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, Canada. The team started in 1946. It has stopped playing and then started again two times. 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. They play regular season games there. Since 2014, they also play their playoff games at this stadium.

The first Alouettes team played from 1946 to 1981. They won four Grey Cups. They were very strong in the 1970s. During that time, they played in six Grey Cup Finals. They won in 1970, 1974, and 1977. They lost in 1975, 1978, and 1979. All their losses were against the Edmonton Eskimos. The team stopped playing in 1982. But it was quickly restarted with new owners. The new team was called the Montreal Concordes.

After playing for four years as the Concordes, they changed their name back to the Alouettes in 1986. The team stopped playing again in 1987. This meant there was no CFL football in Montreal for nine years.

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

For record-keeping, the CFL sees all Montreal teams as one franchise since 1946. The league says the Alouettes stopped playing in 1987. Then they returned in 1996. Even though the 1996 Alouettes are like a moved Stallions team, the league and the Alouettes do not count the Stallions' history as part of the Alouettes' official records.

The latest version of the Alouettes was one of the best CFL teams in the 2000s. They reached almost every Grey Cup Final in that decade. They won three Grey Cups, bringing their total to seven. 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 coming back. This streak ended in 2015. They hosted a playoff game almost every year. They had losing seasons in 2007, 2013, and from 2015 to 2018. The years 2015 to 2018 were the first time the team missed the playoffs for several years in a row since they restarted. Famous players from this time include Mike Pringle. He is the CFL's all-time leader in rushing yards. Also, quarterback Anthony Calvillo led all of pro football in career passing yards for a time.

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

Team History and Milestones

The Original Alouettes (1946–1981)

"Prince" Hal Patterson in a 1958 Alouettes uniform.

Football has been played in Montreal since the 1850s. The Alouettes team was first created in 1946. This was done by Lew Hayman and businessmen Eric Cradock and Léo Dandurand. They chose the name "Alouettes" from a famous French work song. The song is about a skylark, which became a symbol for French-speaking Quebecers. The team's name also comes from the "Alouette" Squadron (No. 425) from World War II. This was a French-Canadian bomber squadron.

The Alouettes won their 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 carried the ball. Montreal had the best offense in Canadian football. From 1954 to 1956, they reached the Grey Cup three times in a row. But they lost to the Edmonton Eskimos each time.

Ted Workman bought the team in 1954. In 1958, the Alouettes joined the new Canadian Football League. The team continued to do well until the end of the 1960 season. A big trade happened on November 10. Hal Patterson and Sam Etcheverry were traded to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. This deal caused problems because Etcheverry had a no-trade clause. He became a free agent. The deal was changed, and Patterson was traded for Don Paquette. Sam Etcheverry went on to play in the NFL. This trade was one of the most uneven in Alouettes history. It led to a tough decade for the team.

During the 1960s, the team did not have a single winning season. From 1968 to 1976, they played in the Autostade stadium. This stadium was built for Expo 67. Its location was not good, and few fans came to games. 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 this change did not help the team. They had their worst year 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 became the head coach. The team also got new uniforms. Their home jerseys were now mostly green, with red and white. The old white helmets were replaced with a white helmet that had a green and red bird's head. Many new players joined the team.

These changes helped immediately. The team finished third in the East. 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. The game was played on November 28 in Toronto. Quarterback Sonny Wade was named the game's most valuable player. The team beat the Calgary Stampeders 23–10. This was Montreal's first Grey Cup since 1949.

The 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. They played against the Edmonton Eskimos in five of those six games. 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 at their home field. A record 68,318 fans watched the game. This is still a CFL record today. They also averaged 59,595 fans per game during the regular season. This is also still a league record.

However, this 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 these players, the Alouettes did poorly. They finished with only 3 wins and 13 losses. Attendance dropped to under 30,000 per game. Even so, 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's businesses failed. He had to give the team back to the league on May 13, 1982.

The Montreal Concordes (1982–1985)

Montreal Concordes logo from 1982–1985

The CFL knew the Alouettes might fail. So they were ready when Skalbania gave up the team. Montreal businessman Charles Bronfman wanted to buy the team. He owned the Montreal Expos baseball team. Bronfman did not want to deal with Skalbania. But he was willing to start a new team quickly. On May 14, 1982, the CFL gave the Montreal team rights to Bronfman. However, Skalbania still claimed ownership of the Alouettes name and logos.

To avoid a lawsuit, Bronfman chose a new name: the Concordes. This name was inspired by the Concorde supersonic jet. It also sounded good in both English and French. But the new name upset Bombardier, a big aviation company in Montreal. Bombardier had sponsored the Alouettes. They 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. Many players went back to the U.S. But a players' strike was coming in the NFL. This helped convince some stars to stay in Montreal.

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

The team slowly got better over the next three years. The Concordes won five games in 1983. The East Division was weak that year. So the Concordes were still in the playoff race until the last weekend. Their final game was against the Tiger-Cats. The teams were tied for the last playoff spot. A good crowd of 41,157 fans came to watch. But the Tiger-Cats tied the game 21–21 with a last-minute field goal. Since there was no overtime in the regular season then, the Tiger-Cats got the playoff spot. They had a better record against the Concordes.

The team made the playoffs in 1984. Again, the East Division was very weak. 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 much. Only 11,372 fans came to the team's last home game as the Concordes.

Changing Name and Ending (1986–1987)

In 1986, the team changed its name back to the "new" Montreal Alouettes. They hoped to bring back fan interest. But this did not work. The team had a 4–14 record. They missed the playoffs. Financial losses grew, and attendance fell to just over 10,000 fans per game. One game had only 5,200 fans. This was the smallest crowd at a CFL game since 1951.

Just before the 1987 season, the CFL lost its main television sponsor. This was a big blow for the Alouettes. The team had lost at least $15 million under Bronfman's ownership. Bronfman decided to focus on his baseball team, the Expos. He said he would not field a football team for the 1987 season. This was unless the Alouettes sold thousands more season tickets. Neither the tickets nor a new owner appeared.

The league was not in a position to take over the team. Moving the team was also not an option. No other Canadian city had a suitable stadium. The CFL was not yet interested in expanding to U.S. markets.

The Alouettes played both of their two preseason games away from home. But Bronfman gave up. He folded the new Alouettes on June 24, 1987. This was just one day before the 1987 regular season started. The league had known this might happen. They quickly released a new eight-team schedule. 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 later that year. During the time the Alouettes were gone, another football league, the World League of American Football, had a team in Montreal. It was called the Montreal Machine. They played for two seasons in 1991 and 1992.

The Baltimore Stallions (1994–1995)

The Baltimore Football Club was a new team in 1994. This was part of the CFL's expansion into the United States. The team was first called the "Baltimore CFL Colts." But the NFL's Indianapolis Colts blocked this name. So owner Jim Speros chose "Stallions." The Stallions were the most successful American CFL team. They had strong fan support in Baltimore. They 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 would move to Baltimore. Support for the Stallions quickly disappeared. Speros decided to move the Stallions elsewhere.

Speros was close to moving the team to Houston, Texas. Houston had the NFL's Oilers, but fans were losing interest because the team was moving. Speros thought a CFL team could do well there. But the move to Houston might have also been a way to get attention from the NFL. The NFL returned to Houston in 2002 with the Texans.

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 "revive" the Alouettes name. He could reclaim the history of the 1946–86 Alouettes/Concordes team. But he was not allowed to keep the Stallions' history. So, officially, Speros gave up the Stallions team. Then he "reactivated" the Alouettes team. The Alouettes are now seen as having stopped playing from 1987 to 1995. The Stallions are one of only three modern Grey Cup champions to fold.

All Stallions players were released from their contracts. But general manager Jim Popp was able to re-sign many of them. American CFL teams did not have to follow rules about having a certain number of Canadian players. So, a special draft was held to get Canadian players for the Alouettes. Popp hired former Stallions assistant coach 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. Wetenhall owned the team until 2019. Larry Smith left his job as league commissioner. He became president of the Alouettes. Bob Price left to coach in the NCAA. Popp hired Dave Ritchie as the new head coach.

The Rebirth of the Montreal Alouettes (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 a home playoff game against the Lions. The team decided to move the game to Molson Stadium. They had played there from 1954 to 1967. Interest in the team grew a lot. The game sold out. This led the team to move permanently to the smaller Molson Stadium in 1998. At that time, Molson Stadium held 20,202 fans. Before every Sunday home game, the team plays "Sunday Bloody Sunday" by U2. This is to thank U2 for helping save the team. The team still used Olympic Stadium for one home game per year from 2001 to 2009. They also used it for playoff games from 2001–2012. The Montreal Alouettes started well. They won 25 games and lost 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. Tracy Ham and Mike Pringle led the team to a second-place finish. But they lost to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the East Final at the last second. In 1999, under new head coach Charlie Taaffe, the Alouettes finally won their first division title since 1979. 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 resigned. The next season started well under new coach Rod Rust. But Calvillo hurt his shoulder. The team struggled and lost all their remaining games. General Manager Jim Popp fired Rust. Popp led them into the playoffs, where they lost to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

During the off-season, the Alouettes hired Don Matthews as head coach. In 2002, they came back strong. They finished with the best record in the CFL (13–5). They won their first Grey Cup since 1977. They beat one of their oldest 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. Backup Ted White replaced him. The Toronto Argonauts came back to beat the Alouettes, 26–18. During the 2004–2005 off-season, Mike Pringle signed a one-day contract. This allowed him to retire as a Montreal Alouettes player. The team played in the first Grey Cup overtime game in almost 50 years. The Edmonton Eskimos beat the Alouettes, 38–35.

In the 2006 season, Matthews left his coaching job due to health reasons. Jim Popp took over for the rest of the season. He led the team to the Grey Cup. But they lost 25–14 to the B.C. Lions.

Popp continued to coach in the 2007 season. The team had its first losing season since 1996, with an 8–10 record. This was partly because Anthony Calvillo left the team 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 be there. So they hired experienced NFL assistant coach Marc Trestman. Coach Trestman helped them to an 11–7 record. They reached the Grey Cup against the Calgary Stampeders. The Stampeders beat the Alouettes 22–14 in front of over 66,000 fans.

The 2009 season was a record-breaking year for the Montreal Alouettes. They set a team record for wins in a regular season (15–3). Their defense was amazing, allowing only 324 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 down 27–11 with 8 minutes left. They started their comeback. Kicker Damon Duval missed a 43-yard field goal on the last play. But the Roughriders had too many players on the field (the 13th Man). This was a ten-yard penalty. Duval got a second chance from the 33-yard line. He made the kick, giving Montreal an amazing Grey Cup win. This game became a Grey Cup classic. It also ended a streak of 4 straight Grey Cup losses for the Alouettes. The 2010 season was another good year. They went 12–6. They became the first team since 1997 to win two Grey Cups in a row. They played against the Saskatchewan Roughriders again. They won 21–18, repeating as champions.

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. He also broke the completions record. In another game, Anthony Calvillo became pro football's all-time career passing yards leader. His family joined him on the field for a special presentation. NFL legends Warren Moon and Dan Marino sent video messages. Calvillo received a plaque with the new record number, 72382. The team lost an overtime game in the East Semi-Final to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

The 2012 season was another good year for the Alouettes. They had an 11–7 season. But they lost the East Final to the Toronto Argonauts. Brian Bratton dropped a game-tying touchdown pass from Calvillo. This gave Toronto a 27–20 win.

Before the 2013 season, coach Marc Trestman left for the NFL. Dan Hawkins was hired as head coach. He had no pro experience. After a 2–3 start, Jim Popp fired Hawkins. Popp coached the team for the rest of the year. Calvillo suffered a season-ending concussion. Other quarterbacks played for the rest of the season. The team had an 8–10 record. They made the playoffs for the 18th year in a row. They lost the East Semi-Final against the Tiger-Cats.

Anthony Calvillo announced his retirement on January 21, 2014. He had a 20-year career, with 16 years as an Alouette.

After Anthony Calvillo (2014–2018)

On February 24, 2014, the Alouettes named Tom Higgins as their new head coach. Higgins had coached the Eskimos against the Alouettes in two Grey Cup games. The Alouettes finished with a .500 record (9 wins, 9 losses). They made the playoffs. After beating the BC Lions, they lost to 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 coaching duties. The 2015 season was tough for the Alouettes. Their starting quarterback was injured. They used five different quarterbacks. They finished with a 6–12 record. They missed the playoffs for the first time since 1986.

On September 19, 2016, Popp was removed from his coaching duties. He remained as general manager. Jacques Chapdelaine became 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 bad year. The team finished 7–11. After a 3–8 start to the 2017 season, Chapdelaine was fired. The Alouettes ended the season with their worst record since restarting: 3 wins and 15 losses.

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

New Owners and Rebranding (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." This "M" was designed to look like a bird and a plane. They also introduced a new slogan: "MontreALS."

On May 31, 2019, Wetenhall gave up ownership of the Alouettes to the league. He had tried to sell the team. The CFL ran the team while looking for a new owner.

On June 8, 2019, just before their season opener, Khari Jones took over as interim head coach from Mike Sherman. Jones led the Alouettes to a 10–8 record. This was good enough for second place in the East Division. It was the team's first playoff spot since 2014. The team's improved play was also due to quarterback Vernon Adams. He passed for almost 4,000 yards. The team lost in the East Semi-Final. But they removed the "interim" tag from Jones's title. He signed a three-year contract on November 26, 2019.

On January 6, 2020, the Alouettes found new owners. Sid Spiegel and his son-in-law Gary Stern bought the team. Spiegel died on July 28, 2021. He did not get to see the team play a game. The 2020 season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On August 29, 2022, Gary Stern announced he was stepping away from the team's daily operations.

Pierre Karl Péladeau Ownership (2023–Present)

On February 14, 2023, the CFL took ownership of the Alouettes again. Mario Cecchini was named interim President. The league worked to sell the team to new owners. 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 saw the Alouettes go 11–7. They finished second in the East Division. They then upset the Toronto Argonauts to win the East Division Final. They went on to win the Grey Cup 28-24 against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

Team Roster and Staff

Current Roster

Current Coaching Staff

Media Coverage

The Alouettes' English radio games are on Bell Media's CKGM. Cogeco's CHMP-FM is the French-language station.

Games can also be heard on Sirius XM Canada. Their French services are Influence Franco (XM 174) and Attitude Franco (Sirius 164).

The Alouettes' main television coverage is on TSN. Their French sister network is RDS.

Notable Players

Retired Numbers

Canadian Football Hall of Fame Members

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 head 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)

Mascots

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

The word "Alouettes" means "Larks" in French. Touché is the official mascot for the Montreal Alouettes. The team had a second mascot named Blitz starting in 1999. But Blitz was retired at the start of the 2013 season.

Season Results

See Also

In Spanish: Montreal Alouettes para niños

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