This is a complete list of seasons competed by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, a Canadian Football League team. The Hamilton Football Club was formed on November 3, 1869 and was first referred to as the Tigers in a game against the Toronto Argonauts on October 18, 1873, while also wearing black and gold for the first time. In 1941, during World War II, a new team, named the Hamilton Wildcats began playing in the Ontario Rugby Football Union after the Tigers suspended operations due to most of their players fighting in the war. After the Tigers rejoined the IRFU, the two teams were simultaneously competing for the Grey Cup. In 1950, the two clubs merged under the moniker Hamilton Tiger-Cats after it became apparent that both teams would not be able to compete financially in the same market.
Throughout their history, the Tiger-Cats have won eight Grey Cups and Hamilton franchises combined have won 15 Grey Cups.
Grey Cup Championships† | Division Championships* | Regular season championships^ |
League Season | Tiger-Cats Season | League | Division | Finish | Wins | Losses | Ties | Playoffs | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1950 | 1950 | IRFU | – | 1st^ | 7 | 5 | 0 | Lost IRFU Semi-Finals (Argonauts) 1–1 series (19–35 points) | |
1951 | 1951 | IRFU | – | 2nd | 7 | 5 | 0 | Won IRFU Semi-Finals (Argonauts) 1–1 series (31–28 points) Lost IRFU Finals (Rough Riders) 0–2 series (16–28 points) | |
1952 | 1952 | IRFU | – | 1st | 9 | 2 | 1 | Lost IRFU Finals (Argonauts) 1–2 series (45–40 points) | |
1953 | 1953 | IRFU†* | – | 2nd | 8 | 6 | 0 | Won IRFU Finals (Alouettes) 2–0 series (59–23 points) Won Grey Cup (Blue Bombers) 12–6† | |
1954 | 1954 | IRFU | – | 2nd | 9 | 5 | 0 | Lost IRFU Finals (Alouettes) 0–2 series (38–28 points) | |
1955 | 1955 | IRFU | – | 2nd | 8 | 4 | 0 | Lost IRFU Semi-Finals (Argonauts) 32–28 | |
1956 | 1956 | IRFU | – | 2nd | 7 | 7 | 0 | Won IRFU Semi-Finals (Rough Riders) 46–21 Lost IRFU Finals (Alouettes) 0–2 series (78–62 points) | |
1957 | 1957 | IRFU†* | – | 1st^ | 10 | 4 | 0 | Won East Finals (Alouettes) 2–0 series (56–11 points) Won Grey Cup (Blue Bombers) 32–7† | |
1958 | 1958 | CFL | IRFU* | 1st^ | 10 | 3 | 1 | Won IRFU Finals (Rough Riders) 2–0 series (54–14 points) Lost Grey Cup (Blue Bombers) 35–28 | |
1959 | 1959 | CFL | IRFU* | 1st^ | 10 | 4 | 0 | Won East Finals (Rough Riders) 1–1 series (26–24 points) Lost Grey Cup (Blue Bombers) 21–7 | |
1960 | 1960 | CFL | IRFU | 4th | 4 | 10 | 0 | ||
1961 | 1961 | CFL | East* | 1st^ | 10 | 4 | 0 | Won East Finals (Argonauts) 1–1 series (55–27 points) Lost Grey Cup (Blue Bombers) 21–14 (OT) | |
1962 | 1962 | CFL | East* | 1st^ | 9 | 4 | 1 | Won East Finals (Alouettes) 2–0 series (58–38 points) Lost Grey Cup (Blue Bombers) 28–27 | |
1963 | 1963 | CFL† | East* | 1st^ | 10 | 4 | 0 | Won East Finals (Rough Riders) 1–1 series (63–35 points) Won Grey Cup (Lions) 21–10† | |
1964 | 1964 | CFL | East* | 1st^ | 10 | 3 | 1 | Won East Finals (Rough Riders) 1–1 series (39–38 points) Lost Grey Cup (Lions) 34–24 | |
1965 | 1965 | CFL† | East* | 1st^ | 10 | 4 | 0 | Won East Finals (Rough Riders) 1–0–1 series (25–20 points) Won Grey Cup (Blue Bombers) 22–16† | |
1966 | 1966 | CFL | East | 2nd | 9 | 5 | 0 | Won East Semi-Finals (Alouettes) 24–14 Lost East Finals (Rough Riders) 0–2 series (17–72 points) | |
1967 | 1967 | CFL† | East* | 1st^ | 10 | 4 | 0 | Won East Finals (Rough Riders) 2–0 series (37–3 points) Won Grey Cup (Roughriders) 24–1† | |
1968 | 1968 | CFL | East | 3rd | 6 | 7 | 1 | Lost East Semi-Finals (Argonauts) 33–21 | |
1969 | 1969 | CFL | East | 3rd | 8 | 5 | 1 | Lost East Semi-Finals (Argonauts) 15–9 | |
1970 | 1970 | CFL | East | 1st^ | 8 | 5 | 1 | Lost East Finals (Alouettes) 0–2 series (26–43 points) | |
1971 | 1971 | CFL | East | 2nd | 7 | 7 | 0 | Won East Semi-Final (Rough Riders) 23–4 Lost East Finals (Argonauts) 0–1–1 series (25–40 points) | |
1972 | 1972 | CFL† | East* | 1st^ | 11 | 3 | 0 | Won East Finals (Rough Riders) 1–1 series (30–27 points) Won Grey Cup (Roughriders) 13–10† | |
1973 | 1973 | CFL | East | 4th | 7 | 7 | 0 | ||
1974 | 1974 | CFL | East | 3rd | 7 | 9 | 0 | Lost East Semi-Final (Rough Riders) 21–19 | |
1975 | 1975 | CFL | East | 3rd | 5 | 10 | 1 | Lost East Semi-Final (Alouettes) 35–12 | |
1976 | 1976 | CFL | East | 2nd | 8 | 8 | 0 | Won East Semi-Final (Alouettes) 23–0 Lost East Final (Rough Riders) 17–15 | |
1977 | 1977 | CFL | East | 4th | 5 | 11 | 0 | ||
1978 | 1978 | CFL | East | 3rd | 5 | 10 | 1 | Lost East Semi-Final (Alouettes) 35–20 | |
1979 | 1979 | CFL | East | 3rd | 6 | 10 | 0 | Lost East Semi-Final (Rough Riders) 29–26 | |
1980 | 1980 | CFL | East* | 1st^ | 8 | 7 | 1 | Won East Final (Alouettes) 24–13 Lost Grey Cup (Eskimos) 48–10 | |
1981 | 1981 | CFL | East | 1st^ | 11 | 4 | 1 | Lost East Final (Rough Riders) 17–13 | |
1982 | 1982 | CFL | East | 2nd | 8 | 7 | 1 | Lost East Semi-Final (Rough Riders) 30–20 | |
1983 | 1983 | CFL | East | 3rd | 5 | 10 | 1 | Won East Semi-Final (Rough Riders) 33–31 Lost East Final (Argonauts) 41–36 | |
1984 | 1984 | CFL | East* | 2nd | 6 | 9 | 1 | Won East Semi-Final (Concordes) 17–11 Won East Final (Argonauts) 14–13 (OT) Lost Grey Cup (Blue Bombers) 47–17 | |
1985 | 1985 | CFL | East* | 1st^ | 8 | 8 | 0 | Won East Final (Concordes) 50–26 Lost Grey Cup (Lions) 37–24 | |
1986 | 1986 | CFL† | East* | 2nd | 9 | 8 | 1 | Won East Finals (Argonauts) 1–1 series (59–56 points) Won Grey Cup (Eskimos) 39–15† | |
1987 | 1987 | CFL | East | 3rd | 7 | 11 | 0 | Lost East Semi-Final (Argonauts) 29–13 | |
1988 | 1988 | CFL | East | 3rd | 9 | 9 | 0 | Lost East Semi-Final (Blue Bombers) 35–28 | |
1989 | 1989 | CFL | East* | 1st^ | 12 | 6 | 0 | Won East Final (Blue Bombers) 14–10 Lost Grey Cup (Roughriders) 43–40 | |
1990 | 1990 | CFL | East | 4th | 6 | 12 | 0 | ||
1991 | 1991 | CFL | East | 4th | 3 | 15 | 0 | ||
1992 | 1992 | CFL | East | 2nd | 11 | 7 | 0 | Won East Semi-Final (Rough Riders) 29–28 Lost East Final (Blue Bombers) 59–11 | |
1993 | 1993 | CFL | East | 2nd | 6 | 12 | 0 | Won East Semi-Final (Rough Riders) 21–10 Lost East Final (Blue Bombers) 20–19 | |
1994 | 1994 | CFL | East | 5th | 4 | 14 | 0 | ||
1995 | 1995 | CFL | North | 4th | 8 | 10 | 0 | Lost North Semi-Final (Stampeders) 31–13 | |
1996 | 1996 | CFL | East | 3rd | 8 | 10 | 0 | Lost East Semi-Final (Alouettes) 22–11 | |
1997 | 1997 | CFL | East | 4th | 2 | 16 | 0 | ||
1998 | 1998 | CFL | East* | 1st^ | 12 | 5 | 1 | Won East Final (Alouettes) 22–20 Lost Grey Cup (Stampeders) 26–24 | |
1999 | 1999 | CFL† | East* | 2nd | 11 | 7 | 0 | Won East Semi-Final (Argonauts) 27–6 Won East Final (Alouettes) 27–26 Won Grey Cup (Stampeders) 32–21† | |
2000 | 2000 | CFL | East | 2nd | 9 | 9 | 0 | Lost East Semi-Final (Blue Bombers) 22–20 | |
2001 | 2001 | CFL | East | 2nd | 11 | 7 | 0 | Won East Semi-Final (Alouettes) 24–12 Lost East Final (Blue Bombers) 28–13 | |
2002 | 2002 | CFL | East | 3rd | 7 | 11 | 0 | ||
2003 | 2003 | CFL | East | 4th | 1 | 17 | 0 | ||
2004 | 2004 | CFL | East | 3rd | 9 | 8 | 1 | Lost East Semi-Final (Argonauts) 24–6 | |
2005 | 2005 | CFL | East | 4th | 5 | 13 | 0 | ||
2006 | 2006 | CFL | East | 4th | 4 | 14 | 0 | ||
2007 | 2007 | CFL | East | 4th | 3 | 15 | 0 | ||
2008 | 2008 | CFL | East | 4th | 3 | 15 | 0 | ||
2009 | 2009 | CFL | East | 2nd | 9 | 9 | 0 | Lost East Semi-Final (Lions) 34–27 (OT) | |
2010 | 2010 | CFL | East | 2nd | 9 | 9 | 0 | Lost East Semi-Final (Argonauts) 16–13 | |
2011 | 2011 | CFL | East | 3rd | 8 | 10 | 0 | Won East Semi-Final (Alouettes) 52–44 (OT) Lost East Final (Blue Bombers) 19–3 | |
2012 | 2012 | CFL | East | 4th | 6 | 12 | 0 | ||
2013 | 2013 | CFL | East* | 2nd | 10 | 8 | 0 | Won East Semi-Final (Alouettes) 19–16 (OT) Won East Final (Argonauts) 36–24 Lost Grey Cup (Roughriders) 45–23 | |
2014 | 2014 | CFL | East* | 1st^ | 9 | 9 | 0 | Won East Final (Alouettes) 40–24 Lost Grey Cup (Stampeders) 20–16 | |
2015 | 2015 | CFL | East | 2nd | 10 | 8 | 0 | Won East Semi-Final (Argonauts) 25–22 Lost East Final (Redblacks) 35–28 | |
2016 | 2016 | CFL | East | 2nd | 7 | 11 | 0 | Lost East Semi-Final (Eskimos) 24–21 | |
2017 | 2017 | CFL | East | 3rd | 6 | 12 | 0 | ||
2018 | 2018 | CFL | East | 2nd | 8 | 10 | 0 | Won East Semi-Final (Lions) 48–8 Lost East Final (Redblacks) 46–27 | |
2019 | 2019 | CFL | East* | 1st^ | 15 | 3 | 0 | Won East Final (Eskimos) 36–16 Lost Grey Cup (Blue Bombers) 33–12 | |
2020 | 2020 | CFL | East | Season cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | |||||
2021 | 2021 | CFL | East* | 2nd | 8 | 6 | 0 | Won East Semi-Final (Alouettes) 23–12 Won East Final (Argonauts) 27–19 Lost Grey Cup (Blue Bombers) 33–25 (OT) | |
2022 | 2022 | CFL | East | 3rd | 8 | 10 | 0 | Lost East Semi-Final (Alouettes) 28–17 | |
2023 | 2023 | CFL | East | 3rd | 8 | 10 | 0 | Lost East Semi-Final (Alouettes) 27–12 | |
Regular season Totals (1950–2023) | 567 | 598 | 17 | ||||||
Playoff Totals (1950–2023) | 44 | 49 | 2 | ||||||
Grey Cup Totals (1950–2023) | 8 | 14 |