Henry Burris is turning back time.

The 40-year-old, 16-year CFL veteran has become the clear-cut favourite for the CFL's outstanding player award. Burris leads the league in passing (4,115 yards), completions (346) and attempts (486) with 16 TDs against just eight interceptions. He's played a big role in the Ottawa Redblacks becoming an East Division playoff contender after posting a 2-16 record in their inaugural season.

Burris had a league-record 45 completions in Ottawa's 39-17 win over the Montreal Alouettes on Thursday. He attempted 53 passes for 504 yards and two TDs as the Redblacks (8-5) moved into a first-place tie with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats heading into their game Tuesday night against the Toronto Argonauts (7-5).

Burris became the leading contender after Hamilton quarterback Zach Collaros suffered a season-ending knee injury last month. At the time, Collaros was the CFL's passing leader and a key figure in the Ticats' drive to top spot in the East.

The six-foot-two, 219-pound Burris was the CFL's top player in 2010 with Calgary, passing for 4,945 yards and had a league-high 38 touchdown tosses with 20 interceptions, He also ran for 491 yards and three TDs.

Two other solid candidates are receiver Eric Rogers and quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell of the league-leading Calgary Stampeders (11-3).

Rogers is the league's receiving leader with 72 catches for 1,184 yards and seven touchdowns. Mitchell, the MVP of Calgary's Grey Cup win over Hamilton last November, is second in passing (3,808 yards) with 20 TDs but also has 11 interceptions.

The CFL will honour its top stars next month in Winnipeg. Here's a look at some of the top contenders for the remaining awards.

Outstanding Canadian

Plenty of worthy candidates headlined by running backs Andrew Harris and Jerome Messam, receiver Brad Sinopoli and defensive linemen Ted Laurent and Jamaal Westerman.

Harris, a Winnipeg native with the B.C. Lions, leads the CFL in rushing with 819 yards, just one more than Messam, the hard-running native of Brampton, Ont., with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Messam leads the CFL in yards from scrimmage with 1,269, just 42 more than Harris.

Sinopoli,a native of Peterborough, Ont. who won the Hec Crighton Trophy as a quarterback at the University of Ottawa, is enjoying a solid first season with the Redblacks with 65 catches for 828 yards and two TDs.

Laurent has three sacks and 17 tackles but the six-foot-one, 303-pound Montreal native often requires a double-team inside that helps keep blockers off the Ticats' linebackers.

Westerman, who grew up in Brampton, has a league-high 12 sacks in his first season with the Bombers.

Outstanding Defensive Player

Hamilton defensive back Emmanuel Davis is tied for the league lead in interceptions with five but has returned three for TDs as the Ticats have scored a CFL-best 147 points off turnovers. Westerman should also figure in the voting.

Two darkhorse candidates are Edmonton cornerback Pat Watkins (four interceptions, one touchdown return) and Montreal linebacker Winston Venable (71 tackles, three sacks), both standout performers with two of the league's top defences.

Outstanding Special-Teams Player

Kickers Boris Bede of Montreal, Hamilton's Justin Medlock and Rene Paredes of Calgary are all enjoying banner campaigns.

Bede has made 31-of-34 field goals (91.2 per cent) and sports a 44.5-yard punting average while Medlock has hit 30-of-34 attempts (88.2 per cent) and averages 40.2- yards per punt. Paredes has converted 35-of-40 tries (87.5 per cent).

Ticats star Brandon Banks is third in punt returns (728 yards) but has a league-best four TDs.

Outstanding Lineman

B.C. tackle Jovon Olafioye anchors a line that's allowed a league-low 21 sacks. The six-foot-six, 305-pound Olafioye won this award in 2012.

Burris gets a lot of credit for Ottawa's offensive improvement but free-agent tackle SirVincent Rogers has helped solidify the Redblacks' offensive wall.

Guard Shane Bergman, a third-year pro from Teeterville, Ont., is regarded as the top performer on a Calgary front that's allowed the second-fewest sacks despite losing centre Brett Jones (New York Giants, NFL) and tackle Stanley Bryant (Winnipeg, free agent). Hamilton centre Mike Filer is also under-rated.

Outstanding Rookie

Bede is a contender but so are Saskatchewan linebacker Jeff Knox Jr., Winnipeg offensive lineman Sukh Chungh and Edmonton cornerback John Ojo.

Knox is tied with B.C.'s Adam Bighill with a league-high 86 tackles to go with an interception and two fumble recoveries.

The six-foot-four, 300-pound Chungh, a native of Coquitlam, B.C. taken second overall in the 2015 CFL draft, has justified the Bombers' faith by cracking the starting lineup.

Ojo not only starts on the CFL's top-ranked defence but has four interceptions with a TD return.