THE CANADIAN PRESS

TORONTO — John Hufnagel bucked tradition at the Grey Cup coaches news conference Wednesday.

As the Calgary Stampeders’ head coach/GM and Toronto Argonauts head coach Scott Milanovich posed with the Grey Cup, Hufnagel reached up and grabbed the trophy.

That caused a stir among reporters in attendance because coaches, citing pre-game superstition, usually refrain from touching the hallowed trophy until their team wins it on the field.

But Hufnagel had a simple reason for touching the Grey Cup: He has won it before (in 2008 as the Stampeders head coach) and his name is on the trophy.

Milanovich, though, didn’t touch it, saying his team was sticking to the time-honoured tradition of not touching the Grey Cup until they win it.

Milanovich has two Grey Cup rings for championships he won as an assistant coach with the Montreal Alouettes in 2009-’10.