The Edmonton Eskimos faced the Montreal Alouettes in the Grey Cup game for the third consecutive year. And for the third consecutive year, the Edmonton Eskimos were Grey Cup champions. It was the first time in a Grey Cup that a touchdown was worth six points instead of five.

Canadian Football News in 1956

On Sunday, January 22, representatives of the two largest and most powerful leagues in the Canadian Rugby Union, the Interprovincial Rugby Football Union and the Western Interprovincial Football Union, met in Winnipeg and formed the Canadian Football Council as an umbrella organization. G. Sydney Halter, QC, was named as commissioner of the CFC, which would evolve into today's Canadian Football League. The CFC introduced a national negotiation list.

Television rights for Canadian football games were sold for $101,000. The touchdown point value was increased from five to six points.[1]

The first East-West All-Star game was played at Vancouver's Empire Stadium on December 8. The day after the game, Trans-Canada Air Lines Flight 810 crashed into Mount Slesse, killing five players and one official who were on their way from Vancouver to Calgary. The five players who died in the crash included four members of the Saskatchewan Roughriders: offensive linemen Mario DeMarco and Ray Syrnyk, centre/tight end Mel Becket, and defensive lineman Gordon Sturtridge, along with Winnipeg Blue Bomber offensive lineman Cal Jones. The official killed in the crash was Ed Pettit, of Calgary.

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
TeamGPWLTPFPAPts
Edmonton Eskimos16115035823522
Saskatchewan Roughriders16106035327220
Winnipeg Blue Bombers1697031522818
BC Lions16610025136112
Calgary Stampeders1641202294108
Interprovincial Rugby Football Union
TeamGPWLTPFPAPts
Montreal Alouettes14104047836120
Hamilton Tiger-Cats1477038338514
Ottawa Rough Riders1477032635914
Toronto Argonauts1441003314138
Ontario Rugby Football Union[2]
TeamGPWLTPFPAPts
Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen1183029917016
Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers1064020318312
Sarnia Golden Bears1165021824712
London Lords103701241776
X-Rochester Rockets4040521180
  • Bold text means the team clinched a playoff berth.
  • Edmonton and Montreal had first-round byes.
  • X – Rochester withdrew from the league.

Grey Cup playoffs

Source:[3]

Note: All dates in 1956

Semifinals

WIFU semifinals – game 1
Winnipeg Blue Bombers @ Saskatchewan Roughriders
DateAwayHome
November 3Winnipeg Blue Bombers 7Saskatchewan Roughriders 42
WIFU semifinals – game 2
Saskatchewan Roughriders @ Winnipeg Blue Bombers
DateAwayHome
November 5Saskatchewan Roughriders 8Winnipeg Blue Bombers 19
  • Saskatchewan won the total-point series 50–26. The Roughriders moved on to play the Edmonton Eskimos in the WIFU Finals.
IRFU semifinals
Ottawa Rough Riders @ Hamilton Tiger-Cats
DateAwayHome
November 7Ottawa Rough Riders 21Hamilton Tiger-Cats 46
  • The Tiger-Cats advanced to play the Montreal Alouettes in the IRFU Finals.

Finals

WIFU Finals – Game 1
Edmonton Eskimos @ Saskatchewan Roughriders
DateAwayHome
November 10Edmonton Eskimos 22Saskatchewan Roughriders 23
WIFU Finals – Game 2
Saskatchewan Roughriders @ Edmonton Eskimos
DateAwayHome
November 17Saskatchewan Roughriders 12Edmonton Eskimos 20
WIFU Finals – Game 3
Saskatchewan Roughriders @ Edmonton Eskimos
DateAwayHome
November 19Saskatchewan Roughriders 7Edmonton Eskimos 51
  • Edmonton won the best of three series 2–1 and advanced to the Grey Cup game.
IRFU Finals – Game 1
Montreal Alouettes @ Hamilton Tiger-Cats
DateAwayHome
November 10Montreal Alouettes 30Hamilton Tiger-Cats 21
IRFU Finals – Game 2
Hamilton Tiger-Cats @ Montreal Alouettes
DateAwayHome
November 19Hamilton Tiger-Cats 41Montreal Alouettes 48
  • Montreal won the total-point series 78–62 and advanced to the Grey Cup game.

Playoff bracket

Quarterfinals Semifinals Grey Cup
         
IRFU Montreal Alouettes
IRFU BYE
IRFU Montreal Alouettes 30-48
EAST
IRFU Hamilton Tiger Cats 21-41
IRFU Hamilton Tiger Cats 46
IRFU Ottawa Rough Riders 21
IRFU Montreal Alouettes 27
WIFU Edmonton Eskimos 50
WIFU Edmonton Eskimos
WIFU BYE
WIFU Edmonton Eskimos 22-20-51
WEST
WIFU Saskatchewan Roughriders 23-12-7
WIFU Saskatchewan Roughriders 42-8
WIFU Winnipeg Blue Bombers 7-19

Grey Cup Championship

November 24

44th Annual Grey Cup Game: Varsity Stadium – Toronto, Ontario

WIFU ChampionIRFU Champion
Edmonton Eskimos 50Montreal Alouettes 27
1956 Grey Cup Champions: Edmonton Eskimos

    Canadian Football Leaders

    1956 Eastern (Interprovincial Rugby Football Union) All-Stars

    Offence

    Defence

    1956 Western (Western Interprovincial Football Union) All-Stars

    Offence

    Defence

    1956 Canadian Football Awards

    References

    1. ↑ "Canadian Football Timelines (1860-2005)" (PDF). footballcanada.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 January 2017. Retrieved 3 October 2019.
    2. ↑ https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=h0olAAAAIBAJ&sjid=uuMFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1882%2C1062203 Ottawa Citizen – Nov 3, 1956
    3. ↑ "1956 Details". www.cflapedia.com. Retrieved 2019-10-31.
    4. ↑ "CFLapedia".
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