This is the fourth and final installment of our series ranking all 70 primary CFL logos. If you haven’t already checked out the other parts, you can enjoy the nostalgia at these links: part one, part two, and part three.
A reminder of the ground rules: no alternate or specialty logos were included — just primary logos. Votes were cast by 12 individuals with at least one representing all nine CFL markets. We also didn’t include teams that never played a game.
Most of these images came courtesy of SportsLogos.net, though others were sourced from teams directly or elsewhere online. To keep things neutral, all logos were presented on a plain white background.
All that remains is the cream of the crop — the 15 best logos in league history. Without further ado, here are our top picks.
15. Edmonton Football Team (1989-2020)
We have finally reached the third and final iteration of the oval ‘EE’ logo. This one used the thicker yellow outline from the first one and combined it with the shape of the second one, which is arguably the best of both worlds. It also changed the font to something more stylized while adding a thin white outline to the text and some black shadows.
14. Toronto Argonauts (2006-20)
This is the same logo the Argonauts had in 2005, only with the colours changed to incorporate the traditional shades of Cambridge Blue and Oxford Blue that came to be associated with the team. Though it’s not the best emblem in team history, this logo is undeniably sharp and certainly worthy of a spot in our top 15.
13. Calgary Stampeders (2016-18)
This is the updated version of the previous Stampeders logo, which ranked nine spots below this one. The red background now has a flat finish, while the shadow of the horse has been made more uniform. It only took three years for Calgary to ditch the red circle but it was a nice touch while we had it.
12. Calgary Stampeders (2019-present)
It appears our voters slightly prefer Calgary’s logo without the red circle — like, barely. This is essentially the same emblem the Stampeders had for almost 20 years, though the stylized shadow moved it up our rankings by more than 30 spots. The shadow is certainly a big improvement, though Calgary is one of only two current CFL teams without a logo in the top 10.
11. Saskatchewan Roughriders (1966-84)
This logo debuted the first year Saskatchewan won the Grey Cup, which is a heck of a way to kick off a rebrand. This is the emblem donned by Ron Lancaster, George Reed, and Roger Aldag and remains one of the most classic in league history. It is our highest-ranked logo that predates 1975.
10. Winnipeg Blue Bombers (2005-11)
The Blue Bombers created this logo by tweaking its predecessor, changing the ‘W’ from white to blue, and moving to a lighter shade of gold. The results were pretty strong as this logo not only cracked the top 10 but also beat out Winnipeg’s current logo by 20 spots.
9. Saskatchewan Roughriders (2016-present)
Saskatchewan’s current logo narrowly beat out that of its prairie rival to reach the top nine. This clean and classic logo beat out the one it followed by over 15 spots and does a great job of featuring the club’s two main colours: green and white. Wheat still isn’t the most exciting thing to put in a logo but if you’re going to do it, this is an excellent way to do so.
8. Toronto Argonauts (1976-88)
The original boat logo still holds up well, though the presence of brown and the relative absence of Oxford Blue is a little bit of a drag. There’s a reason this logo has lived in the hearts of Argonauts fans for generations and served as the inspiration for the team’s current emblem, which is yet to come in our rankings.
7. Hamilton Tiger-Cats (2005-present)
Steeltown’s current emblem has finally made its appearance on our rankings and looks as sharp as ever. The logo harkens back all the way to the one designed by Jake Gaudaur over seven decades ago with the cat’s red tongue subtly honouring the Wildcats, who merged with the Tigers in 1950 to create the team we know today. This is simply a home run.
6. Ottawa Redblacks (2014-present)
The Redblacks have donned this logo for a decade now and it is easily the best in the history of Ottawa football. The ‘R’ ties the history to the present, while the teeth of the sawblade pay homage to the local lumber industry. This is crisp, this is clean, and the colours are on point. There’s no reason to change this logo — ever.
5. Montreal Alouettes (2019-present)
The Alouettes rebranded relatively recently and appear to have hit it out of the park with our voters. The logo, which resembles both a bird and the letter ‘M,’ is surrounded by the team’s name and city and strongly represents the two colours with which the team has become synonymous. This emblem remains relatively new but it already feels classic.
4. CFL (2002-15)
The league’s third-ever logo isn’t the highest-rated emblem on our list but it’s damn close. This emblem feels corporate enough to not look out of place in a business setting but still has a lot of colour and character. It’s bold, it’s bright, and it’s awesome. It seems like a shame it was ever replaced.
3. Toronto Argonauts (2021-present)
Toronto’s most recent logo is our most highly ranked emblem from the East Division, and it seems only fitting that it’s the best version of the boat logo. This logo is close to perfect. There’s nice detailing without it being overly intricate, the colours are impeccably balanced, and the ‘A’ is bold without being overpowering. It took 150 years but the Argonauts finally landed on their perfect logo.
2. Edmonton Elks (2021-present)
Edmonton’s team name might not resonate with all local fans but anyone who pretends this logo isn’t awesome is completely out to lunch. The lines are modern yet timeless, the colours are perfect, and there are enough details without the emblem feeling too cluttered. Under their new ownership, the Elks appear to be moving back to the ‘EE’ logo, which is fine — provided they don’t abandon this one entirely.
1. CFL (1969-2001)
This was the hallmark of the CFL for over three decades, embodying the league’s heyday of the 1970s and 1980s and the high-flying passing action of the 1990s. Nostalgia undoubtedly played a role in this logo being granted the No. 1 spot but it’s tough to argue with this taking the crown. It’s a classic for a reason.
