Hamilton Tiger-Cats host Toronto Argonauts in annual Labour Day clash

HAMILTON — There’ll be much more than just bragging rights on the line Monday for Wynton McManis and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

Hamilton (4-8) hosts Toronto (5-6) in the annual Labour Day clash, which is always the biggest rivalry game between the two franchises. But the Ticats will be playing for their season before a Hamilton Stadium sellout gathering.

The winner will take the season series 2-1 and gain the tiebreaker in the event of a tie at the end of the year. But a win would move Toronto four points ahead of Hamilton in the battle for second in the East Division with a game in hand.

Hamilton would then have just five games remaining to move past Toronto for second. And given the tight race for third in the West, it’s looking like the fourth-place team will cross over and take the third and final playoff spot in the East Division.

“It’s a really big game the fact it’s Labour Day and implications behind it,” McManus said Sunday following Hamilton’s walk-through. “I think the universe knows it’s a big game as well.

“The weather is supposed to be great, I think the clouds are going to clear (and) the sun is going to be out. There’s no reason not to go out and give your all and leave it all on the line like this is the last game in the season.”

Hamilton head coach Scott Milanovich hasn’t had to remind his players about what will be on the line Monday afternoon.

“No, they’re well aware of it,” he said. “This is a critical game if we want to hang in the battle for second in the East.

“That gives it a little bit more juice, no doubt about it.”

Hamilton leads the overall series 37-16-1. But Toronto has won three of the last four Labour Day matchups, including 35-33 last year on Lirim Hajrullahu’s game-ending 11-yard field goal.

Hajrullahu will return to Toronto’s lineup Monday. He last played in Hamilton’s 24-23 win July 18, the teams’ first meeting of the season.

Hajrullahu had a chance to win that contest for Toronto but missed a game-ending 31-yard field goal. Earlier, he missed a convert attempt.

This will mark McManis’s first Labour Day as a Ticat. He signed with Hamilton in the off-season following four seasons with Toronto, helping the Argos win two Grey Cups (2022, ’24).

“From the first day I signed I’ve heard how much this games means (to Hamilton),” McManus said. “They (Ticats fans) never let you forget understanding what it is, what it means to this town to beat (Toronto).

“They’re used to their teams almost being the bad guy and just having that grit about them. We want to make sure we give them that and they keep that same feeling because that feels like home here in Hamilton.”

Toronto dispatched Hamilton 39-20 at BMO Field on Aug. 22, rushing for a season-high 145 yards. Rookie Isaiah Smith ran for a career-high 99 yards as the Argos improved to 4-0 in games they run for 100 or more yards.

Smith will start Monday while American Qualan Jones, who ran for 37 yards on nine carries versus Hamilton in August, also suits up.

“It’s a different game but, man, we don’t let anybody run the ball on us,” McManis said. “We’re going to make sure we take pride in that.”

Chad Kelly makes his 12th start of the season for Toronto despite suffering a broken toe in the Argos’ 28-24 road loss to Saskatchewan on Aug. 29. He threw for 416 yards with three TDs and two interceptions in that game.

“I don’t know if I’m buying it,” McManis said of Kelly’s injury. “I’m not believing it.”

Kelly entered this week second in CFL passing (3,642 yards) and tied for first in TDs (24). But he’s also thrown a league-high 17 interceptions.

However, even after a pick Kelly isn’t afraid to return to the air.

“Many times you go weeks where quarterbacks will avoid throwing over the middle just because of the past,” McManis said. “But you’re going to play Chad and he’s going to try so you can appreciate that but at the same time we’ve got to try to make him pay.”

Tre Ford, of Niagara Falls, Ont., will make a sixth start for Hamilton looking for his second win. His first came in the Ticats opening contest versus Toronto.

But American Nahree Biggins starts at running back ahead of incumbent Larry Roundtree III, who was placed on the reserved list. And Canadian defensive back Devynn Cromwell, a ’26 third-round pick by Hamilton, will make his CFL debut on special teams.

The five-foot-11, 200-pound Toronto native required knee surgery after being injured in March at Michigan State’s pro day.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 6, 2026.

Dan Ralph, The Canadian Press