Calgary Stampeders

Early Football in Calgary and Foundation

Organized football in Calgary dates back to at least 1891, with an early recorded game seeing Edmonton defeat Calgary 6-5 in the Alberta Total-point Challenge Series. A photograph exists of an Edmonton team from either 1893 or 1895 declaring themselves Champions of Alberta after defeating a Calgary squad. The Calgary Rugby Foot-ball Club, formed later, competed for the Alberta championship in 1907 and evolved into the Calgary Tigers, joining the Calgary Rugby Football Union in 1908 and the Alberta Rugby Football Union in 1911. Over the ensuing decades, several Calgary-based teams emerged and dissolved, including the Calgary Canucks, the 50th Battalion, the Calgary Altomahs, and the Calgary Bronks of the Western Interprovincial Football Union (WIFU). These clubs were a dominant force in Alberta football, winning the Alberta Rugby Football Union championship 15 times over a 25-year period. The onset of World War II brought football in the city to a halt, with the Bronks folding after the 1940 season. None of these pre-1945 teams are considered part of the official Stampeders lineage, which began with the formation of the Calgary Stampeders on September 29, 1945. The new club played its first game on October 20, 1945, at Mewata Stadium, defeating the Regina Roughriders 12-0 before 4,000 fans under head coach Dean Griffing and with players like Woody Strode, Paul Rowe, and Normie Kwong. The team's early years were guided by head coach Les Lear, who took over in 1948 and led the squad to its first period of great success with athletes such as Keith Spaith, Dave Berry, and Ezzert 'Sugarfoot' Anderson contributing to the early victories.

The Golden Era and McMahon Stadium

The Stampeders' 1948 season is one of the greatest in franchise history, featuring a perfect 12-0 regular season record. The team capped the year with a 2-0-1 playoff run and a Grey Cup victory over the Ottawa Rough Riders at Toronto's Varsity Stadium, a game memorable for a touchdown scored on a 'sleeper play'. That Grey Cup festival was also historic as Calgary fans introduced large-scale pageantry to the event, including pancake breakfasts on city hall steps, initiating the Grey Cup parade, and even riding a horse in the lobby of the Royal York Hotel. The Stampeders returned to the Grey Cup the following year with a 13-1 record but lost to the Montreal Alouettes 28-15 in the title game. A new era began in 1960 with the opening of McMahon Stadium, though the team's first game there on August 15 was a 38-23 loss to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. The late 1960s and early 1970s saw a competitive resurgence, with the Stampeders making it to the Grey Cup game three out of four years from 1968 to 1971, missing only in 1969. They won their second championship in 1971 by defeating the Toronto Argonauts 14-11, which was 19 years after their previous Grey Cup appearance in 1952. The team, along with others in the WIFU and Interprovincial Rugby Football Union, had joined the newly formed Canadian Football League in 1958, solidifying the national league structure that continues today.

Struggles and the Save Our Stamps Campaign

Following the 1971 championship, the Stampeders entered a prolonged period of difficulty that lasted nearly two decades. From 1972 to 1989, the team made the playoffs only seven times, a stark contrast to their earlier success. Their only playoff wins in that span came in the 1978 and 1979 Western Finals under coach Jack Gotta, though they lost both games to the rival Edmonton Eskimos, who were in the midst of winning five consecutive Grey Cups at the time. The 1980s were particularly bleak, as Calgary was the only CFL team that failed to win a playoff game during the decade, losing in five West Semi-Final appearances all but one of which came on the road. Financial troubles and declining attendance nearly caused the franchise to fold after a 3-13 season in 1985, which followed a 4-12 record in 1984 under coach Steve Buratto. A successful 'Save Our Stamps' public campaign in 1986 revitalized the club, generating 22,400 season ticket sales and crucial financial stability that translated to improved on-field play. This renewed support laid the groundwork for improved performance under coaches Bob Vespaziani and Lary Kuharich, leading to the team's first playoff win since 1979 in 1990 and back-to-back Grey Cup berths in 1991 and 1992, where they won the title over Winnipeg in the latter year. The campaign is widely credited with saving professional football in Calgary and setting the stage for the successful era that followed.

The Buono Dynasty and Ownership Changes

Wally Buono took over as head coach in 1990, after serving as an assistant for three years, and ushered in one of the most successful eras in team history. In late 1991, the community-owned team was purchased by businessman Larry Ryckman, taking the franchise private for the first time. Over the next 13 years, the Stampeders compiled a remarkable 153-79-2 record, reaching the Grey Cup six times and winning championships in 1992, 1998, and 2001, while losing in 1991, 1995, and 1999. The team was led by star quarterbacks Doug Flutie, Jeff Garcia, and Dave Dickenson, receiver Allen Pitts, Terry Vaughn, and Dave Sapunjis, and a rock-steady defence led by Western All Stars Alondra Johnson, Stu Laird, and Will Johnson. In 1996, Ryckman was forced to relinquish the team after the Alberta Securities Commission found he ran a stock manipulation scheme and fined him $492,000. Sig Gutsche purchased the Stampeders out of receivership for $1.6 million on April 3, 1996. Gutsche helped rectify the team's debts and made the team profitable again before selling to California businessman Michael Feterik on October 8, 2001. Feterik's hands-on involvement in football operations, particularly his insistence on starting his son Kevin at quarterback, created friction with fans and Buono, who departed for the BC Lions after the 2002 season. The Stampeders made the playoffs in every season of the 1990s, demonstrating the franchise's stability and success during that decade under Buono's leadership.

Key figures from the Buono era and earlier builders have been honoured for their contributions. The team's Wall of Fame, instituted in 1985, recognizes the greatest players and off-field contributors. The Presidents' Ring, awarded for leadership, has been won by 29 players as of 2012, including three-time winners Henry Burris, Danny Barrett, and Stu Laird. Builders honoured by the Wall of Fame include a range of executives and contributors who helped shape the franchise from its early days through its modern successes.

• Tony Anselmo (2001)
• Tom Brook (2001)
• Jim Finks (2010)
• Sig Gutsche (2012)
• Roy Jennings (2001)
• Norman Kwong (2012)
• Rogers Lehew (2004)
• George L. McMahon (2001)
• Frank McMahon (2001)
• Dr. Vince Murphy (2006)
• Stan Schwartz (2004)

Coaching Instability and the Hufnagel Restoration

Following Buono's departure, the Stampeders endured a period of coaching instability and front office changes that saw three different head coaches in three years. Jim Barker succeeded Buono in 2003, but was let go after a 5-13 season, and he was replaced by Matt Dunigan, who fared no better in his lone season in 2004, going 4-14. The coaching carousel ended with Tom Higgins taking over in 2005, who brought the team back to respectability led by Henry Burris at quarterback and Joffrey Reynolds at running back. Despite improved records, the team lost in three straight Western Semi-Final games in 2005, 2006, and 2007. During this time, the team lost money, and in January 2005, Feterik sold the team to a group led by Ted Hellard, Doug Mitchell, former Stampeder John Forzani, and the Calgary Flames Limited Partnership. The franchise's fortunes changed dramatically in 2008 when former Stampeder quarterback John Hufnagel became head coach and general manager. He immediately ended the playoff victory drought en route to winning the team's sixth Grey Cup, a 22-14 win over the Montreal Alouettes, with Burris named Grey Cup MVP and kicker Sandro DeAngelis named top Canadian. Hufnagel had been interviewed by several NFL and college football teams but remained with the Stampeders, serving as head coach until the end of the 2015 season while also holding the general manager role. Under his leadership, the Stampeders were a consistent contender, reaching the Western Final every year from 2009 to 2014 except for 2011, when they lost the semi-final to the Eskimos in Edmonton 33-19. In March 2012, Calgary Sports and Entertainment, which previously held a 5% stake, became the majority owner of the team. The Stampeders reached the Grey Cup that same year only to come up short against the Argonauts 35-22, then won their seventh championship in 2014 by defeating the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 20-16 following another defeat in the Western Final in 2013.

The Dickenson Era and Recent Seasons

After the 2015 season, John Hufnagel stepped down from his dual responsibility as head coach and general manager, becoming purely a general manager and handing the coaching reins to former Stamps QB Dave Dickenson. The Stamps continued their success in 2016, winning the West Division again with a 15-2-1 record, but falling to the third-year Ottawa Redblacks in the 104th Grey Cup in overtime. The Stampeders returned to the championship game in 2017 with a league-best 13-4-1 record, making their second straight Grey Cup appearance, but lost to the Toronto Argonauts again, just as they did five years earlier. In 2018, the Stampeders finished 13-5 and made a third straight Grey Cup appearance, winning the title over the Redblacks 27-16 in Edmonton, with Bo Levi Mitchell winning Most Outstanding Player at the 2018 CFL Awards as well as the Grey Cup Most Valuable Player and Lemar Durant named the game's Most Valuable Canadian. The Calgary Stampeders quest for a fourth consecutive Grey Cup appearance came to an abrupt end in 2019, as the team lost a step, finishing second in the West with a 12-6 record, falling to the eventual Grey Cup champion Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the West Semi-Final 35-14. After the CFL went on hiatus in 2020, the Stampeders returned in 2021 to finish one game back of the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the shortened season with an 8-6 record, meeting an early playoff exit at the hands of the Riders in the West Semi-Final in an overtime heartbreaker, 33-30. The team reached the playoffs again in 2022 with a 12-6 record, but fell to the second place BC Lions in the West Semi-Final 30-16. On December 12, 2022, it was announced that Dickenson had been named the team's new general manager in addition to retaining his head coaching duties, marking a new chapter in the franchise's leadership.

The Calgary Stampeders have been a consistently competitive team in the CFL. They finished the 2014 season by winning the franchise's seventh Grey Cup championship, defeating the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. The team continued its success by making Grey Cup appearances in 2016, 2017, and 2018, winning the title again in 2018. In the 2021 shortened season, the Stampeders finished with an 8-6 record. The team reached the playoffs again in 2022 with a 12-6 record.

Team Honours, Leadership, and Historical Coaches

The Calgary Stampeders honour their greatest contributors through several distinct awards and recognitions, with a history of leadership that has shaped the franchise across different eras. The Presidents' Ring was established in 1967 by Calgary Stampeders Football Club team president George McMahon and general manager Rogers Lehew, formerly presented to the team's most valuable player and currently awarded to the player who best demonstrates leadership ability. The team's Wall of Fame, instituted in 1985, recognizes the greatest players and most important off-field contributors in Stampeders history, ensuring their achievements are remembered. The lineage of head coaches reflects the franchise's evolution from its early days to its modern dynasty, with several tenures defining different periods of success and challenge for the club.

The Calgary Stampeders have had many head coaches since their founding in 1945. Their first head coach was Les Lear, who led the team to a Grey Cup victory in 1948. Wally Buono served as head coach from 1990 to 2002, a period of great success for the franchise. John Hufnagel was the head coach from 2008 until the end of the 2015 season. Dave Dickenson took over as head coach in 2016 and continues in that role.

• Dean Griffing (1945 to 1947), The franchise's first head coach who led the initial seasons.
• Les Lear (1948 to 1952), Coached the perfect 1948 season and first Grey Cup win.
• Otis Douglas (1956 to 1960), Resigned August 19, 1960 with the Stampeders at 0-2-1.
• Jim Finks (1960), The general manager acted as coordinator of the coaching staff for one loss after Douglas's resignation.
• Steve Owen (1960), Hired August 23, 1960 with the team at 0-3-1.
• Jerry Williams (1965 to 1968, 1981), Led the team to the 1968 Grey Cup during his first stint.
• Jack Gotta (1977 to 1979, 1982 to 1983), Coached the team to its only playoff wins between 1972 and 1989.
• Wally Buono (1990 to 2002), The winningest coach in team history with three Grey Cups.
• John Hufnagel (2008 to 2015), Led the team to two Grey Cup titles as head coach.
• Dave Dickenson (2016 to present), Current head coach and general manager.

General managers have been important in building the Calgary Stampeders. Jim Finks served as general manager from 1957 to 1964. Rogers Lehew was the general manager from 1965 to 1973. Wally Buono held the role from 1992 to 2002. John Hufnagel was the general manager from 2008 to 2022. The team was community-owned from 1945 until October 23, 1991. Larry Ryckman then purchased the team, followed by Sig Gutsche and then Michael Feterik. A local private group owned the team from January 2005. Calgary Sports and Entertainment has held majority ownership since March 29, 2012.

Questions about Calgary Stampeders

How many Grey Cups have the Calgary Stampeders won?

The Calgary Stampeders have won eight Grey Cup championships in their history. Their victories came in the years 1948, 1971, 1992, 1998, 2001, 2008, 2014, and most recently in 2018. The team has appeared in 17 Grey Cup championship games overall, making them one of the CFL's most successful franchises in the modern era. Their first championship in 1948 capped a perfect 12-0 regular season, while their 2018 win was part of three consecutive Grey Cup appearances from 2016 to 2018, demonstrating sustained excellence.

Who is the current owner of the Calgary Stampeders?

The majority owner of the Calgary Stampeders is Calgary Sports and Entertainment, which acquired its controlling stake in the team on March 29, 2012. This organization also owns the NHL's Calgary Flames and previously only had a 5% stake in the football team. Prior to this, the team had several private owners, including Sig Gutsche and Michael Feterik, and was originally community-owned from its 1945 founding until October 23, 1991, when Larry Ryckman purchased it. The team was under local private ownership from January 2005 until the Calgary Sports and Entertainment takeover in 2012.

Where do the Calgary Stampeders play their home games?

The Calgary Stampeders play their home games at McMahon Stadium, located in Calgary, Alberta. The stadium opened in 1960, with the Stampeders playing their first game there on August 15 of that year, a 38-23 loss to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. McMahon Stadium has been the team's home for over six decades and is a central venue for football in the city. Prior to McMahon, the team played at Mewata Stadium, where they won their first game in 1945 and hosted games until the new stadium was ready.

Who is the head coach and general manager of the Stampeders?

Dave Dickenson serves as both the head coach and general manager of the Calgary Stampeders. He took over head coaching duties from John Hufnagel starting with the 2016 season after Hufnagel stepped down from the dual role. Following Hufnagel's retirement from the general manager role after the 2022 season, Dickenson was named to the additional position on December 12, 2022, giving him full leadership of football operations. Dickenson had previously been a star quarterback for the Stampeders during the Wally Buono era, leading the team to a Grey Cup victory in 1998 as a player before moving into coaching.

What was the Save Our Stamps campaign?

The Save Our Stamps campaign was a successful initiative in 1986. It was launched after the team nearly folded due to financial woes and poor performance. The campaign resulted in season ticket sales of 22,400 and provided stability. This laid the groundwork for the team's first playoff win since 1979 in 1990 and back-to-back Grey Cup berths in 1991 and 1992.

Who are the Calgary Stampeders' main rivals?

The Calgary Stampeders have a provincial rivalry with the Edmonton Elks. They also maintain fierce divisional rivalries with the Saskatchewan Roughriders and the BC Lions. These rivalries are rooted in the team's long history within the West Division of the Canadian Football League. The intensity of the provincial rivalry with Edmonton is highlighted by historical playoff battles, such as the Stampeders' losses to them in the 1978 and 1979 Western Finals. These competitive relationships are a significant part of the club's identity and fan culture.

Sources and further reading

• Calgary Stampeders (Wikipedia)
• Calgary Stampeders (stampeders.com)

Checked by the Garbutt Disposal desk. Last updated 2026-10-23.