Canadian Football League
East Division
HAMILTON TIGER-CATS |
MONTREAL ALOUETTES |
OTTAWA REDBLACKS |
TORONTO ARGONAUTS |
West Division
B.C. LIONS | CALGARY STAMPEDERS |
EDMONTON ELKS |
SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS |
WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS |
The Edmonton Elks used a new helmet design during their first game in 2024 (shown above).
This webpage lists Grey Cup winners back to 1960.
Historical Helmets (currently active teams)
B.C. LIONS
c.mid 1950s - 1961 | c.1962 - 1966; 2009 (some games) |
1971 |
*see note 1 below |
1968 - 1970; 1972? - ? | ? - 1977 | 1978 - 1989 |
1990 - 1995 | June 20, 2003 | 1996 - 2004 |
August 19, 2005; August 4, 2006 |
2006 - 2007 | October 28, 2006 |
*see note 2 below |
'B' | 'C' | |
October 9, 2008 | July 10, 2010; July 16, 2010 |
August 7, 2010; August 27, 2010; September 11, 2010 |
*see note 3 below |
'D' | 'E' | 'A' |
September 10, 2011 | 2013 - 2014 | 2005 - 2015 |
'F' | 'G' | 'H' |
2016 - 2018 | 2016 - 2018 | 2019; 2021 |
'I' | 'J' | 'K' |
2022 - | 2023 - | 2023 - |
During recent years the Lions used the following sequences of helmet designs:
I believe that the helmets shown above represent most of the historical designs for the Lions for the period covered by this site (1960 to present), but there may be some other stripe variations for some of these helmets, particularly during the 1960s.
*1 The "paw" logo is visible in photographs on helmets from at least as early as the 1962 season. This design was used again during the following games in 2009: July 16 (at Edmonton); July 24 (vs Calgary); August 7 (vs Saskatchewan); September 13 (at Montreal); and November 6 (vs Edmonton).
*2 This design was apparently first used October 6, 2006 during a home game against Calgary, and was used again vs. Montreal during the 94th Grey Cup game (November 19, 2006). A visitor to this web site has reported that it may have been used for an additional game or two in 2006. I believe that it was used for a number of games in 2007, also, with the playoff game vs Sakatchewan being one specific occasion.
*3 A special helmet design was worn in 2008 in memory of former team president Bob Ackles, who died on July 6, 2008.
CALGARY STAMPEDERS
1960 - 1961 | July 25, 1962 | 1962 - 1966 |
1967 - 1976 | 1977 | 1978 - 1980 |
1981 | 1982 - 1988 | 1989 - 1994 |
'C' | ||
September 5, 2003 | July 17, 2009; September 11, 2009 |
August 15, 2010; October 22, 2010; 2011 |
'B' | 'D' | 'A' |
2011 - 2018 | 1994 - 2018 | 1995 - |
'E' | 'F' | 'G' |
2019 - | 2021 - | 2021 |
*see note 1 below |
'H' | 'I' | 'J' |
2022 - | 2023 - | 2023 - |
'K' | ||
2023 - | ||
During recent years the Stampeders used the following sequences of helmet designs:
*1 The 75th anniversary logo is worn on the left side only of this design; the traditional horse logo adorns the right side (as represented below).
EDMONTON ELKS
c.early 1960s | c.1970s - c.1980s | c.1980s - c.1990s |
'B' | 'D' | |
August 9, 2003 | 2008; 2011 - 2015 | 2008 |
*see note 1 below |
'E' | 'F' | 'A' |
2009 | August 6, 2010 | 1996 - 2019 |
'C' | 'G' | 'H' |
2014 - 2018 | 2019 | 2021 - |
'I' | 'J' | 'K' |
2021 - | 2022 - | 2023- |
'L' | ||
2024 - | ||
This team was known as the Edmonton Eskimos prior to July 21, 2020.
During recent years Edmonton used the following sequences of helmet designs:
The Eskimos apparently used plain gold helmets during the early 1960s, before adopting some version of the "EE" logo in 1967 (or perhaps as early as 1964, according to other reports that I have received) for the first time.
*1 A logo commemorating the team's 60th season was worn in 2008 beginning with Edmonton's second game, a home game against Calgary; the logo contains the text "60 SEASONS", "EDMONTON ESKIMOS", "1949", and "2008". The team used this design through the end of the season, with the exceptions of the two games during which green helmets were used.
HAMILTON TIGER-CATS
? - 1964; c.late 1960s | 1965? - 1967? | 1967 |
c.late 1960s - c.1971? | 1972 - 1982 | 1983 - 1985; August 7, 2010 |
1986 - 1989? | 1990? - 2002 | 2003 - 2004 |
September 4, 2006 | July 18, 2009 | September 7, 2009 |
September 7, 2013 | September 1, 2014; October 4, 2014; September 7, 2015 |
2012 - 2018 |
*see note 1 below | *see note 2 below |
2005 - 2011; 2019 - | 2022 - |
I have received a great deal of conflicting information regarding the specific dates of use for the various historical Tiger-Cats helmets, but the actual use of each of the designs shown here at some point in the past has at least been verified with photographic evidence. It is possible that two or more of these designs were used in some individual years, particularly during the 1960s and early 1970s.
*1 The logo on this design is that of the Hamilton Wildcats, a professional Canadian football team which merged with another team, the Hamilton Tigers, to form the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 1950.
*2 Uniform numerals are present on the left side only of this design; on the right side is the team's logo (as shown below).
MONTREAL ALOUETTES (including Montreal Concordes 1982-1985)
1960 - 1969 | 1970 - 1973 | 1974 |
1975 - 1981; August 6, 2010 |
1982 | 1983 - 1985 |
MONTREAL CONCORDES | MONTREAL CONCORDES | |
1986 | 1996 - 1997? | September 13, 2009; additional games 2009 |
'A' | 'B' | 'C' |
1998? - | October 29, 2010; November 7, 2010; 2016 - |
2016 - |
'D' | 'E' | |
2018 preseason | 2018 | 2018 |
'F' | 'G' | 'H' |
2018 | 2018 | 2018 |
'I' | 'J' | 'K' |
2019; 2021 | 2022 - 2023 | 2024 |
'L' | ||
2024 - | ||
During recent years the Alouettes have used the following sequences of helmet designs:
The original Montreal Alouettes, the Montreal Concordes, and the "new" Montreal Alouettes are considered to be one franchise for historical purposes by the league, despite the name changes and the nine-year absence of a team in Montreal from 1987 through 1995. The original Alouettes folded after the 1981 season, but were resurrected soon thereafter as the Montreal Concordes, who played from 1982 through 1985. The team name was changed back to Alouettes for the 1986 season, but the team folded again just before the 1987 season was scheduled to begin. When the Baltimore Stallions franchise relocated to Montreal for the 1996 season, the name Alouettes was resurrected for a second time (but the Stallions records are excluded from the Alouettes historical records).
A visitor to this website has reported the "discovery" of an apparently previously-unknown helmet design used by the Alouettes during at least the first two regular-season games of the 1975 season (at Hamilton and vs Saskatchewan); below are some cropped photographs from archival newspapers showing what appears to be an arched word logo (presumably the team name) on the sides of the (presumably) blue helmets. An outline has been added to clarify the location of the helmet shell.
OTTAWA REDBLACKS (including Ottawa Rough Riders 1960 - 1996 and Ottawa Renegades 2002 - 2005)
1960 | 1961 | 1962 only? |
OTTAWA ROUGH RIDERS | OTTAWA ROUGH RIDERS | OTTAWA ROUGH RIDERS |
1963 only? | 1964 | 1964 - ? |
OTTAWA ROUGH RIDERS | OTTAWA ROUGH RIDERS | OTTAWA ROUGH RIDERS |
? - 1983 | 1984 - 1987 | 1988 - 1991 |
OTTAWA ROUGH RIDERS | OTTAWA ROUGH RIDERS | OTTAWA ROUGH RIDERS |
1992 - 1993 | 1994 - 1995 | 1996 |
OTTAWA ROUGH RIDERS | OTTAWA ROUGH RIDERS | OTTAWA ROUGH RIDERS |
'A' | 'B' | |
2002 - 2005 | 2014 - | 2014 - |
OTTAWA RENEGADES | OTTAWA REDBLACKS | OTTAWA REDBLACKS |
'C' | 'D' | |
2022 - | 2024 - | |
OTTAWA REDBLACKS | OTTAWA REDBLACKS |
The Redblacks joined the CFL in 2014. The team has used the following sequences of helmet designs during its history:
I have moved helmet images for the two earlier Ottawa CFL franchises into this section in accordance with the following passage from the CFL Guide and Record Book, 2016 Edition: "For Canadian Football historical record purposes and in accordance with the club's wishes, the Ottawa Football Clubs are considered to be a single entity under various ownerships with two intervals of non-participation (1997-2001 & 2006-2013)."
SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS
1960? - 1964 | 1965 | 1966 - ? |
? - 1984 | 1985 - 1994 | September 3, 2007 |
'A' | 'B' | |
1995 - 2007 | 2008 - 2009 | 2009 |
'C' | 'D' | 'E' |
2009 - | 2010 - 2015 | July 17, 2010 |
'F' | 'G' | 'H' |
2012 - 2013 | 2013 - 2015 | 2014 - 2015 |
'I' | 'J' | 'K' |
2016 - | 2024 - | 2024 - |
During recent years the Roughriders have used the following sequences of helmet designs:
TORONTO ARGONAUTS
c.1960 - 1962 | 1963 | 1964 |
1965 | 1966 - 1968 | 1969 - |
c.mid 1970s | 1976 - ? | ? - 1988 |
1989 - 1990 | 1991 - 1994 | 1995 - 2004 |
2005 | September 12, 2008; October 10, 2008 |
2009 (some games) |
'B' | 'F' | 'A' |
August 14, 2010; October 29, 2010; 2011 |
2013 | 2006 - 2016 |
'C' | 'D' | 'E' |
2013 | 2017 - 2018 | 2017 - 2019 |
'G' | 'H' | 'I' |
2019 | 2021 - | 2021 |
'J' | 'K' | 'L' |
2023 - | 2023 - | 2024 - |
During recent years the Argonauts have used the following sequences of helmet designs:
WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS
1962 - ? | c.1960s? - c.1970s?; August 13, 2010; some games in 2011 |
c.1970s? - 1994? |
*see note 1 below |
1995? - 1997 | 1998 - 2004 | October 10, 2005; November 25, 2007; July 2, 2010; November 5, 2010 |
*see note 2 below |
September 12, 2008; October 10, 2008 |
2009 (some games) | August 15, 2009 |
*see note 3 below |
'A' | 'B' | 'C' |
2005 - 2011 | 2011 - 2012 | 2012 - 2015 |
'E' | 'D' | 'F' |
2014 | 2013 - | 2021 |
'G' | ||
2022 - | ||
During recent years the Blue Bombers have used the following sequences of helmet designs:
The Blue Bombers apparently used at least one or two other helmet designs during the very early 1960s: during at least the 1961 season, the helmets were royal blue with white "lightning bolts" (and possibly white uniform numerals, also); this design may also have been used in 1960, or else the team may have been using just the white numerals that year without the bolts. I would appreciate some clear photographs from the 1960 and 1961 seasons.
*1 The 1970s helmet design was brought back for use August 13, 2010 (vs Hamilton), July 8, 2011 (vs Toronto), and July 14, 2011 (vs Calgary).
*2 This design was worn during a 2005 home game against British Columbia, during the Grey Cup game vs Saskatchewan at the end of the 2007 season, and during 2010 home games against Hamilton and Calgary.
*3 Worn during the 2009 home game against Montreal.
Historical Helmets(defunct teams)
BALTIMORE STALLIONS
1994 - 1995 |
BIRMINGHAM BARRACUDAS
1995 |
LAS VEGAS POSSE
1994 |
MEMPHIS MAD DOGS
1995 |
SAN ANTONIO TEXANS / SACRAMENTO GOLD MINERS
1993 - 1994 | 1995 |
SACRAMENTO GOLD MINERS | SAN ANTONIO TEXANS |
SHREVEPORT PIRATES
1994 - 1995 |