Montreal Alouettes facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Montreal Alouettes
Les Alouettes de Montréal

Founded	1946
Based in	Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Home field	Percival Molson Memorial Stadium
Head coach	Jason Maas
General manager	Danny Maciocia
Team president	Mark Weightman
Owner(s)	Pierre Karl Péladeau
League	Canadian Football League
Division	East
Colours	Red, white, blue
Nickname(s)	Als, Larks, Les Moineaux
Mascot(s)	Touché
Grey Cup wins	8 (1949, 1970, 1974, 1977, 2002, 2009, 2010, 2023)
Website	en.montrealalouettes.com montrealalouettes.com
Current uniform
2025 Montreal Alouettes season

The Montreal Alouettes (in French: Les Alouettes de Montréal) are a professional Canadian football team. They are based in Montreal, Quebec. The team was founded in 1946. The Alouettes play in the East Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL). They won the Grey Cup in 2023. They beat the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the 110th Grey Cup Game. Their home field is Percival Molson Memorial Stadium.

The first Alouettes team played from 1946 to 1981. They won the Grey Cup four times. They were very strong in the 1970s. They played in six Grey Cup Finals during that time. They won in 1970, 1974, and 1977. After this team stopped playing in 1982, a new team called the Montreal Concordes started right away. They played as the Concordes for four years. Then, they brought back the Alouettes name in 1986. The team stopped playing again in 1987. This meant no CFL football in Montreal for nine years.

The current Alouettes team started in 1996. It was formed by the owner of the Baltimore Stallions. The Stallions were a very successful team from the CFL's expansion into the United States. They even won the Grey Cup in 1995. Many players from the 1995 Stallions team joined the Alouettes. They became the main part of the 1996 Alouettes team.

For official records, the CFL sees all Montreal football clubs as one team since 1946. They say the Alouettes stopped playing in 1987 and came back in 1996. Even though the Alouettes' return in 1996 is often seen as the Stallions moving, the league and the Alouettes do not count the Baltimore team's history as their own.

The Alouettes team that started in 1996 was one of the best CFL teams in the 2000s. They played in almost every Grey Cup Final during that decade. They won three Grey Cups, bringing their total to seven at that time. From 1996 to 2014, the Alouettes had the longest streak of making the playoffs in the CFL. They only missed the playoffs three times since returning. This streak ended in 2015. Famous players from this time include Mike Pringle, who holds the CFL record for most rushing yards. Also, quarterback Anthony Calvillo had more career passing yards than any other professional football player for a long time.

In 2019, the CFL bought the team from businessman Robert Wetenhall. He could not find a buyer. Later that year, Sid Spiegel and Gary Stern bought the Alouettes. They took over the team on January 6, 2020. In February 2023, the league took ownership again. Then, they sold the team to Quebec media owner Pierre Karl Péladeau in March 2023. On November 19, 2023, the Alouettes won their eighth Grey Cup. This was in their first season with Péladeau as owner.

Team History

The First Alouettes (1946–1981)

"Prince" Hal Patterson in a 1958 Alouettes uniform.

Football has a long history in Montreal, going back to the 1850s. The Alouettes team was first created in 1946. It was started by Canadian Football Hall of Famer Lew Hayman, along with Eric Cradock and Léo Dandurand. They named the team after the song "Alouette". This song is about a skylark and became a symbol for French-speaking Quebecers. The name also came from the No. 425 "Alouette" Squadron from World War II. This was a French-Canadian bomber squadron.

The team won its first Grey Cup championship in 1949. They beat the Calgary Stampeders 28–15. Quarterback Frank Filchock and running back Virgil Wagner led the team.

The 1950s were good for the Alouettes. Quarterback Sam Etcheverry threw passes to John "Red" O'Quinn and "Prince" Hal Patterson. Pat Abbruzzi ran with the ball. Montreal had the best offense in Canadian football. From 1954 to 1956, they reached the Grey Cup three years in a row. But they lost to the Edmonton Eskimos each time.

Ted Workman bought the team in 1954. The Alouettes joined the new Canadian Football League in 1958. The team did well until the end of the 1960 season. On November 10, there was a big trade. Hal Patterson and Sam Etcheverry were traded to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. This deal caused problems because Etcheverry had a no-trade clause in his contract. The deal was changed, and Patterson was traded for Don Paquette. Etcheverry became a free agent. This trade was one of the most unfair in Alouettes history. It led to a tough decade for the team. They did not have a single winning season during that time.

From 1968 to 1976, the team played in the Autostade stadium. This stadium was built for Expo 67. Its location was not good, which led to low attendance. This hurt the team's money.

Workman sold the team to Joe Atwell in 1965. Atwell bought the rest of the shares in 1967. But the team kept struggling. They hit their lowest point in 1969, finishing with only 2 wins and 12 losses. After that season, Atwell sold the team to Sam Berger. Berger had been a part-owner of the Ottawa Rough Riders. Berger made changes right away. On December 9, the team announced that Red O'Quinn and Sam Etcheverry were coming back. O'Quinn became the general manager and Etcheverry the head coach. The team also got new uniforms. Their home jerseys were now mostly green, with red and white. The white helmets with red "wings" were replaced. New players were brought in.

These changes helped the team immediately. In 1970, they finished third in the East. But they beat the Toronto Argonauts and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the playoffs. The 1970 season ended with the Alouettes winning the 58th Grey Cup. This game was played on November 28 in Toronto. Quarterback Sonny Wade was named the game's most valuable player. He became a fan favorite. The team beat the Calgary Stampeders 23–10. This was Montreal's first Grey Cup win since 1949.

That 1970 victory started what many call the best decade in the team's history. While Berger was owner, the team played in six Grey Cups. They won three of them. In 1974, the team changed its colors to red, white, and blue. These matched other Montreal sports teams. They moved from the Autostade to Olympic Stadium in the middle of the 1976 season. Attendance went way up. In 1977, the Alouettes had a great year. They won the Grey Cup in their home stadium. A record 68,318 fans watched the game. This is still a CFL record today. They also had an average of 59,595 fans per game during the regular season. This is also still a league record.

However, the success ended when Berger retired in 1981. He sold the team to Vancouver businessman Nelson Skalbania. Skalbania signed many famous NFL players. But even with all that talent, the Alouettes had a bad season. They finished with only 3 wins and 13 losses. Attendance dropped to under 30,000 per game. The East Division was so weak that year that they still made the playoffs. They lost to the Rough Riders in the East Semi-Final.

This was the last game for the original Alouettes team. Skalbania had many business problems. He was forced to give the team back to the league on May 13, 1982.

Montreal Concordes logo from 1982–1985

The Montreal Concordes (1982–1985)

The CFL was ready for the Alouettes to stop playing. Montreal businessman Charles Bronfman was interested in a new team. He owned the Montreal Expos baseball team. On May 14, 1982, the CFL gave the Montreal team rights to Bronfman. But Skalbania still claimed he owned the Alouettes name and logos.

To avoid a lawsuit, Bronfman chose a new name: the Concordes. This name was for the fast Concorde jet. It also sounded good in both English and French. But the name upset the company Bombardier. They were a big sponsor of the Alouettes. Bombardier refused to support a team named after a competitor's aircraft.

The Concordes took over the history and records of the 1946–1981 Alouettes. Bronfman kept most of the Alouettes' coaches and staff. He released the expensive NFL players Skalbania had signed. A players' strike was happening in the NFL, which helped some players like quarterback Johnny Evans stay in Montreal.

The 1982 Concordes lost nine games in a row. They finished with only 2 wins and 14 losses. This was the worst record in the team's history. The team had players like quarterback Luc Tousignant, the only Quebec-born quarterback to start a CFL game besides Gerry Dattilio. Other stars included running back David Overstreet and kicker Don Sweet.

The team slowly got better over the next three years. The Concordes won five games in 1983. They were still in the playoff race until the last weekend. In 1984, they made the playoffs again. In 1985, they reached the East Final. Their win over Ottawa in the East Semifinal was their only home playoff game and playoff win as the Concordes.

However, attendance did not improve. Only one game under Bronfman's ownership drew more than 30,000 fans. The 1985 East Semifinal had only 11,372 fans. This was the team's last home game as the Concordes.

New Name and End of Team (1986–1987)

In 1986, the team changed its name back to the Montreal Alouettes. They hoped to bring back fan interest. But it did not work. The team had a 4–14 record and missed the playoffs. Attendance dropped to just over 10,000 fans per game. One game had only 5,200 fans, the smallest crowd at a CFL game since 1951.

Before the 1987 season, the CFL lost its main TV sponsor. This was a big problem for the Alouettes. The team had lost at least $15 million under Bronfman's ownership. Bronfman decided he would not have a football team for the 1987 season unless many more season tickets were sold. This did not happen.

The league was not in a position to take over the team. Moving the team was also not an option. The Alouettes played both of their two preseason games away from home. Bronfman officially closed the new Alouettes team on June 24, 1987. This was just one day before the 1987 regular season was supposed to start. The CFL had to quickly release a new schedule with only eight teams. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers moved to the East Division to take the Alouettes' place.

The CFL held a draft for the Alouettes players. Some players who lost their jobs played in the NFL during a players' strike later that year. During the time the Alouettes were gone, another football league, the World League of American Football, had a team in Montreal called the Montreal Machine. They played in 1991 and 1992.

Baltimore Stallions (1994–1995)

The Baltimore Football Club was a new team in 1994. They were part of the CFL's expansion into the United States. The team wanted to be called the "Baltimore CFL Colts," but the NFL's Indianapolis Colts stopped them. Owner Jim Speros chose the name "Stallions." The Stallions were the most successful American CFL team. They had strong fan support and played in the Grey Cup in both their seasons. They lost in 1994 and won in 1995. They are the only American team to win the Grey Cup.

Just a week after the Stallions won the Grey Cup, the Cleveland Browns NFL team announced they were moving to Baltimore. Support for the Stallions quickly disappeared. Speros decided to move his team elsewhere.

He almost moved the team to Houston, Texas. But in the end, CFL commissioner Larry Smith encouraged Speros to talk with Montreal. Smith wanted to bring the CFL back to Montreal. He believed that the Grey Cup champions would be a better way to restart football in the city.

On February 2, 1996, Speros officially asked to move the Stallions to Montreal. The request was approved. This ended the CFL's American experiment. Speros decided to bring back the Alouettes name. He was allowed to reclaim the history of the 1946–86 Alouettes/Concordes team. But he was not allowed to keep the Stallions' history. So, officially, the Alouettes are seen as having stopped playing from 1987 to 1995. The Stallions are one of only three Grey Cup champions to stop playing.

All Stallions players were released from their contracts. But general manager Jim Popp, who came from Baltimore, was able to re-sign many of them. The Stallions did not have to follow CFL rules about having a certain number of Canadian players. So, a special draft was held to help the Alouettes get enough Canadian players. Popp hired Bob Price as the new head coach. With many former Stallions players, the Alouettes had their first winning record since 1979. They beat the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the East semifinal. But they lost to the Argonauts in the East Final.

In 1997, Speros sold the team to Robert Wetenhall. He owned the team until 2019. Larry Smith became the president of the Alouettes. Bob Price left, and Popp hired Dave Ritchie as the new head coach.

The Alouettes Return (1996–1997)

The new Alouettes team played their first two seasons at Olympic Stadium. But attendance was very low in the huge stadium. The team's future was uncertain. Then, something unexpected happened. In November 1997, a U2 concert was planned at Olympic Stadium. This conflicted with an unexpected home playoff game against the Lions. The team decided to move the game to Molson Stadium. This was where they had played from 1954 to 1967. Interest in the team grew, and the game sold out. This led the team to move permanently to the smaller Molson Stadium starting in 1998. At that time, Molson Stadium held 20,202 people. Before every Sunday home game, the team plays "Sunday Bloody Sunday" to thank U2 for helping save the team. The team still used Olympic Stadium for one home game a year from 2001 to 2009, and for playoff games from 2001–2012. The Montreal Alouettes started well, winning 25 games and losing 11 in their first two seasons. They reached the East Division Finals both times.

The Anthony Calvillo Era (1998–2013)

The Alouettes' luck began to change in the 1998 season. They got a young quarterback named Anthony Calvillo from the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. They also drafted slotback Ben Cahoon. Veteran players Tracy Ham and Mike Pringle helped the team finish second. But they lost a close game to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the East Final. The Alouettes finally won their first division title since 1979 in 1999, under new head coach Charlie Taaffe. However, they lost the East Final again to the Tiger-Cats, 27–26.

Tracy Ham retired after the 1999 season. Anthony Calvillo became the full-time starting quarterback. He led the team to their first Grey Cup final since 1979. They lost to BC in a close game. After the season, Charlie Taaffe left. The next season started well, but Calvillo got hurt. The team struggled, and general manager Jim Popp fired the coach.

The Alouettes signed Don Matthews to coach the team. In 2002, they had the best record in the CFL (13–5). They won their first Grey Cup since 1977. They beat their old rivals, the Edmonton Eskimos, 25–16. The Alouettes had the best record in the CFL in the 2004 season (14–4). They seemed sure to play for the Grey Cup. But in the East Final, Anthony Calvillo got hurt. The Toronto Argonauts came back to beat the Alouettes, 26–18. In the 2004–2005 off-season, Mike Pringle, the CFL's all-time leading rusher, signed a one-day contract to retire as an Alouette. The team played in the first Grey Cup overtime game in almost 50 years. The Edmonton Eskimos beat the Alouettes, 38–35.

During the 2006 season, coach Matthews left due to health reasons. Jim Popp took over as coach. He led the team to the Grey Cup, where they lost 25–14 to the B.C. Lions.

Popp coached the team in the 2007 season. The team had its first losing season since 1996 (8–10). This was partly because Anthony Calvillo left to be with his sick wife. The team lost the East Semi-Final to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Montreal hosted the 2008 Grey Cup. The Alouettes wanted to play in it. They hired Marc Trestman as head coach. Trestman helped them to an 11–7 record and a spot in the Grey Cup. They lost to the Calgary Stampeders, 22–14, in front of over 66,000 fans.

The 2009 season was a record-breaking year for the Alouettes. They set a team record with 15 wins and 3 losses. Their defense was amazing, allowing very few points. Marc Trestman won coach of the year. The Alouettes won the 2009 Grey Cup with a 28–27 comeback victory. This was thanks to great play from Anthony Calvillo, Ben Cahoon, and Jamel Richardson. The Alouettes were losing 27–11 with 8 minutes left. Kicker Damon Duval missed a field goal on the last play. But the Saskatchewan Roughriders had too many players on the field (the "13th Man" penalty). This gave Duval a second chance from closer. He made the kick, giving Montreal an amazing Grey Cup win. This ended a streak of four straight Grey Cup losses. The 2010 season was also good. They went 12–6 and became the first team since 1997 to win two Grey Cups in a row. They played the Saskatchewan Roughriders again and won 21–18.

The 2011 season was another record-breaking year for Anthony Calvillo. He broke many records against the Argonauts. He broke the CFL all-time touchdown passes record. Damon Allen was at the game and congratulated him. Calvillo also broke the completions record. In another game, Anthony Calvillo became professional football's all-time career passing yards leader. His family and former players joined him for a special celebration. NFL stars Warren Moon and Dan Marino sent video messages. The team lost a close overtime game in the East Semi-Final to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

The 2012 season was good for the Alouettes. But after an 11–7 season, they lost the East Final to the Toronto Argonauts. Brian Bratton dropped a game-tying touchdown pass with a minute left.

Before the 2013 season, coach Marc Trestman left for the NFL. Dan Hawkins was hired as head coach. After a 2–3 start, Jim Popp fired Hawkins and coached the team himself. Calvillo suffered a season-ending concussion. Other quarterbacks played for the rest of the season. The team had an 8–10 record and made the playoffs for the 18th year in a row. They lost the East Semi-Final.

Anthony Calvillo announced his retirement on January 21, 2014. He played for 20 years, with 16 of them as an Alouette.

After Anthony Calvillo (2014–2018)

On February 24, 2014, Tom Higgins became the Alouettes' new head coach. He had coached the Eskimos against the Alouettes in two Grey Cup games. The Alouettes finished with an even record (9 wins, 9 losses) and made the playoffs. They beat the BC Lions in a crossover game. But they were beaten by the Tiger-Cats 40–24.

On May 22, 2015, Michael Sam signed with the Alouettes. He became the first openly gay player in CFL history. However, Michael Sam left after one game. On August 21, 2015, owner Robert Wetenhall removed Tom Higgins as head coach. General manager Jim Popp took over as coach. The 2015 season was tough for the Alouettes. Their starting quarterback Jonathan Crompton was injured. The team used five different quarterbacks. They finished with a 6–12 record and missed the playoffs for the first time since 1996.

On September 19, 2016, Popp was removed from his coaching duties but stayed as general manager. Jacques Chapdelaine became the interim head coach. He was the first Quebec-born head coach for the Alouettes. He was named permanent coach on December 13, 2016. Kavis Reed became the new general manager. 2016 was another losing year for the team (7–11). After a 3–8 start to the 2017 season, Chapdelaine was fired. The Alouettes ended the season with their worst record since returning (3–15).

On December 20, 2017, former Green Bay Packers head coach Mike Sherman became the team's new head coach. Under Sherman, the team had its fourth losing season in a row (5 wins, 13 losses). In the five seasons after Anthony Calvillo retired, the team won 30 games and lost 60.

New Owners and Look (2019–2023)

On February 1, 2019, the team showed off a new logo and updated uniforms. The old "angry bird" logo was replaced with a stylish "M" that looked like a bird and a plane. They also introduced a new slogan, "MontreALS."

On May 31, 2019, Robert Wetenhall gave up ownership of the Alouettes to the league. The CFL ran the team while looking for a new owner. Several people were interested in buying the team.

On June 8, 2019, just before their season started, Khari Jones took over as interim head coach from Mike Sherman. Jones led the Alouettes to a 10–8 record. They finished second in the East Division and made the playoffs for the first time since 2014. Quarterback Vernon Adams played very well. Although the team lost in the East Semi-Final, Jones was made the permanent head coach.

On January 6, 2020, the Alouettes found new owners: Sid Spiegel and his son-in-law Gary Stern. Spiegel passed away on July 28, 2021. The 2020 season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Gary Stern stepped away from the team's daily operations on August 29, 2022.

Pierre Karl Péladeau Ownership (2023–Present)

On February 14, 2023, the CFL took ownership of the Alouettes again. Mario Cecchini was named interim President. On March 10, 2023, the CFL announced that Pierre Karl Péladeau had bought the team. On March 28, 2023, Péladeau announced that Mark Weightman was hired as president and CEO. The 2023 season was great for the Alouettes. They went 11–7 and finished second in the East Division. They upset the Toronto Argonauts to win the East Division Final. Then, they won the Grey Cup 28–24 against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, who were favored to win.

Current Team Roster

Current Coaching Staff

Watching and Listening to Games

You can listen to Alouettes games in English on Bell Media's CKGM. For French, you can listen on Cogeco's CHMP-FM. Games are also available on Sirius XM Canada.

On television, the Alouettes' main coverage is on TSN and its French partner network RDS.

Important Players

Retired Jersey Numbers

The Alouettes have honored several great players by retiring their jersey numbers. This means no other player on the team will wear that number again.

Canadian Football Hall of Fame Members

Many Alouettes players, coaches, and owners have been inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame. This honors their great contributions to the sport.

Head Coaches

• Lew Hayman (1946–1951)
• Peahead Walker (1952–1959)
• Perry Moss (1960–1962)
• Jim Trimble (1963–1965)
• Darrell Mudra (1966)
• Kay Dalton (1967–1969)
• Sam Etcheverry (1970–1972)
• Marv Levy (1973–1977)
• Joe Scannella (1978–1981)
• Jim Eddy (1981)
• Joe Galat (1982–1985)
• Gary Durchik (1985–1986)
• Joe Faragalli (1987 – named coach but team folded)
• Bob Price (1996)
• Dave Ritchie (1997–1998)
• Charlie Taaffe (1999–2000)
• Rod Rust (2001)
• Jim Popp (2001, 2006–2007, 2013, 2015–2016)
• Don Matthews (2002–2006)
• Marc Trestman (2008–2012)
• Dan Hawkins (2013)
• Tom Higgins (2014–2015)
• Jacques Chapdelaine (2016–2017)
• Kavis Reed (2017)
• Mike Sherman (2018)
• Khari Jones (2019–2022)
• Danny Maciocia (2022)
• Jason Maas (2023–present)

General Managers

• Lew Hayman (1946–1954)
• Vic Obeck (1955–1956)
• Gorman Kennedy (1957–1959)
• Perry Moss (1960–1962)
• Jim Trimble (1963–1964)
• Ted Workman (1965–1967)
• Tony Golab (1968–1969)
• Red O'Quinn (1970–1971)
• J. I. Albrecht (1972–1973)
• Bob Geary (1974–1981)
• Sam Etcheverry (1982–1983)
• Joe Galat (1983–1986)
• Norm Kimball (1986)
• Jim Popp (1996–2016)
• Kavis Reed (2016–2019)
• Danny Maciocia (2020–present)

Team Mascots

Blitz (center), a former Montreal Alouettes mascot, with Boum-Boum (right), a former ice hockey mascot, in April 2002.

The word "Alouettes" is French for "Lark," which is a type of bird. The official mascot for the Montreal Alouettes is named Touché. The team also had a second mascot named Blitz, who was introduced in 1999. However, Blitz was retired at the start of the 2013 season.

Season Results

More to Explore

• Montreal Alouettes all time records and statistics
• Canadian Football Hall of Fame
• Montreal Machine

See also

In Spanish: Montreal Alouettes para niños