The 2002 Montreal Alouettes finished in first place in the East Division with a 13–5–0–1 record. The Alouettes hired coach Don Matthews, after a terrible ending to the 2001 season. They defeated the Toronto Argonauts 35-18 in the East Final to advance to the Grey Cup. They met their most frequent Grey Cup partner, the Edmonton Eskimos, in front of a loud, cold, hometown Eskimo crowd, they won 25-16, winning their first championship since 1977, when they defeated these same Edmonton Eskimos in the famous Ice Bowl at Olympic Stadium.