Dan Ralph
The Canadian Press

MONTREAL - Quarterback Anthony Calvillo of the Montreal Alouettes is the CFL's outstanding player.

Calvillo, who threw a CFL-high 43 touchdown passes this season, received the honour Thursday night at the league's awards banquet. Quarterback Henry Burris of the Calgary Stampeders was the finalist.

This marks the second time Calvillo has captured the CFL's top individual honour, winning it also in 2003. He received 27 of the 46 first-place votes.

The other award winners Thursday included Edmonton Eskimos slotback Kamau Peterson (top Canadian), Montreal guard Scott Flory (lineman), B.C. Lions defensive end Cameron Wake (defensive player), Toronto Argonauts returner Dominique Dorsey (special-teams) and Saskatchewan Roughriders slotback Weston Dressler (rookie).

Calvillo led the CFL in pass attempts (682), completions (472) and pass efficiency (107.2) and was second overall in passing yards (5,633) en route to leading Montreal (11-7) to top spot in the East Division and a berth in the Grey Cup on Sunday against Calgary at Olympic Stadium (6 p.m., ET). The Alouettes are looking to become the first team since the '94 B.C. Lions to capture the CFL title as the host city.

Calvillo's success has been one of the CFL's top feel-good stories this year. The 15-year veteran left the Alouettes late last season after his wife Alexia Kontolemos was diagnosed with cancer after having just given birth to their second child.

But Calvillo's wife has responded well to treatment, allowing him to continue his CFL career and guide Montreal to its sixth Grey Cup berth in nine years.

Burris, too, has enjoyed a stellar 2008 campaign.

The 10-year veteran established career highs in passing yards (5,094) and touchdowns (39) to lead Calgary to a CFL-best 13-5 record. Burris was also the leading rusher among quarterbacks with 595 yards to earn his first-ever nomination for the league's outstanding player award.

Peterson becomes the Eskimos first outstanding player winner since 2002 when rush end Elfrid Payton was named the league's top defensive player. Peterson received 26 of 46 first-place votes to capture the top Canadian award ahead of Montreal slotback Ben Cahoon, a two-time top winner.

It's ironic Peterson and Cahoon were finalists this year because both are American born. However, each is recognized as a non-import by the CFL for having grown up in Canada.

Peterson became a go-to receiver for Edmonton's Ricky Ray, finishing with 101 catches for 1,317 yards and four touchdowns. The eight-year veteran also stepped up for the Eskimos after veteran Jason Tucker suffered a season-ending neck injury in August.

Peterson, who recently signed a two-year contract extension with Edmonton. became just the fourth receiver in club history to record more than 100 catches in a season, joining the likes of Terry Vaughn (106 in '03), Craig Ellis (106 in '90) and Brian Kelly (104 in 1983).

Cahoon also had a stellar campaign, recording a CFL-high 107 catches for 1,231 yards and seven TDs.

Wake, who was also named the CFL's top rookie last year, enjoyed a stellar sophomore season. After recording a league-best 16 sacks in 2007, the six-foot-three, 260-pound Wake was a quarterback's nightmare in '08 with a league-high 23 sacks, accounting for a third of the Lion's overall total of 68.

He also had five forced fumbles - a league high - and recorded 65 tackles. Wake received 44 of 46 first-place votes to receive the honour ahead of Winnipeg defensive tackle Doug Brown.

But it's unlikely Wake will return next season. He's entering into the option year of his contract with the Lions, giving him a window to sign an NFL contract in the off-season. He's garnered plenty of interest south of the border and is expected to sign a lucrative NFL deal during that time.

The fourth time was indeed the charm for Flory. The six-foot-four, 300-pound Regina native had been a finalist for top lineman on three other occasions, including in 2005 when he finished behind Saskatchewan's Gene Makowsky. Flory received 24 of 46 first-place votes ahead of Makowsky.

Flory, 32, helped anchor a Montreal offensive line that surrendered a league-low 22 sacks and allowed Calvillo the time to shred opposing defences. The Alouettes' offence also led the CFL in scoring (32.4 points per game), total yards (429 per game), pass attempts (712), completions (495) and passing percentage (69.5 per cent).

Dressler was an important figure for the Riders, whose receiving corps was decimated this season by injuries. The former University of North Dakota star registered 56 catches for 1,178 yards and 10 TDs while also serving as an effective kick returner.

The five-foot-seven, 179-pound Dressler became the first rookie in Riders history to register more than 1,000 yards receiving in a season. He received 37 of 46 first-place votes over finalist Prechae Rodriguez of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, who recorded 70 catches for 1,099 yards and seven TDs.

The five-foot-seven, 173-pound Dorsey posted a CFL-high 2,892 all-purpose yards despite missing Toronto's final five regular-season games due to injury. He received 33 of 46 first-place votes over finalist Sandro DeAngelis, the Calgary Stampeders kicker who led the CFL in scoring with 217 points.

Dorsey finished second overall in kickoff returns (50 for 1,257 yards, one TD) and missed field goal returns (five for 187 yards) and third in punt returns (63 for 752 yards, one TD).