The Toronto Argonauts flew home Monday morning after capturing the club’s 17th Grey Cup victory in Ottawa on Sunday.
The players arrived at Toronto Pearson International Airport just before 11 a.m. for photographs and interviews with the media.
“So much emotion. We went through a lot as a team this year,” Argos quarterback Ricky Ray told reporters on Monday just after the team’s plane landed in Toronto.
“Just to be able to play with these guys on that field last night and finishing off the season the way we wanted to. It was a special team.”
Fans will get a chance to celebrate the championship victory at a public rally at Nathan Phillips Square on Tuesday.
READ MORE: Toronto Argonauts to celebrate Grey Cup victory with rally at Nathan Phillips Square
Lirim Hajrullahu’s 32-yard field goal with 53 seconds remaining in the game earned the Argonauts a stunning 27-24 win over the Calgary Stampeders on a snowy Sunday night.
It marked the second straight year the Stampeders had posted a CFL-best record during the regular season, only to be upset in the biggest game of the year.
The Ottawa Redblacks pulled off a wild win and defeated the Stampeders in overtime to claim the 2016 Grey Cup.
READ MORE: Toronto Argonauts win Grey Cup with 27-24 victory over Calgary Stampeders
Toronto won its CFL-best 17th Grey Cup, and its first since beating Calgary 35-22 in 2012 at Rogers Centre.
“We were driven by emotion,” Argos wide receiver DeVier Posey said. “We motivate each other, like that way. Pulling on each other, asking a lot from each other.”
It was an eventful night in Ottawa as weather forced the cancellation of the pre-game flyover of two CF-18 Hornets. During each play stoppage, stadium employees shoveled the yard lines while two snow plows cleared the hash marks.
The evening also saw Canadian country legend Shania Twain arrive for the halftime show on a dog sled and ushered to the stage by a Mountie.
VIDEO: DeVier Posey says he feels ‘intrinsic joy’ following Grey Cup win
– With a file from The Canadian Press