Touchdown Atlantic facts for kids

The Touchdown Atlantic logo

Touchdown Atlantic (in French, Touché Atlantique) is a special series of Canadian Football League (CFL) games. These games are played in the Maritimes, which are provinces in eastern Canada like Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. They are called "neutral site" games because they aren't played in the usual home stadiums of the teams.

The idea behind Touchdown Atlantic was to see if there was enough interest in the Maritimes to have their own CFL team. Cities like Halifax and Moncton were considered for a new team. After some games, especially in 2010, people became more excited about the idea of an "Atlantic expansion team."

Early Games and Tests

The original Touchdown Atlantic logo

Before the official Touchdown Atlantic series began, there were a few test games. In 1986, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers played the Montreal Alouettes in Saint John, New Brunswick. Over 11,000 fans watched the game! The next year, the Alouettes played there again. In 2003, another game was held in Quebec City.

The very first game of the official Touchdown Atlantic series was a pre-season match in June 2005. It was played in Halifax, Nova Scotia, at Huskies Stadium. The Toronto Argonauts played against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, and the game ended in a 16–16 tie. This game helped the CFL see if Halifax could support a new team, possibly called the Atlantic Schooners. More than 11,000 fans came to watch. The league also used this game to test a new instant replay system.

Another game was planned for Halifax in 2006, but it was cancelled. This happened because the Ottawa Renegades team, which was supposed to play, was temporarily stopped from playing in the league.

Regular Season Excitement

Fans at the 2010 Touchdown Atlantic game in Moncton

In 2009, it was announced that the Edmonton Eskimos would play the Toronto Argonauts in Moncton, New Brunswick. This was a big deal because it was the first regular season CFL game ever played in Atlantic Canada! The game took place on September 26, 2010, at the new Moncton Stadium at Université de Moncton. Over 20,000 tickets were sold very quickly, showing how excited people were! The Eskimos won the game 24–6.

Another Touchdown Atlantic game was held in Moncton in 2011. The Hamilton Tiger-Cats played the Calgary Stampeders on September 25, 2011. Hamilton won this high-scoring game 55–36.

There was no game in 2012. In 2013, the Tiger-Cats returned to Moncton to play the Montreal Alouettes. Hamilton won a close game, 28–26. This game was held in Moncton because Hamilton's home stadium was being rebuilt.

From 2014 to 2018, no Touchdown Atlantic games were played. But interest in a team for the Maritimes grew again. A group of business people started talking to the league about a team in Halifax, possibly called the Atlantic Schooners. To keep the excitement going, a Touchdown Atlantic game was announced for 2019. It was held in Moncton on August 25, 2019. The Montreal Alouettes beat the Toronto Argonauts 28–22.

In 2020, a game was planned for Halifax for the first time. The Saskatchewan Roughriders were set to play the Argonauts at Huskies Stadium. However, this game had to be cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A Team for the Maritimes?

The success of the early Touchdown Atlantic games made Moncton a strong candidate for a new CFL team. Moncton is in a good spot because it's central to all three Maritime provinces. A team there could represent the whole region.

However, the idea of a new team for the Maritimes faded for a while after 2013. But discussions started again in 2017, with both Halifax and Moncton being considered as possible homes for a team.

List of Games Played