BC Lions
- TE – Lefty Hendrickson, BC Lions
- WR – George McGowan, Edmonton Eskimos
- WR – Tom Forzani, Calgary Stampeders
- C – Basil Bark, Calgary Stampeders
- C – Bob Howes, Edmonton Eskimos
- C – Bob Swift, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
- OG – Jack Abendschan, Saskatchewan Roughriders
- OG – Ralph Galloway, Saskatchewan Roughriders
- OT – Bill Frank, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
- OT – Charlie Turner, Edmonton Eskimos
Defence
- DT – John Helton, Calgary Stampeders
- DT – John LaGrone, Edmonton Eskimos
- DE – Bill Baker, Saskatchewan Roughriders
- DE – Ron Estay, Edmonton Eskimos
- LB – Sam Britts, Edmonton Eskimos
- LB – Ray Nettles, BC Lions
- LB – Roger Goree, Saskatchewan Roughriders
- DB – Lorne Richardson, Saskatchewan Roughriders
- DB – Larry Highbaugh, Edmonton Eskimos
- DB – Frank Andruski, Calgary Stampeders
- DB – Gene Lakusiak, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
- DB – Ted Provost, Saskatchewan Roughriders
1973 CFL Awards
- CFL's Most Outstanding Player Award – George McGowan (WR), Edmonton Eskimos
- CFL's Most Outstanding Canadian Award – Gerry Organ (K), Ottawa Rough Riders
- CFL's Most Outstanding Lineman Award – Ray Nettles (LB), BC Lions
- CFL's Most Outstanding Rookie Award – Johnny Rodgers (WR), Montreal Alouettes
- CFL's Coach of the Year – Jack Gotta, Ottawa Rough Riders
- Dr. Beattie Martin Trophy (Western Rookie of the Year) - Lorne Richardson (DB), Saskatchewan Roughriders
- DeMarco–Becket Memorial Trophy (Western Outstanding Lineman) - Ray Nettles (LB), BC Lions