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· collected 2026-09-06 · by Dan Ralph The Canadian Press
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are hosting the Toronto Argonauts in their annual Labour Day clash at Hamilton Stadium on Monday. The game is crucial for both teams as it could decide the season series and the tiebreaker in case of a year-end tie, with Toronto leading in the East Division standings. Hamilton needs to win to stay within four points of Toronto, who has a game in hand, and maintain its chances of finishing second in the division. The Ticats are also looking for revenge after losing 39-20 to the Argos in their previous meeting on August 22.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-07,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Hamilton (4-8) hosts Toronto (5-6) in the annual Labour Day clash, which is always the biggest rivalry game between the two franchises.
asserted
which → host → franchises
But the Ticats will be playing for their season before a Hamilton Stadium sellout gathering.
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Ticats → play → 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.
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winner → take → 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.
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win → move → hand
Hamilton would then have just five games remaining to move past Toronto for second.
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Hamilton → have → 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.
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team → give → 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.
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McManus → ’ → through
“I think the universe knows it’s a big game as well.
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it → think → ?
“The weather is supposed to be great, I think the clouds are going to clear (and) the sun is going to be out.
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sun → suppose → ?
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.”
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this → ’ → season
Hamilton head coach Scott Milanovich hasn’t had to remind his players about what will be on the line Monday afternoon.
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what → have → line
“No, they’re well aware of it,” he said.
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he → ’re → it
“This is a critical game if we want to hang in the battle for second in the East.
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we → want → East
“That gives it a little bit more juice, no doubt about it.”
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That → give → it
Hamilton leads the overall series 37-16-1.
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Hamilton → lead → series
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.
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Toronto → win → goal
Hajrullahu will return to Toronto’s lineup Monday.
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Hajrullahu → return → lineup
He last played in Hamilton’s 24-23 win July 18, the teams’ first meeting of the season.
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He → play → season
Hajrullahu had a chance to win that contest for Toronto but missed a game-ending 31-yard field goal.
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Hajrullahu → have → goal
Earlier, he missed a convert attempt.
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he → miss → attempt
This will mark McManis’s first Labour Day as a Ticat.
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This → mark → Ticat
He signed with Hamilton in the off-season following four seasons with Toronto, helping the Argos win two Grey Cups (2022, ‘24).
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Argos → sign → Cups
“From the first day I signed I’ve heard how much this games means (to Hamilton),” McManus said.
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McManus → sign → Hamilton
“They (Ticats fans) never let you forget understanding what it is, what it means to this town to beat (Toronto).
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it → let → Toronto
“They’re used to their teams almost being the bad guy and just having that grit about them.
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teams → ’re → them
We want to make sure we give them that and they keep that same feeling because that feels like home here in Hamilton.”
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that → want → Hamilton
Toronto dispatched Hamilton 39-20 at BMO Field on Aug. 22, rushing for a season-high 145 yards.
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Toronto → dispatch → 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.
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they → run → 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.
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McManis → start → us
“We’re going to make sure we take pride in that.”
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we → go → 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.
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Kelly → make → Aug.
He threw for 416 yards with three TDs and two interceptions in that game.
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He → throw → game
“I don’t know if I’m buying it,” McManis said of Kelly’s injury.
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McManis → know → injury
“I’m not believing it.”
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I → believe → it
Kelly entered this week second in CFL passing (3,642 yards) and tied for first in TDs (24).
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Kelly → enter → TDs
But he’s also thrown a league-high 17 interceptions.
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he → throw → interceptions
However, even after a pick Kelly isn’t afraid to return to the air.
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Kelly → return → air
“Many times you go weeks where quarterbacks will avoid throwing over the middle just because of the past,” McManis said.
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McManis → go → past
“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.”
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him → go → time
Tre Ford, of Niagara Falls, Ont., will make a sixth start for Hamilton looking for his second win.
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Ford → make → win
…and 5 more, not listed.
