The October calendar is jam-packed with all kinds of treats for sports fans.
University athletics are well underway, as are professional sports across North America and the world. It’s an excellent time for getting your head in the game!
Here’s a look at five sports that we’ll be monitoring in October:
- BASEBALL
The Major League Baseball (MLB) Postseason is here and Canadians will be watching intently to see how the American League (AL) East Division champion Toronto Blue Jays perform in the playoffs.
Even for baseball boosters who are not Jays fans, there are lots of Calgary connections to keep tabs on during the postseason.
The Seattle Mariners, who claimed the AL West pennant, have Edgar Martinez working as their senior director of hitting strategy. The National Baseball Hall of Famer, who can often be seen chatting with hitters in the Mariner dugout, was a star player with the Calgary Cannons from 1985 to 1989. He won the Pacific Coast League batting title with the Cannons in 1988.
The Milwaukee Brewers won the National League (NL) Central Division pennant and await the winner of the Wild Card Series between the Chicago Cubs and San Diego Padres. Calgarian Jim Henderson – a former relief pitcher with the Brewers and an original member of the Okotoks Dawgs program – is the pitching coach in Milwaukee.
The Cubs have a pair faces that are familiar to southern Alberta baseball fans in their bullpen. Calgarian Michael Soroka trained under coach Jim Lawson with the PBF Redbirds in Cowtown, while Spokane, Washington native Andrew Kittredge worked as both a starting pitcher and reliever for the Okotoks Dawgs in the Western Major Baseball League (WMBL) in 2011.
2. FOOTBALL
If baseball isn’t your sport, the Canadian Football League (CFL) season kicks into high gear in October.
The 8-6 Calgary Stampeders sit in second place in the West Division, behind the 10-4 Saskatchewan Roughriders and just ahead of the 8-7 Winnipeg Blue Bombers and B.C. Lions.
Four regular season games remain for the Stamps against the Lions, Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Toronto Argonauts and the Edmonton Elks. The final home game against the Argos takes place at McMahon Stadium on Oct. 18th, followed by a season-ending trip to Edmonton on Oct. 24th.
Those matchups will get the Stampeders and the rest of the CFL field ready for playoff action and a run at the Grey Cup in November.
The football team representing the University of Calgary Dinos, meanwhile, host their last home game before the playoffs on Oct. 25th at McMahon Stadium when the University of Alberta Golden Bears travel south from Edmonton.
3. SOCCER
The other football – typically referred to as soccer in North America – sees the Calgary Cavalry Football Club (FC) attempt to defend their Canadian Premier League title.
The Cavalry have three regular season matches in October, starting with a trip to Victoria, B.C. for a meeting with the Pacific FC on October 5th.
Calgary’s last home tilt at ATCO Field takes place on Oct. 10th against their first-place rivals from Hamilton, Forge FC.
The final regular-season game for the Cavalry sees the club visit Vancouver FC in Langley, B.C. on Oct. 18th.
Calgary is currently in third place in the CPL behind Forge and Atletico Ottawa.
The playoffs get underway on Oct. 22nd and continue through Nov. 9th.
Fans of women’s professional soccer can check out the Calgary Wild FC, who host AFC Toronto on Oct. 4th, the Halifax Tides FC on Oct. 11th and the Vancouver Rise FC on Oct. 16th. All three games take place at McMahon Stadium.
4. CURLING
As the leaves change colour, thoughts of hitting the ice come to mind and there are several sports to enjoy at the rink.
The 2025 PointsBet Invitational curling tournament is happening Oct. 1-5 at the Markin MacPhail Centre at Canada Olympic Park in Calgary.
The first major curling event of the 2025-26 season features 20 Canadian teams competing in a round-robin tournament. The winning team on the men’s and women’s side will claim $35,000 each in prize money.
5. HOCKEY
The Calgary Flames regular season also gets going.
The National Hockey League squad narrowly missed the playoffs after recording a 96-point campaign in 2024-25.
The Flames have locked up starting goaltender Dustin Wolf to a long-term deal and their season begins on the road on Oct. 8th with a game against the Edmonton Oilers. Calgary’s home opener at Scotiabank Saddledome follows on Oct. 11th when the St. Louis Blues come to town.
The Calgary Hitmen have begun their Western Hockey League (WHL) season already. They have five home dates in October.
Meanwhile, the Calgary Wranglers of the American Hockey League (AHL) welcome Coachella Valley for their home opener at the Saddledome on Oct. 24th.
Also hitting the ice are the Calgary Canucks, who play in the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL). The defending Centennial Cup Champions have started their season and have upcoming home games at Ken Bracko Arena on Oct. 18-19th.