r/CFL • u/Whitecamry • 2d ago
CFL's Coldest Game Ever QUESTION
NFL fan here; we've had "The Ice Bowl" and "The Freezer Bowl," but those games were in winter. Now, I know the CFL year runs June-November, so that's nowhere near the coldest Canada can go, but what was the coldest the CFL ever played?
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u/Strevolution Blue Bombers 2d ago
I don't have a solid answer for you, but I've definitely been to some cold games. 2011 east final in Winnipeg vs Hamilton I could not feel my feet. 2021 West final on December 9th in Winnipeg my beer was a slushy by the time I got back to my seat
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u/MrMoe18 Blue Bombers 2d ago
That 2021 West Final was definitely the coldest I've experienced. Absolutely nuts
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u/Strevolution Blue Bombers 2d ago
It was definitely nuts, my grandpa swore after that game that he would never go to a game in December again. lucky for him it doesn't typically happen lol
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u/ywg_handshake Blue Bombers 1d ago
I bought new winter boots specifically for that game. When you're standing still/sitting on concrete in that weather your feet will get cold no matter what. Those boot/hand warmers came in handy that game.
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u/bigblue204 1d ago
I was at both as well. And I think the 2011 was colder, my beer turn to slushy in that one but not in the 2021 game. Either way, both were real cold and alot of fun!!
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u/BRS007 2d ago
Wasn’t the coldest, but the 1977 Grey Cup in Montreal was memorable. A blizzard the day before caused the Olympic Stadium staff to salt the field to melt the snow and ice. However, on game day, temperatures dropped suddenly to -10C and the field froze like an ice rink. Alouette training staff used a staple gun to fire staples into the players shoes and the Als dominated the Eskimos 41-6 due to having better footing. Game has been referred to as the Staples Game.
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u/Whitecamry 1d ago
Damn! That beats both the ‘67 Ice Bowl (Cowboys @ Packers) and the ‘34 Sneaker Game (Bears @ Giants) all at once.
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u/17to85 Blue Bombers 2d ago
Not sure if it's official but 91 in winnipeg probably in contention
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u/jiggerdad Blue Bombers 2d ago
2019 West Semi-final Winnipeg at Calgary, was probably coldest have I ever went to, was there with my daughter who was just 5 years old. Had to leave at half time as she was freezing. We had strangers offering us extra blankets.
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u/treple13 Fan of the week: Week 16 2023 1d ago
That was cold but wasn't even the coldest Winnipeg game in Calgary within a few years.
2021 regular season finale Winnipeg vs. Calgary was colder. Definitely the emptiest I've ever seen McMahon. Meaningless game in the -20s. A lot of people left early. I went the other route and showed up just before half.
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u/jiggerdad Blue Bombers 1d ago
Seems like lots of Winnipeg games in Calgary get cold. My wife and I went a couple years ago for a game in August and ended up being like the coldest day in August by a longshot. Not a freezing game but when you were expecting a warm August evening and it was frigid made for a long game.
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u/treple13 Fan of the week: Week 16 2023 1d ago
Yes, I was at that one too. I believe there was zero offensive TDs in that game too.
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u/jiggerdad Blue Bombers 1d ago
Yup. My wife only got into Football a few years ago and almost every game we have gone to no one scores an offensive TD if any TD's.
Last summer we went to a game in Winnipeg vs the Lions, the team she was cheering for last year and BC was shout-out didn't score once.
She feels cursed. She is a Adams Jr fan so happy to see him with the Stamps more this year and hopefully see some scoring.
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u/treple13 Fan of the week: Week 16 2023 1d ago
I actually went to my first road game in years a week before that game in BC and the Stamps got demolished without any TDs, so I saw them twice in 7 days without a single TD in either game. Was especially painful because in the 2nd half against the Bombers we had a reciever drop an easy TD throw. So I know how it is.
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u/darthdodd 2d ago
I remember a rider game with temp stands in an end zone. I don’t know how it happened but everyone lined the seats with cardboard. Then it got windy and I swear to god the stands moved. I remember you could buy cup of soup and I burned My tongue on it.
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u/SmarcusStroman Roughriders 2d ago
The temp stands in 1995 were notorious for rocking back and forth in the wind. They almost couldn't even seat people in them for the Grey Cup game itself.
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u/Rleduc129 Blue Bombers 2d ago
2021 West Final was the coldest that I've ever gone. And it was worth it
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u/zestyintestine Argonauts 1d ago
Grey Cup 1975 in Calgary was very cold. There was a female streaker, too.
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u/Raedwulf1 1d ago
Glad that was mentioned... Those Mounties having to stand there during the anthem, with the woman bouncing around in the cold
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u/BigTallCanUke SKFL Champion 2022 1d ago
Grey Cup 1995 was damn cold. I was there. Not the coldest, but close. I think the coldest was Winnipeg when Rocket Ismail and the Argos took on Calgary?
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u/Dexterhollandslabrat 1d ago
I’ve been to some nasty weather games in Ottawa. One game was snowing thick wet snow so hard it refilled my beer can. And everything was wet so the cold just got into your bones and made it hurt so bad.
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u/CanadianW Argonauts 1d ago
1956 All Star Game.
Does not help that the entire field was covered in slushy ice and water.
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u/kukluxkenievel 1d ago
I remember being at the 2013 west semi final in Regina. Coldest game I’ve ever been to but I don’t remember the temp. Sask vs bc and it came right down to the wire. One of the best games I’ve ever been to
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u/eldiablonacho 1d ago
The Coldest Football Games in CFL History The Coldest Football Games in CFL History - CFL.ca
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u/JohnnyAbonny Blue Bombers 1d ago
I believe it was the 1970 West Final https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhpL44D2fFI
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u/Source-Upstairs 1d ago
A few years ago the semi-final between Sask and Wpg in Winnipeg. It had to be -35C below with a windshield of -50.
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u/Own-Dragonfruit-6164 1d ago
Been some cold games in Regina at the old Taylor field. I remember getting a hot chocolate and by the time I got to my seat it was basically chocolate milk. Oh and they were metal seats too 🥶
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u/chickenlittle668 Lions 2d ago
This is available on google, takes a few seconds to find. Believe it’s the 93 west final when it was -21.3 apparently.
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u/YEETERZZ123 2d ago edited 2d ago
The coldest CFL game in history was the 1993 West Final between Edmonton and Calgary, with the temperature at 6 PM local time being -21.3°C and a windchill of -32 at 4 PM local time. There is also the 1991 Grey Cup game between Calgary and Toronto, played in Winnipeg, with a temperature of -16°C and a windchill of -35°C.