CFL sacks plans for 2012 game in Moncton

The Canadian Football League will not be holding a third regular season game in Moncton this fall, according to city officials.

The CFL is taking a year off because of the resources it's putting into celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Grey Cup.

But officials with the City of Moncton say they're already looking ahead to the 2013 season.

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats will be rebuilding their stadium and Moncton officials hope they will be looking for a place to play.

"We're optimistic that in 2013 and beyond that we'll have more games here and I think they are too," said Paul Thomson, a spokesperson for the city.

"I think they've seen what we can do here and the benefits of having a game here and our drawing potential and how we can put our ability to put on events," he said. "I think all that factors into their decision making. And we have a great partnership with them and we look forward to keeping that going."

Thomson said the CFL games are great for the city's economy because they bring in millions in economic spin-offs. It has been estimated that the CFL games can generate $4 million in revenue for the southeastern New Brunswick city.

Moncton sold 20,153 tickets to the 2011 game between the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and the Calgary Stampeders.

The game, however, was not completely sold out, unlike the first year it was held in Moncton.

The games are held at the University of Moncton’s outdoor stadium.