The Dick Suderman Trophy (French: Trophée Dick Suderman) for the Grey Cup's Most Valuable Canadian is awarded annually to the Canadian player deemed to have the best performance in the Grey Cup game, the championship of the Canadian Football League. This award is presented before the Grey Cup trophy is presented.

The winner does not necessarily have to play for the Grey Cup winning team in order to qualify.

The award was introduced at the 1971 Grey Cup, and the first winner was Dick Suderman, a Canadian defensive end. A year later, just six weeks before the playing of the 1972 Grey Cup, Suderman collapsed and died from a brain hemorrhage after playing a regular season game; the trophy was subsequently renamed in his honour.

Player achievements

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The most wins by a player is three, for both Don Sweet (completed in 1979) and Dave Sapunjis (completed in 1995). Four other four players have won the award twice each.

Dave Sapunjis is the only player to win the award in consecutive (1991, 1992) Grey Cup games.

Garry Lefebvre is the only player to be awarded the trophy for his performance at three distinct positions, in three distinct aspects, during a single (1973) Grey Cup game: defensive back, part of the defense unit of the team; punter, part of the special teams unit of the team; and wide receiver, part of the offense unit of the team. Four other players (one a double winner) have been awarded the trophy for their performance in playing the two distinct, yet related, positions of punter and placekicker.

Andrew Harris and Hénoc Muamba are the only players to win both the Dick Suderman Trophy and the Grey Cup Most Valuable Player award in the same Grey Cup game.

Dick Suderman Trophy winners

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Year Player Position Club Notes
1971 Dick Suderman DE Calgary Stampeders
1972 Ian Sunter K Hamilton Tiger-Cats
1973 Garry Lefebvre DB / P / WR Edmonton Eskimos on losing team
1974 Don Sweet K Montreal Alouettes
1975 Dave Cutler K Edmonton Eskimos
1976 Tony Gabriel TE Ottawa Rough Riders
1977 Don Sweet K Montreal Alouettes
1978 Angelo Santucci RB Edmonton Eskimos
1979 Don Sweet K Montreal Alouettes on losing team
1980 Dale Potter LB Edmonton Eskimos
1981 Neil Lumsden RB Edmonton Eskimos
1982 Dave "Dr. Death" Fennell DT Edmonton Eskimos
1983 Rick Klassen DT BC Lions on losing team
1984 Sean Kehoe RB Winnipeg Blue Bombers
1985 Lui Passaglia K / P BC Lions
1986 Paul Osbaldiston K / P Hamilton Tiger-Cats
1987 Milson Jones RB Edmonton Eskimos
1988 Bob Cameron K / P Winnipeg Blue Bombers
1989 Dave Ridgway K Saskatchewan Roughriders
1990 Warren Hudson FB Winnipeg Blue Bombers
1991 Dave Sapunjis SB Calgary Stampeders on losing team
1992 Dave Sapunjis SB Calgary Stampeders
1993 Sean Fleming K / P Edmonton Eskimos
1994 Lui Passaglia K / P BC Lions
1995 Dave Sapunjis S Calgary Stampeders on losing team
1996 Mike Vanderjagt K Toronto Argonauts
1997 Paul Masotti WR Toronto Argonauts
1998 Vince Danielsen SB Calgary Stampeders
1999 Mike Morreale SB Hamilton Tiger-Cats
2000 Sean Millington RB BC Lions
2001 Aldi Henry DB Calgary Stampeders
2002 Pat Woodcock WR Montreal Alouettes
2003 Ben Cahoon SB Montreal Alouettes on losing team
2004 Jason Clermont SB BC Lions on losing team
2005 Mike Maurer FB Edmonton Eskimos
2006 Paul McCallum K BC Lions
2007 Andy Fantuz SB Saskatchewan Roughriders
2008 Sandro DeAngelis K Calgary Stampeders
2009 Ben Cahoon SB Montreal Alouettes
2010 Keith Shologan DT Saskatchewan Roughriders on losing team
2011 Andrew Harris RB BC Lions
2012 Ricky Foley DE Toronto Argonauts
2013 Chris Getzlaf SB Saskatchewan Roughriders
2014 Andy Fantuz SB Hamilton Tiger-Cats on losing team
2015 Shamawd Chambers WR Edmonton Eskimos
2016 Brad Sinopoli WR Ottawa Redblacks
2017 Jerome Messam RB Calgary Stampeders on losing team
2018 Lemar Durant WR Calgary Stampeders
2019 Andrew Harris RB Winnipeg Blue Bombers also Grey Cup MVP
2021 Nic Demski WR Winnipeg Blue Bombers
2022 Hénoc Muamba LB Toronto Argonauts also Grey Cup MVP
2023 Tyson Philpot WR Montreal Alouettes

Team achievements

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Teams represented by Dick Suderman Trophy winners through the years.

Club # of Winners Most recent
Edmonton Eskimos/Elks[a] 10 2015
Calgary Stampeders 9 2018
BC Lions 7 2011
Montreal Alouettes[b] 7 2023
Winnipeg Blue Bombers 5 2021
Saskatchewan Roughriders 4 2013
Hamilton Tiger-Cats 4 2014
Toronto Argonauts 4 2022
Ottawa Rough Riders 1 1976[c]
Ottawa Redblacks 1 2016[d]
Total for 10 Clubs 51

Notes:

  1. ^ Edmonton Eskimos changed their name to Edmonton Elks as of the 2021 CFL season
  2. ^ Montreal Alouettes changed their name to Montreal Concordes during a four season (19821985) naming dispute; the club did not reach the Grey Cup during those years, and records its own history as all Alouettes
  3. ^ Ottawa Rough Riders ceased operation after completing the 1996 CFL season
  4. ^ Ottawa Redblacks started operation as of the 2014 CFL season

See also

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