The current Alouettes Montreal Alouettes

the baltimore football club granted expansion franchise 1994 canadian football league. after nfl s indianapolis colts (who had moved baltimore in 1983) blocked attempts name new team baltimore cfl colts, owner jim speros settled on stallions nickname. stallions far successful of cfl s american teams, garnering persistent fan support in baltimore area , appearing in grey cup in both seasons (losing in 1994, winning in 1995). week before stallions won grey cup, cleveland browns owner art modell announced intention relocate nfl club baltimore. knowing stallions not begin compete nfl team, speros decided move stallions elsewhere.

at 1 point, speros reported close moving team houston, texas. although houston @ time still home nfl oilers, fan support team had collapsed due pending relocation nashville, speros had reason believe cfl team there repeat success had been enjoyed in baltimore. in addition, team in houston have been natural rivals san antonio texans, still planning play 1996 season provided @ least 1 other u.s. team survived. on other hand, proposed move houston considered in circles little more ploy try , win concessions nfl, presumably not have wanted risk embarrassment of having 1 of teams outdrawn team league in same city.

alouettes home helmet 1996-2016

in end, under prodding league commissioner , former alouettes running larry smith, speros began talks montreal. smith had been looking way return cfl canada s second-largest market and, @ same time, find way out of failing american expansion. believed defending grey cup champions better vehicle reviving football in montreal have been expansion team.

at league meeting on february 2, 1996; speros formally requested permission move stallions montreal. request granted, officially ending cfl s american experiment. however, talks had been far advanced @ least 1 baltimore outlet reported stallions moving montreal in january. according @ least 1 canadian outlet, @ same time speros had begun deciding whether retain stallions moniker or revive alouettes. chose latter course, surrendering stallions franchise , reconstituting organisation third incarnation of alouettes. while speros able reclaim history of 1946–86 alouettes/concordes franchise, not allowed retain history of stallions. alouettes, however, briefly mention stallions on history page.

to restate , clarify rather confusing series of events: bronfman returned alouettes franchise cfl days before start of 1987 season. after stallions won grey cup in 1995, speros returned stallions franchise cfl , reconstituted organisation in montreal. part of deal, speros allowed reclaim dormant alouettes franchise, along history , records. result, alouettes officially reckoned having suspended operations 1987 1995, while stallions franchise regarded having been dissolved in 1995.

while of stallions players released contracts, general manager jim popp, followed team baltimore, able re-sign many of them. however, other u.s.-based cfl teams, stallions had been exempt cfl rules mandated quota of canadian non-import players on team rosters. reason, expansion draft held stock alouettes required number of non-import players. popp hired former stallions assistant coach bob price new head coach of montreal alouettes. result, alouettes able overcome slow start finish first winning record since 1979. defeated hamilton tiger-cats in east semifinal before being throttled argos 43–7 in east final.

in 1997, speros sold team developer , investor robert wetenhall, still owns team today. smith stepped down league commissioner , became president of alouettes. bob price left alouettes head south , coach in ncaa. popp hired former b.c. lions head coach , concordes defensive line coach dave ritchie successor. team had fast start, , made east final, lost doug flutie s argos on last second touchdown pass flutie.

the revived alouettes franchise played first 2 seasons @ olympic stadium, attendance in cavernous domed stadium poor @ first. future of franchise in doubt until twist of fate revitalized floundering club. when scheduled november 1997 u2 concert @ olympic stadium conflicted unexpected home playoff game against lions (due cfl s cross-over playoff format), team decided move game molson stadium, had played 1954 1967. interest in team soared , game sold out, prompting team relocate permanently smaller venue beginning 1998 season. @ time of alouettes return molson, stadium s capacity 20,202; expansion completed prior 2010 season brought current capacity 25,012. prior every sunday home game, club plays sunday bloody sunday on pa system in tribute unintended role u2 played in saving franchise. team did not abandon olympic stadium – 2001 2009, alouettes hosted 1 regular-season game per year home playoff games @ larger stadium. since expansion of molson stadium, team uses big o playoff games.