# 1952 in Canadian football

The Toronto Argonauts faced the Edmonton Eskimos in the Grey Cup. Although the Argos would hold on to win the game and their tenth Grey Cup championship, an Argo would not sip from the silver mug again until 1983.

## Events in Canadian football in 1952

The Canadian Rugby Union received television revenue for the first time when it was paid $7,500 by CBC for the rights to televise the Grey Cup game. CBLT Toronto was the only station to carry the game live.
The WIFU increased their games to 16 per team.

## Regular season
### Final regular season standings

Note: GP = Games Played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PF = Points For, PA = Points Against, Pts = Points
Western Interprovincial Football Union :
| Team | GP | W | L | T | PF | PA | Pts |
| Winnipeg Blue Bombers | 16 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 394 | 211 | 25 |
| Edmonton Eskimos | 16 | 9 | 6 | 1 | 291 | 280 | 19 |
| Calgary Stampeders | 16 | 7 | 9 | 0 | 293 | 340 | 14 |
| Saskatchewan Roughriders | 16 | 3 | 13 | 0 | 216 | 363 | 6 |
Interprovincial Rugby Football Union :
| Team | GP | W | L | T | PF | PA | Pts |
| Hamilton Tiger-Cats | 12 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 268 | 162 | 19 |
| Toronto Argonauts | 12 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 265 | 191 | 15 |
| Ottawa Rough Riders | 12 | 5 | 7 | 0 | 200 | 238 | 10 |
| Montreal Alouettes | 12 | 2 | 10 | 0 | 136 | 278 | 4 |
Ontario Rugby Football Union :
| Team | GP | W | L | T | PF | PA | Pts |
| Sarnia Imperials | 12 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 312 | 68 | 22 |
| Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers | 11 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 215 | 156 | 16 |
| Brantford Redskins | 10 | 2 | 10 | 0 | 100 | 189 | 4 |
| Windsor Royals | 9 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 60 | 274 | 0 |
* Bold text means that they have clinched the playoffs.
* Winnipeg has a bye and will play in the WIFU Finals.
* The last three Windsor Royals games were canceled, leading to an uneven number of games played. The Royals stopped competing in the ORFU after this season.

## Grey Cup playoffs

Note: All dates in 1952

### Semifinals

WIFU semifinals – game 1 :
| Edmonton Eskimos @ Calgary Stampeders ||||
| Date | Away | Home |
| October 22 | Edmonton Eskimos 12 | Calgary Stampeders 31 |
WIFU semifinals – game 2 :
| Calgary Stampeders @ Edmonton Eskimos ||||
| Date | Away | Home |
| October 25 | Calgary Stampeders 7 | Edmonton Eskimos 30 |
* Edmonton won the total-point series by 42–38. The Eskimos will play the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the WIFU Finals.

### Finals

WIFU Finals – Game 1 :
| Winnipeg Blue Bombers @ Edmonton Eskimos ||||
| Date | Away | Home |
| November 1 | Winnipeg Blue Bombers 28 | Edmonton Eskimos 12 |
WIFU Finals – Game 2 :
| Edmonton Eskimos @ Winnipeg Blue Bombers ||||
| Date | Away | Home |
| November 8 | Edmonton Eskimos 18 | Winnipeg Blue Bombers 12 |
WIFU Finals – Game 3 :
| Edmonton Eskimos @ Winnipeg Blue Bombers ||||
| Date | Away | Home |
| November 11 | Edmonton Eskimos 22 | Winnipeg Blue Bombers 11 |
* Edmonton wins the best of three series 2–1. The Eskimos will advance to the Grey Cup game.
ORFU Finals – Game 1 :
| Sarnia Imperials @ Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers ||||
| Date | Away | Home |
| November 9 | Sarnia Imperials 41 | Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers 12 |
ORFU Finals – Game 2 :
| Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers @ Sarnia Imperials ||||
| Date | Away | Home |
| November 15 | Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers 7 | Sarnia Imperials 24 |
* Sarnia won the total-point series by 65–19. The Imperials will play the Toronto Argonauts in the Grey Cup semifinal.
IRFU Finals – Game 1 :
| Toronto Argonauts @ Hamilton Tiger-Cats ||||
| Date | Away | Home |
| November 15 | Toronto Argonauts 22 | Hamilton Tiger-Cats 6 |
IRFU Finals – Game 2 :
| Hamilton Tiger-Cats @ Toronto Argonauts ||||
| Date | Away | Home |
| November 19 | Hamilton Tiger-Cats 27 | Toronto Argonauts 11 |
IRFU Finals – Game 3 :
| Toronto Argonauts @ Hamilton Tiger-Cats ||||
| Date | Away | Home |
| November 22 | Toronto Argonauts 12 | Hamilton Tiger-Cats 7 |
* Toronto wins the best of three series 2–1. The Argonauts will play the Sarnia Imperials in the Grey Cup semifinal.

### Grey Cup semifinal

Sarnia Imperials @ Toronto Argonauts :
| Date | Away | Home |
| November 26 | Sarnia Imperials 15 | Toronto Argonauts 34 |
* The Toronto Argonauts will advance to the Grey Cup game.

## Playoff bracket

| Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Grey Cup final | Grey Cup final | Grey Cup final |
| IRFU | Hamilton Tiger Cats | 6-27-7 | | | | | | |
| IRFU | Toronto Argonauts | 22-11-12 | | | | | | |
| IRFU | Toronto Argonauts | 22-11-12 | IRFU | Toronto Argonauts | 34 | | | |
| EAST | EAST | EAST | IRFU | Toronto Argonauts | 34 | | | |
| EAST | EAST | EAST | ORFU | Sarnia Imperials | 15 | | | |
| ORFU | Sarnia Imperials | 41-24 | ORFU | Sarnia Imperials | 15 | | | |
| ORFU | Toronto Balmy Beach | 12-7 | | | | | | |
| ORFU | Toronto Balmy Beach | 12-7 | | | | IRFU | Toronto Argonauts | 21 |
| | | | | | | WIFU | Edmonton Eskimos | 11 |
| WIFU | Winnipeg Blue Bombers | | | | | | | | WIFU | Edmonton Eskimos | 11 |
| WIFU | BYE | | | | | | | |
| WIFU | BYE | | WIFU | Winnipeg Blue Bombers | 28-12-1 | | | |
| WEST | WEST | WEST | WIFU | Winnipeg Blue Bombers | 28-12-1 | | | |
| WEST | WEST | WEST | WIFU | Edmonton Eskimos | 12-18-22 | | | |
| WIFU | Edmonton Eskimos | 12-30 | WIFU | Edmonton Eskimos | 12-18-22 | | | |
| WIFU | Calgary Stampeders | 31-7 | | | | | | |

## Grey Cup Championship

November 29
40th Annual Grey Cup Game: Varsity Stadium – Toronto :
| WIFU Champion | IRFU Champion |
| Edmonton Eskimos 11 | Toronto Argonauts 21 |
| The Toronto Argonauts are the 1952 Grey Cup Champions ||||
* Note: WIFU Semifinal, as well as Eastern Playoff dates are not confirmed, however since [1] the regular season ended October 18 in the West, and November 8 in the East, and [2] WIFU Final dates, as well as Grey Cup date are accurate, it is reasonable to assume the above dates are accurate.

## 1952 Eastern (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 Mackrides, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
* RB – Hal Waggoner, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
* RB – Ulysses Curtis, Toronto Argonauts
* RB – Gene Roberts, Ottawa Rough Riders
* E – Red O'Quinn, Montreal Alouettes
* E – Al Bruno, Toronto Argonauts
* FW – Bob Simpson, Ottawa Rough Riders
* C – Red Ettinger, Toronto Argonauts
* G – Eddie Bevan, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
* G – Vince Scott, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
* T – Jim Staton, Montreal Alouettes
* T – Vince Mazza, Hamilton Tiger-Cats

## 1952 Western (Western Interprovincial 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.

### 1st Team

* QB – Jack Jacobs, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
* HB – Tom Casey, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
* HB – Rollie Miles, Edmonton Eskimos
* FB – Johnny Bright, Calgary Stampeders
* E – Rollin Prather, Edmonton Eskimos
* E – Bob Shaw, Calgary Stampeders
* FW – Bud Korchak, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
* C – Bill Blackburn, Calgary Stampeders
* G – Mario DeMarco, Edmonton Eskimos
* G – Jim McPherson, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
* T – Dick Huffman, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
* T – Buddy Tinsley, Winnipeg Blue Bombers

### 2nd Team

* QB – Frank Filchock, Edmonton Eskimos
* QB – Claude Arnold, Edmonton Eskimos
* HB – Pete Thodos, Calgary Stampeders
* HB – Normie Kwong, Edmonton Eskimos
* FB – Ralph McAlister, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
* E – Paul Salata, Calgary Stampeders
* E – Joe Aguirre, Edmonton Eskimos
* E – Holland Alphin, Saskatchewan Roughriders
* FW – Butch Avinger, Saskatchewan Roughriders
* G – Harry Langford, Calgary Stampeders
* G – Dean Bandiera, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
* T – Martin Ruby, Saskatchewan Roughriders

## 1952 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 – Jack McKelvie, Sarnia Imperials
* HB – John Pont, Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers
* HB – Archie McAffer, Sarnia Imperials
* HB – John Duchene, Sarnia Imperials
* E – Fred Smale, Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers
* E – Jack Glendenning, Sarnia Imperials
* FW – John Florence, Sarnia Imperials
* C – Bruce Mattingly, Sarnia Imperials
* G – Bob O'Ree, Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers
* G – Wally McIntosh, Sarnia Imperials
* T – Oatten Fisher, Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers
* T – Maurice Dorocke, Sarnia Imperials
* T – Lloyd "Dutch" Davey, Sarnia Imperials

## 1952 Canadian Football Awards

* Jeff Russel Memorial Trophy (IRFU MVP) – Vince Mazza (OT), Hamilton Tiger-Cats
* Jeff Nicklin Memorial Trophy (WIFU MVP) - Jack Jacobs (QB), Winnipeg Blue Bombers
* Gruen Trophy (IRFU Rookie of the Year) - John Fedosoff (RB), Toronto Argonauts
* Dr. Beattie Martin Trophy (WIFU Rookie of the Year) - Lorne Benson (FB), Winnipeg Blue Bombers
* Imperial Oil Trophy (ORFU MVP) - John Pont - Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers