It’s Grey Cup week, and it’s a classic. The Alouettes vs Elks rematch in the 113th Grey Cup goes Sunday, Nov. 15 at McMahon Stadium in Calgary, with kickoff at 6 p.m. Montreal time. The Grey Cup Festival opens in Calgary today, so here is everything Als fans need to know: how the two teams got here, the storylines, the matchups and how to watch from Montreal. Stats are as of Monday, Nov. 9.
Alouettes vs Elks: a rivalry renewed
This will be the 12th Grey Cup meeting between the Montreal and Edmonton franchises, a CFL record, and the first since their overtime thriller in 2005, theScore notes. Older fans remember the 1970s, when the two clubs met in the final again and again. For Montreal, this is a third Grey Cup in four seasons. For Edmonton, it is the first since 2015, when it last won the title.
How the Als got here
Montreal finished a CFL-best 14-4 and went a perfect 10-0 at home, then held off Winnipeg 33-23 in the East Final on Saturday. Davis Alexander threw for 373 yards and two touchdowns, and Tyrice Beverette’s late strip-sack and recovery swung the game, as CFL.ca broke down. We have the full story in our weekend recap.
The Als also arrive with the league’s two biggest individual honours. Alexander was named Most Outstanding Player after throwing for 5,257 yards and 35 touchdowns with only four interceptions, joining Anthony Calvillo as the only Montreal quarterbacks to top 5,000 yards in a season, according to theScore. His top target, Tyson Philpot, won Most Outstanding Canadian after setting Canadian records with 1,809 receiving yards and 124 catches, with 13 touchdowns in 16 games. Revisit our look at the Als’ award finalists.
How the Elks got here
Edmonton’s season is a worst-to-first story. After five straight seasons without a playoff berth, the Elks hosted their first home playoff game in 11 years in front of more than 40,000 fans and beat the BC Lions 28-16 in the West Final. After a defensive first half, they outscored BC 22-7 in the second, helped by a late forced fumble from linebacker Joel Dublanko.
The Fajardo factor
The biggest storyline: Elks quarterback Cody Fajardo is the man who led Montreal to its 2023 Grey Cup win. In the West Final he threw for 274 yards and ran for 84, with a touchdown through the air and another on the ground. He knows many of the Als’ veterans well, and he’ll want to beat his old team on the biggest stage.
East Final by the numbers
- 373: Alexander’s passing yards against Winnipeg, in his 2026 playoff debut.
- 9 for 129: Philpot’s catches and receiving yards.
- 4 for 4: Jose Maltos Diaz on field goals, after hand surgery.
- 2: Montreal takeaways, an Oliveira fumble that led to a field goal and Beverette’s strip-sack.
- 23,035: the sellout crowd at Molson Stadium on a windy 7 C afternoon.
Edmonton will bring a strong defence of its own after holding the Lions without a touchdown pass, so expect a tighter, more physical game than the Als saw against Winnipeg’s late passing attack.
Keys to the game
- Contain Fajardo’s legs. His 84 rushing yards against BC show how much damage he can do when plays break down.
- Win the turnover battle. Montreal’s two takeaways were decisive against Winnipeg.
- Feed Philpot. When Alexander and Philpot connect downfield, the Als’ offence is at its best.
- Clean up the penalties. The East Final first half dragged with flags and challenges. Free yards can swing a championship.
- Finish. Last year’s Grey Cup loss to Saskatchewan, with Alexander playing hurt, is still fresh. “Job’s not done,” Philpot said Saturday, according to The Canadian Press.
How to watch from Montreal
- Kickoff: Sunday, Nov. 15, 6 p.m. ET (5 p.m. in Calgary).
- Where: McMahon Stadium, Calgary.
- In Calgary: the Grey Cup Festival runs from Nov. 11 to 15.
- In Montreal: sports bars will be packed, so book a table early. Our list of bars to watch the Habs is a good starting point.
The Canadiens play the Avalanche at the Bell Centre the night before, so it’s a big weekend for Montreal sports. See our sports week ahead and follow the build-up all week in our sports section. Allez les Als!
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Photo: Quintin Soloviev / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
Sources: theScore, CFL.ca, The Canadian Press via CityNews
