Edmonton Elks facts for kids

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Edmonton Elks
Current uniform

Founded	1949
Based in	Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Home field	Commonwealth Stadium
Head coach	Jarious Jackson
General manager	Ed Hervey
Owner(s)	Larry Thompson
League	Canadian Football League
Division	West
Colours	Green, gold, white
Nickname(s)	The Double-E The Herd (2021–present) Esks, Eskies (1949–2020) The Evil Empire (1970s–1990s)
Mascot(s)	Punter and Spike
Grey Cup wins	14 (1954, 1955, 1956, 1975, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1987, 1993, 2003, 2005, 2015) Edmonton Eskimos (1949–2020) Edmonton Football Team/EE Football Team (2020–2021)

2025 Edmonton Elks season

The Edmonton Elks are a professional Canadian football team. They are based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The team plays in the Canadian Football League (CFL). They are part of the league's West Division. Their home games are played at Commonwealth Stadium.

The Elks started in 1949 as the Edmonton Eskimos. They have won the Grey Cup championship 14 times. This includes winning three years in a row from 1954 to 1956. They also won an amazing five times in a row from 1978 to 1982. Their most recent win was in 2015. This is the most Grey Cup wins for any CFL team in Western Canada. The team has a big rivalry with the Calgary Stampeders. In 2020, the team stopped using the Eskimos name. The new name, Elks, was officially announced on June 1, 2021.

Who Owns the Edmonton Elks?
The History of Edmonton Football
- Early Football Teams in Edmonton (1895–1939)
- The Modern Edmonton Elks Team
Team Records and Achievements
Wall of Honour
Team Mascots
See Also

Who Owns the Edmonton Elks?

The Edmonton Elks were a "community owned" team for a long time. This means local people owned shares in the team. This was true from their start in 1949 until 2024.

In 2024, Larry Thompson bought the team. He was a longtime Elks fan and shareholder. He became the first private owner in the team's history.

The History of Edmonton Football

Early Football Teams in Edmonton (1895–1939)

Before the current Elks team, there were other football clubs in Edmonton. The first organized games started in 1895. These teams played a mix of Canadian football and rugby union. In 1908, a team adopted the name Esquimaux. By 1910, they were officially called the Edmonton Eskimos. For a short time in 1922, this team was even called the Edmonton Elks.

These early teams sometimes folded and then came back. They even played in the 9th Grey Cup and 10th Grey Cup games. They were the first western teams to play for the Grey Cup. After 1925, the team folded again. Other teams like the Edmonton Boosters and Edmonton Hi-Grads played. In 1938, another team called the Eskimos started. This team played in the Western Interprovincial Football Union (WIFU). But they stopped playing after two seasons because of World War II.

The Modern Edmonton Elks Team

Johnny Bright playing for Edmonton in 1962

The team we know today started in 1949. They were called the Edmonton Eskimos. Their first head coach was Annis Stukus. The team played at Clarke Stadium. They quickly became successful. Star players like quarterback Jackie Parker and running back Johnny Bright led them. They won the Grey Cup three years in a row from 1954 to 1956.

The team didn't win another Grey Cup until 1975. This was their longest time without a championship. In 1978, the team moved to Commonwealth Stadium.

A Dynasty of Wins (1978–1982)

The team then won five Grey Cups in a row! This was from 1978 to 1982. This amazing streak was led by superstar quarterbacks Warren Moon and Tom Wilkinson. Their head coach was Hugh Campbell. After a short break, Campbell returned in 1986. He worked for the team in a management role until 2006. This five-year winning streak, along with the success of the city's NHL team, the Edmonton Oilers, earned Edmonton the nickname "City of Champions" in the 1980s. The team played in nine Grey Cup games in just ten years, from 1973 to 1982.

In the 1980s and 90s, Gizmo Williams was a famous player. He still holds many CFL records for returning punts and kickoffs. He helped the team win Grey Cups in 1987 and 1993. During this time, the team also had a very strong defense. Players like Danny Kepley, Danny Bass, and Willie Pless won many awards. Willie Pless won the Defensive Player of the Year award a record five times.

Recent Years and Name Change

After winning the Grey Cup in 2003 and 2005, led by quarterback Ricky Ray, the team missed the playoffs in 2006. This was the first time in 34 years! This was a record in North American professional sports. It led to a ten-year wait for another Grey Cup. In 2015, Edmonton won the Grey Cup again. Quarterback Mike Reilly led them to this most recent championship.

In 2020, some team sponsors asked the team to change its name. The term Eskimo is a word that can be offensive to Inuit people. On July 21, 2020, the team officially stopped using the word "Eskimo." They temporarily called themselves the "Edmonton Football Team" or "EE Football Team." They wanted to find a new name that started with "E" to keep their "double-E" logo. Many Indigenous groups supported this change. On June 1, 2021, the team announced their new name: the Edmonton Elks. This name was actually used by an Edmonton football club way back in 1922.

Edmonton Eskimos uniform combinations from 2012–2015

Even famous players like Warren Moon supported the change. He said that while the name "Eskimos" meant pride to him, he understood that it could be insensitive to others. This name change happened around the same time other sports teams, like the Washington Redskins and Cleveland Indians, also changed their names.

Team Colors and Logos

The team's colors, green and gold, have mostly stayed the same. In 2021, they introduced a new logo. It was a stylized image of an elk. The helmet logo also changed to antlers. However, in 2022, the team brought back the "EE" logo on their helmets. Fans really liked that logo.

Indigenous logo introduced in 2021

In 2021, the Elks worked with an Indigenous student named Izaiah Masuskapoe. He helped create a special logo to honor Indigenous people in Edmonton. This idea later spread across Canada. In 2024, the CFL used similar logos to celebrate the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation.

Team Records and Achievements

The Elks have won 14 Grey Cups. Only the Toronto Argonauts have won more (18). Since the CFL started in the 1950s, the Elks have won more championships than any other team. They hold the record for playing in the most Grey Cups in a row (6 from 1977–1982). They also have the record for most consecutive wins (5 from 1978–1982). They are the only team to win three or more Grey Cups in a row twice (1954–1956 and 1978–1982).

The team also holds two very different North American sports records. They made the playoffs for 34 years in a row (1972 to 2005). This is a record for success. But they also hold the record for the most home losses in a row. This streak reached 22 games on July 29, 2023. It finally ended on August 27, 2023.

The Elks have often had the highest average attendance in the CFL. Since moving to Commonwealth Stadium in 1978, they have led the league in attendance 27 times.

Many former Elks players have become important people in Alberta. This includes two former provincial premiers (Peter Lougheed and Donald Getty). A former mayor of Edmonton (Bill Smith) also played for the team. Even a lieutenant-governor (Norman Kwong) was once an Elks player. Famous professional wrestler and WWE champion Roman Reigns played for the Elks in 2008.

Wall of Honour

The Edmonton Elks honor players who have been outstanding on the field. Their names, numbers, and years played are shown at Commonwealth Stadium. The team usually reuses numbers. However, some numbers are retired and no longer used. These include the numbers of Warren Moon (1), Don Warrington (21), and Rollie Miles (98).

Players Honored (as of 2023):

1 Warren Moon (2001)
2 Henry "Gizmo" Williams (2002)
3 Terry Vaughn (2023)
11 Sean Fleming (2011)
12 Tom Wilkinson (1982)
13 Larry Highbaugh (1996)
14 Oscar Kruger (1992)
15 Ricky Ray (2019)
22 Tom Scott (1993)
24 Johnny Bright (1983)
24 Ed Jones (2022)
25 Jim Germany (2022)
26 Dave Cutler (1986)
27 Don Getty (1992)
29 Joe Hollimon (2022)
30 Danny Bass (1992)
39 Willie Pless (2004)
42 Danny Kepley (1987)
47 Larry Wruck (2011)
51 Frank "Guts" Anderson (1985)
53 Frank Morris (1984)
55 Ron Estay (2010)
60 Chris Morris (2008)
62 Bill Stevenson (2014)
63 Hector Pothier (2014)
65 Dave Fennell (1984)
66 Roger Nelson (1987)
66 John LaGrone (1988)
67 Rod Connop (2005)
70 Brian Kelly (1989)
76 George McGowan (1985)
77 Tommy Joe Coffey (1988)
91 Jackie Parker (1983)
95 Norman Kwong (1984)
98 Rollie Miles (1983)

Team Mascots

The Edmonton Elks have two mascots: Punter and Spike. Punter is a football character. Spike is an elk. Punter was introduced in 2004, and Spike joined in 2021. Before Spike, the team had a polar bear mascot named Nanook, who was introduced in 1997. Nanook retired when Spike arrived with the team's new name.