The Canadian Press
TORONTO — Canada Day weekend in the CFL has brought football fans across the country countless memories. There have been numerous big plays, awe-inspiring drives, pad-rattling hits and jaw-dropping finishes.
The holiday weekend has been known to produce some of the most exciting games of the year. CFL.ca has put together a list of some of the most memorable performances since 2010 to help fans across the league get set for this year’s slate of Canada Day weekend games.
The Game
July 1, 2010
The 2010 Canada Day game between the Saskatchewan Roughrider and the Montreal Alouettes might very well be one of the greatest Canada Day games ever played.
Montreal’s Anthony Calvillo and Saskatchewan’s Darian Durant went toe-to-toe in a game that surpassed 1,000 yards of total offence. The Riders would emerge victorious in a 54-51 overtime win.
Rider quarterback Darian Durant completed 29 of his 44 passing attempts and threw for 481 yards and five touchdowns. If that wasn’t impressive enough, the Saskatchewan pivot added another 52 yards and a touchdown with his legs.
His counterpart in Montreal’s Calvillo, managed to complete 28 of his 42 attempts and threw for 368 yards and four touchdowns.
Receivers, Weston Dressler and Canadian, Rob Bagg were Durant’s main targets in the iconic win. Dressler finished the game with 154 yards and a touchdown, while Bagg reeled in 121 yards and touchdown of his own.
The Canada Day classic between the Riders and Als was noted as the third highest scoring game in CFL history, and it’s final points total of 105 marks the highest opening day score in CFL history.
Have a (Canada) Day, Cody Fajardo
July 1, 2019
Saskatchewan quarterback, Cody Fajardo put together a memorable performance in an impressive 32-7 win over the Toronto Argonauts on Canada Day in 2019.
The Rider pivot completed 24 of his 31 passing attempts and threw for 430 yards and two touchdowns in the win over Toronto. Fajardo also contributed to the rushing attack by adding a score with his legs.
The 430 passing yards would help Fajardo set a new career-best in single-game passing yards.
Early in the first quarter, Fajardo managed to find receiver, Kyran Moore for a 98-yard touchdown pass. The catch and run from Moore note the longest scoring play for the Riders since 2002.
Kevin Glenn vs. Matt Nichols
July 1, 2017
A string of success for the Riders on Canada Day has begun to form a pattern on this list. However, when Kevin Glenn’s Riders matched up with Matt Nichols’ Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 2017, he was unable to find the same success. The Bombers would edge out a 43-40 overtime win.
The pair of quarterbacks combined for over 700 passing yards and eight touchdowns, with Saskatchewan’s Glenn completing 36 of his 49 attempts for 377 yards and four touchdowns. While Winnipeg’s Nichols, completed 23 passes for 331 yards and matched Glenn with four touchdowns of his own.
Dressler once again makes an appearance on this list, (and it wont be the last time) helping the Bombers secure a win over his former team with a six-catch, 124-yard and two touchdown performance.
Canadian receiver, Nic Demski was the leading target for Glenn in the game. Desmki caught all seven of his targets for 82 yards and added a touchdown in the Canada Day game.
Canada Day Coronation
June 28, 2013
Photo: The Canadian Press
Calgary Stampeders running back, Jon Cornish is one of the greatest Canadians to ever play the position. So it only seems natural that one of the best games of his career helped to kickoff Canada Day weekend in the CFL, doesn’t it?
In a Week 1 matchup against the BC Lions in 2013, Cornish carried the ball 24 times, recording 172 yards and two touchdowns.
In a 44-32 win over the Lions, Cornish was the Calgary game plan as he helped lead the Stampeders offensive attack to help kickoff the Canada Day long weekend.
The opening week game for Cornish may have been a sign of what was to come in the 2013 season. He would go on to finish the 2013 season with 1,813 rushing yards, a career-high.
Ricky Ray vs. Henry Burris
June 28, 2013
Photo: CFL.ca
On the very same day, just a few provinces over, Toronto’s Ricky Ray and Hamilton’s Henry Burris found themselves in the midst of a battle that would only help to grow the legend of one of the most exciting Canada Day weekends in recent memory.
Ray and Burris were entangled in a four quarter battle that finally ended when a 10-yard pass from Ray found its way into the hands of Dontrelle Inman for a touchdown to help to lift the Argos over their rivals with a 39-34 victory.
In a barrage of passing, the pair of quarterbacks traded offensive blows and seemingly tried to one-up each other with every new drive.
Ray would finish with 368 yards and four touchdown passes, completing 24 of his 34 passing attempts. Burris, on the other hand, completed 24 of his 37 attempts, throwing for 361 yards and three touchdowns.
Dressler’s Dominance
June 29, 2012
Photo: The Canadian Press
Weston Dressler is quite possibly the most productive Canada Day receiver of all time and his 2012 performance on Canada Day weekend is just one example of good Dressler was near the holiday weekend.
In a 43-16 win over Hamilton, Dressler produced a jaw-dropping stat line. The Saskatchewan receiver lead the team in targets with 13, and he caught all 13 on his way to 180 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
The 180-yard, three-touchdown performance is just one of many impressive stat lines that receiver has been able to produce over the holiday weekend.
In a total of nine games played over the Canada Day long weekend, Dressler has caught 56 passes for 921 yards and six touchdowns. Dressler broke 100 yards receiving in five of his nine Canada Day weekend appearances and averaged 16.5 yards per catch and 102.3 yards per game.
