1939 in Canadian football
{{Year nav sports topic5|1939|Canadian football|sports}}
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers played in their third consecutive Grey Cup final. A last-second rouge gave Winnipeg its second title in five years.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cfl.ca/2005/11/01/grey_cup_memories__1939/|title=Grey Cup Memories: 1939|date=2005-11-01|website=CFL.ca|language=en|access-date=2019-10-05}}
Regular season, final standings
Column headings: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PF = Points for, PA = Points against, Pts = Points
| cellspacing="10"
| valign="top" | {| class="wikitable" |+ Western Interprovincial Football Union ! Team !! GP !! W !! L !! T !! PF !! PA !! Pts | |||||||
| align="center"
| align="left" |Winnipeg Blue Bombers | 12 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 201 | 103 | 20 |
| align="center"
| align="left" |Regina Roughriders | 12 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 84 | 136 | 12 |
| align="center"
| align="left" |Calgary Bronks | 11 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 144 | 123 | 8 |
| align="center"
| align="left" |Edmonton Eskimos | 11 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 80 | 147 | 6 |
| valign="top" |
| class="wikitable"
|+ Interprovincial Rugby Football Union ! Team !! GP !! W !! L !! T !! PF !! PA !! Pts | |||||||
| align="center"
| align="left" |Ottawa Rough Riders | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 145 | 44 | 10 |
| align="center"
| align="left" |Toronto Argonauts | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 58 | 43 | 9 |
| align="center"
| align="left" |Hamilton Tigers | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 29 | 84 | 4 |
| align="center"
| align="left" |Montreal Royals | 6 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 23 | 84 | 1 |
| valign="top" |
| class="wikitable"
|+ Ontario Rugby Football Union ! Team !! GP !! W !! L !! T !! PF !! PA !! Pts | |||||||
| align="center"
| align="left" | Montreal Westmounts | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 71 | 45 | 9 |
| align="center"
| align="left" | Sarnia Imperials | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 70 | 38 | 8 |
| align="center"
| align="left" | Toronto Balmy Beach | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 58 | 27 | 7 |
| align="center"
| align="left" | Peterborough Orfuns | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 16 | 105 | 0 |
|}
- Bold text means that they have clinched the playoffs
| class="wikitable"
|+ British Columbia Rugby Football Union ! Team !! GP !! W !! L !! T !! PF !! PA !! Pts | |||||||
| align="center"
| align="left" | University of British Columbia Thunderbirds | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 108 | 25 | 12 |
| align="center"
| align="left" | Knights of Columbus | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 63 | 63 | 8 |
| align="center"
| align="left" | North Shore Lions | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 48 | 51 | 4 |
| align="center"
| align="left" | Victoria Revellers | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 25 | 105 | 0 |
| align="center" |
{{Clear}}
BCRFU playoffs
Note: All dates in 1939
=BCRFU semifinals=
| cellspacing="10" | ||
| valign="top" |
{| class="wikitable" | ||
| Date | Away | Home |
|---|---|---|
| November 18 | North Shore Lions 0 | University of British Columbia Thunderbirds 12 |
|}University of British Columbia Thunderbirds advance to BCRFU finals
| cellspacing="10" | ||
| valign="top" |
{| class="wikitable" | ||
| Date | Away | Home |
|---|---|---|
| November 18 | Knights of Columbus 1 | Victoria Revellers 6 |
|}Victoria Revellers advance to BCRFU finals
=BCRFU final=
| cellspacing="10" | ||
| valign="top" |
{| class="wikitable" | ||
| Date | Away | Home |
|---|---|---|
| November 25 | Victoria Revellers 6 | University of British Columbia Thunderbirds 17 |
|}University of British Columbia Thunderbirds win the BCRFU championship
Grey Cup playoffs
Note: All dates in 1939
=Semifinals=
| cellspacing="10"
| valign="top" | {| class="wikitable" |+ WIFU Semifinals ! colspan="4" | Calgary Bronks @ Regina Roughriders | ||
| Probable date | Away | Home |
|---|---|---|
| November 4 | Calgary Bronks 24 | Regina Roughriders 17 |
|}
{{Clear}}
| cellspacing="10"
| valign="top" | {| class="wikitable" |+ ORFU Finals | |||
| Game || Date | Away | Home | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | November 18 | Montreal Westmounts 1 | Sarnia Imperials 13 |
| 2 | November 25 | Sarnia Imperials 18 | Montreal Westmounts 13 |
|}
- Sarnia won the total-point series by 31–14 and played the Ottawa Rough Riders (IRFU Champions) in the Eastern Finals.
| cellspacing="10"
| valign="top" | {| class="wikitable" |+ IRFU Finals | |||
| Game || Date | Away | Home | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | November 18 | Ottawa Rough Riders 11 | Toronto Argonauts 0 |
| 2 | November 25 | Ottawa Rough Riders 28 | Toronto Argonauts 6 |
|}
- Ottawa won the total-point series by 39–6 and played the Sarnia Imperials (ORFU Champions) in the Eastern Finals.
{{Clear}}
=Finals=
| cellspacing="10"
| valign="top" | {| class="wikitable" |+ Western Finals | |||
| Game || Date | Away | Home | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | November 11 | Calgary Bronks 13 | Winnipeg Blue Bombers 7 |
| 2 | November 18 | Winnipeg Blue Bombers 28 | Calgary Bronks 7 |
|}
- Winnipeg won the total-point series by 35–20 and advanced to the Grey Cup game.
| cellspacing="10"
| valign="top" | {| class="wikitable" |+ Eastern Finals ! colspan="4" | Ottawa Rough Riders (IRFU) @ Sarnia Imperials (ORFU) | ||
| Date | Away | Home |
|---|---|---|
| December 2 | Ottawa Rough Riders 23 | Sarnia Imperials (ORFU) 1 |
|}
- Ottawa advanced to the Grey Cup game.
{{Clear}}
Playoff bracket
{{8TeamBracket | RD1=Quarterfinals
| RD2=Semifinals
| RD3=Grey Cup final
| RD1-group1=EAST
| RD1-group2=WEST
| seed-width=
| score-width=
| team-width=
| RD1-seed1=IRFU
| RD1-team1= Ottawa Rough Riders
| RD1-score1=11-28
| RD1-seed2=IRFU
| RD1-team2= Toronto Argonauts
| RD1-score2=0-6
| RD1-seed3=ORFU
| RD1-team3= Montreal Westmounts
| RD1-score3=1-13
| RD1-seed4=ORFU
| RD1-team4= Sarnia Imperials
| RD1-score4=12-18
| RD1-seed5=WIFU
| RD1-team5= Winnipeg Blue Bombers
| RD1-score5=
| RD1-seed6=WIFU
| RD1-team6= BYE
| RD1-score6=
| RD1-seed7=WIFU
| RD1-team7= Regina Roughriders
| RD1-score7=17
| RD1-seed8=WIFU
| RD1-team8= Calgary Bronks
| RD1-score8=24
| RD2-seed1=IRFU
| RD2-team1= Ottawa Rough Riders
| RD2-score1=23
| RD2-seed2=ORFU
| RD2-team2= Sarnia Imperials
| RD2-score2=1
| RD2-seed3=WIFU
| RD2-team3= Winnipeg Blue Bombers
| RD2-score3=7+28
| RD2-seed4=WIFU
| RD2-team4= Calgary Bronks
| RD2-score4=13+7
| RD3-seed1=IRFU
| RD3-team1= Ottawa Rough Riders
| RD3-score1=7
| RD3-seed2=WIFU
| RD3-team2= Winnipeg Blue Bombers
| RD3-score2=8
}}
Grey Cup Championship
| cellspacing="10"
| valign="top" | {| class="wikitable" ! bgcolor="#DDDDDD" colspan="4" | December 9 | |
| WIFU Champion | IRFU Champion |
|---|---|
| | Winnipeg Blue Bombers 8 | Ottawa Rough Riders 7 |
| align="center" colspan="4" | The Winnipeg Blue Bombers became the 1939 Grey Cup Champions |
|}
{{Clear}}
1939 Interprovincial Rugby Football Union All-Stars
NOTE: During this time most players played both ways, so the All-Star selections do not distinguish between some offensive and defensive positions.
- QB – Bill Stukus, Toronto Argonauts
- FW – Bill Davies, Montreal Royals
- HB – Red Storey, Toronto Argonauts
- HB – Bill Isbister, Hamilton Tigers
- FB – Tony Golab, Ottawa Rough Riders
- E – Tony McCarthy, Ottawa Rough Riders
- E – Bernie Thornton, Toronto Argonauts
- C – George Willis, Toronto Argonauts
- G – Charles "Tiny" Hermann, Ottawa Rough Riders
- G – Len Staughton, Ottawa Rough Riders
- T – Bunny Wadsworth, Ottawa Rough Riders
- T – Dave Sprague, Ottawa Rough Riders
1939 Ontario Rugby Football Union All-Stars
NOTE: During this time most players played both ways, so the All-Star selections do not distinguish between some offensive and defensive positions.
- QB – Clayton "Curly" Krug, Peterborough Orfuns
- FW – Joe Woodcock, Sarnia Imperials
- HB – Bernie Moroz, Sarnia Imperials
- HB – Eddie Thompson, Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers
- DB – Johnny Ferraro, Montreal Westmounts
- E – Ike Norris, Sarnia Imperials
- E – Leo Deadey, Peterborough Orfuns
- C – Harry Living, Sarnia Imperials
- G – Bob Reid, Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers
- G – Pat Bulter, Sarnia Imperials
- T – Cliff Parsons, Sarnia Imperials
- T – Tommy Burns, Montreal Westmounts
1939 Canadian Football Awards
- Jeff Russel Memorial Trophy (IRFU MVP) – Bill Davies (FW), Montreal Royals
- Imperial Oil Trophy (ORFU MVP) - Eddie Thompson - Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers
References
{{reflist}}
{{CFL seasons}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:1939 In Canadian Football}}
Category:Canadian Football League seasons
Category:Canadian football competitions in Ottawa
{{Canadianfootball-stub}}