The Calgary Stampeders’ opening weekend win showcased great offensive and defensive football. But it also showcased how fast special teams can change a game. 

In recent years, it’s felt like the NFL has been constantly devaluing special teams through rule changes. The CFL has gone in the complete opposite direction when it comes to special teams. 

Special teams are vital to a team’s success. The Calgary Stampeders’ 38–26 win over Hamilton was a perfect example of this. 

The Situation

The Stampeders were winning 9–11 with less than a minute in the half. 

Momentum felt like it was on Calgary’s side, but the scoreboard didn’t reflect that feeling. 

All it took was one punt and one kickoff to change that in a big way.

What Happened

Two special-teams plays swung the tide towards the Calgary Stampeders in a big way. 

Play One

Stamps' special teams makin' plays! 🗣️#CFLKickoff
📆: Tiger-Cats vs. @calstampeders LIVE NOW
🇨🇦: TSN, CTV
🌎: CFL+ pic.twitter.com/FdIro3cEQf

— CFL (@CFL) June 8, 2025

Hamilton was punting from deep in their own territory with less than a minute left in the half. For some reason, punter Nik Constantinou looked to scramble for a first down. He was unsuccessful, and the price was a turnover on downs that gave the Stampeders the ball with great field position. 

Shortly after that mistake, Dedrick Mills scored his second touchdown of the game. 

Instead of punting the ball away and giving their defense a chance to send it to halftime down 9–11, they went into the half down 9–18.

Things got even worse on the other side of halftime. 

Play Two

What a start to the second half!! pic.twitter.com/krw1ETFNXy

— Calgary Stampeders (@calstampeders) June 8, 2025

The opening kickoff of the second half featured another Hamilton mistake. Hamilton returner Johnny Augustine failed to field the kick. That allowed Kelon Thomas to recover the ball for the Stampeders. 

A couple of plays later, P.J. Walker scored his first CFL touchdown to put the Calgary Stampeders up 9–25. 

If Hamilton punted the ball away normally and fielded the kickoff, there is a good chance they would have had the ball down 9–11. Instead, the next time, they got the ball down 9–25. They never recovered from those two plays.

Note: It’s worth mentioning that this game also featured a kick return touchdown and a 67-yard punt that was downed at the 2. There were big special teams plays all game, not just the two listed above. 

This Was By Design

This was an extreme example, but special teams playing a huge role in determining the outcome of a game was by design. The CFL emphasized the importance of special teams through its rules. 

All football is good football in my book. I love the NFL, ELF, UFL, arena football, everything. I don’t play the game of “better and worse.”

But each league is different. And sometimes those differences are good.

In the case of the CFL, special teams are more exciting than in any other league, and that’s by design. 

Punting

Field position is important at all levels of football, but even more so in Canada.

The larger field and 3 downs make both punts and punt returns more important in the CFL. 

Whichever team wins the punt

ing battle gives their offense a chance to score more points.

From a fan perspective, the increased amount of punt returns is more exciting. There are no fair catches in the CFL. The use of the 5-yard rule increases the amount of punt returns, which is more exciting than watching fair catches all day. 

Kickoffs

The NFL spent years trying to decrease the number of kickoffs that resulted in returns. They seem to have realized the error in their ways and are now trying to increase them again. 

The CFL always understood th

at the kickoff was an important play. Virtually all CFL kickoffs are returned. That means each kickoff has the potential to be a big play.

Field Goals

The goal posts being placed at the front of the endzone means more of the field is in field goal range. More time in field goal range means more points, which, from a fan perspective, is more exciting. 

Every Play is a Scoring Play

Every special-teams play is a potential scoring play. That’s always been true. The Calgary Stampeders are just the most recent team to demonstrate it.