Stamps, Cats meet for Grey Cup

Photo: The Canadian Press

In this file photo, Hamilton Tiger-Cats' Brandon Banks, right, fends off Calgary Stampeders' Tim St. Pierre, during second half CFL football action in Calgary, Alta., Friday, July 18, 2014. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh)

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are heading back to the Grey Cup for a second straight year.

Kick returner Brandon Banks returned two punts for touchdowns as the Ticats downed the Montreal Alouettes 40-24 in the Canadian Football League's East Division final at Tim Hortons Field on Sunday to advance to the championship game.

Hamilton will play the Calgary Stampeders, who toppled the Edmonton Eskimos 43-18 at McMahon Stadium later Sunday.

The Grey Cup will be held on Sun. Nov. 30 in Vancouver's B.C. Place Stadium.

Hamilton advanced to the 101st Grey Cup last season but lost to the Saskatchewan Roughriders 45-23 in Regina.

The Ticats have not won the Grey Cup since 1999 at B.C. Place Stadium, where they beat the Stampeders 32-21.

Calgary last played in the Grey Cup in 2012, losing to the host Toronto Argonauts that year 35-22. The Stampeders last won the CFL championship trophy in 2008, when they defeated the Montreal Alouettes 22-14 at Olympic Stadium.

The Stampeders will be the Grey Cup favourite against a team that was 9-9 in the regular season. Calgary was 2-0 versus Hamilton this season with scores of 10-7 and 30-20.

Tiger-Cats head coach Kent Austin is off to his third Grey Cup game as a CFL head coach. He won the '07 contest in his rookie season on the sidelines with Saskatchewan. He then left for the NCAA ranks after that season before returning north to Hamilton last year.