Both the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Hamilton’s Forge FC were eliminated in the semi-finals of their respective leagues, bringing their 2025 seasons to an end.
HAMILTON TIGER-CATS
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats had a successful regular season, finishing in first place in the Eastern Division with an 11-7 record after coming in last place in the division in 2024.
The Tiger-Cats lost to the Montreal Alouettes in the semi-finals of the playoffs on Nov. 8 by a score of 19-16.
There were no touchdowns in the opening half, and Montreal was up 6-3 at halftime.
Although they never held the lead in the game, the Tiger-Cats fought back from a six-point deficit to tie the game 16-16 with two and a half minutes left.
However, Montreal managed to work their way into field goal range and converted the winning kick with the final play of the game.
With the win, Montreal’s quarterback Davis Alexander extended his record to 13-0 as a Canadian Football League starter.
With the loss, the Tiger-Cats have extended their Grey Cup drought to 26 years. The team last won in 1999.
There are only nine teams in the league (previously eight), and the Tiger-Cats have the longest current championship drought.
Questions remain over what the team will look like next year.
Tiger-Cats quarterback Bo-Levi Mitchell, 36, is a free agent, as are offensive lineman Brandon Revenberg and defensive end Julian Howsare.
Due to Mitchell’s age, some speculate that he may retire soon.
However, the quarterback just recorded his second straight 5,000-yard season, was a finalist for most outstanding player two years in a row and had a career high in touchdown passes in 2025.
The Tiger-Cats will likely try to re-sign him for 2026.
FORGE FC
Hamilton’s Forge FC were also eliminated in the semi-finals, ending their 2025 season on Nov. 2.
Despite placing first in the Canadian Premier League, they lost two matches in a row in the playoffs and failed to reach the final for the first time.
The way the league’s playoffs are formatted, Forge played second-place Atletico Ottawa in a semi-final match and lost 2-1 but still earned the right to play another semi-final match against Cavalry.
Forge ended up losing that one by a score of 1-0.
Nevertheless, because Forge had the best record of all clubs throughout the regular season, they were awarded the CPL Shield and qualified for the Concacaf Champions Cup, which begins in February.
Joining Forge in that competition are clubs from all across the continent, including Major League Soccer, Central America, and the Caribbean.
Forge’s opponent will be determined on Tuesday, Dec. 9, at 7 p.m. Eastern Time.
Potential opponents include Inter Miami, a team which features Lionel Messi.
Based in Hamilton, he reaches hundreds of thousands of people monthly on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter. He has been published in The Hamilton Spectator, Stoney Creek News, and Bay Observer. He has also been a segment host with Cable 14 Hamilton. In 2017, he received the Chancellor Full Tuition Scholarship from the University of Ottawa (BA, 2022). He has also received the Governor General’s Academic Medal. He formerly worked in a non-partisan role on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.
