Hamilton Tiger-Cats say CFL Labour Day Classic is officially sold out

By

Published September 1, 2022 at 10:57 am

It is social-tickets-only for the traditional Labour Day Classic football game between the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and their archrivals from that other Southern Ontario city.

The Tiger-Cats have announced that they have a sellout for the matchup on Monday afternoon (Sept. 5, 1 p.m.) against the Toronto Argonauts at Tim Hortons Field. The club says that “due to high demand,” they are adding a limited number social tickets in the Stipley End Zone to complement a full house on both sides of the stadium.

Multi-platinum recording artist Tim Hicks, a St. Catharines native, will perform in Stelco North End, as previously announced.

WeatherTech is a presenting sponsor, and fans are encouraged to bring a non-perishable item or a cash donation to support the Purolator Tackle Hunger program and food banks in the Hamilton community. There is also a guaranteed 50/50 draw prize of $50,000, with proceeds benefiting the Hamilton Minor Football Association. (Tickets can be bought ahead of time at ticats5050.com; there is a $1,000 cash prize for people who buy before 8 p.m. on Friday).

The matchup on Monday will be the first Labour Day game with the stadium at full capacity since 2019.

The CFL paused competition in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In early September of last season, capacity was capped at 15,000 fans, who had to show either proof of vaccination or negative COVID-19 test to enter the stadium.

This time around, the Tiger-Cats (3-8) and quarterback Dane Evans are looking up at East Division-leading Toronto (5-5) in the standings. The Montréal Alouettes (4-6) are also two points up on the Ticats, with a game in hand, in the race for what might turn out to be the last East playoff berth.

The CFL gives a cross-over playoff berth to a fourth-place team that has an outright better record than the third-place team in the other division. The Saskatchewan Roughriders (6-5), who are fourth in the West, have more wins than any East team.

The Tiger-Cats have won all seven Labour Day affrays against the Argonauts since Tim Hortons Field opened in 2014, including a 32-19 win last year.

The last Toronto win on Labour Day was a 33-30 decision in 2012 at Ivor Wynne Stadium, which was razed the following season.

All-time, the Tiger-Cats lead the series 36-13-1. Hamilton is also 8-0-1 against Montréal on the long weekend in September.

The league has three long-running rivalry games that take place on Labour Day weekend. Saskatchewan hosts the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in Regina on the Sunday, while the Calgary Stampeders host the Edmonton Elks on the Monday to form a doubleheader with the Hamilton-Toronto game.

The most frequent matchup among the other three teams, historically, has been between Montréal and Ottawa.

insauga's Editorial Standards and Policies advertising