Jump to content

Canadian Premier League

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from CanPL)

Canadian Premier League
FoundedMay 6, 2017; 7 years ago (2017-05-06)
First season2019
CountryCanada
ConfederationCONCACAF
(North American Football Union)
Number of teams8
Level on pyramid1
Domestic cup(s)Canadian Championship
International cup(s)CONCACAF Champions Cup
Current championsCavalry FC (1st title)
(2024)
Current CPL ShieldForge FC (2nd title)
(2024)
Most championshipsForge FC (4 titles)
Most CPL ShieldsCavalry FC and Forge FC (2 titles)
Most appearancesTerran Campbell (119)
Top goalscorerTerran Campbell (38)
TV partnersOneSoccer (Canada)
Fox/FS1/FS2 (United States)
Websitecanpl.ca Edit this at Wikidata
Current: 2024 Canadian Premier League season

The Canadian Premier League (CPL or CanPL; French: Première ligue canadienne) is a professional men's soccer league in Canada. At the top of the Canadian soccer league system, it is the country's primary national soccer league competition. The league consists of eight teams, from five of Canada's ten provinces. Each team plays 28 games in the regular season which is followed by playoffs culminating in the CPL Finals.

The CPL champion and regular season winner earn berths in the CONCACAF Champions Cup, competing against teams from across North America, Central America and the Caribbean for a spot in the FIFA Club World Cup.[1] All CPL teams also play in the Canadian Championship, alongside Canadian clubs from other leagues. Qualification for the CONCACAF Champions Cup is also available to CPL clubs by winning the Canadian Championship.

The league was officially sanctioned by the Canadian Soccer Association on May 6, 2017, and has played an annual season since 2019. The league's focus is to improve national soccer talent and the sport in Canada, with several rules in place to ensure this. These include a minimum quota of Canadian players on team rosters and starting line-ups, requirements for domestic under-21 players, and a Canadian university draft.

The CPL's first season included seven teams, while an eighth, Atlético Ottawa, joined for the second season in 2020. Vancouver FC debuted in 2023,[2] while FC Edmonton folded before the start of that season.[3] The CPL is headquartered in Toronto, Ontario.[4]

History

[edit]
York United players celebrate a goal by Álvaro Rivero against HFX Wanderers during a game in September 2021.

After the closure of the original Canadian Soccer League in 1992, there was no fully professional first division domestic league of Canadian soccer.[5] The only national Canadian competition was the Canadian Championship, a domestic cup which has been played since 2008. Canadian teams played in American leagues, such as Major League Soccer, NASL and the USL Championship, while the L1O and PLSQ were created as provincial-level leagues. A new version of the Canadian Soccer League was briefly sanctioned as a third-division semi-pro league by the CSA from 2010 to 2013, losing the sanction after the CSA board of directors adopted a new soccer structure in Canada.[6][7]

A new fully professional Canadian soccer league was first publicly reported in June 2013.[8] The reports suggested that Hamilton Tiger-Cats owner Bob Young was part of a core group of investors working with the Canadian Soccer Association and its president Victor Montagliani to create a new set of fully professional teams or a league in Canada. The Tiger-Cats ownership group was granted exclusive rights by the Canadian Soccer Association until 2017 to establish a team that would play in the under-construction Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton.[9]

In February 2016, reports of the league emerged again when Young spoke to Hamilton City Council requesting permission to erect an air-dome over the Tim Hortons Field playing surface between December 1 and April 30 yearly to allow for year-round training for a professional soccer team owned by the Tiger-Cats that would call the stadium home.[8] During questions by the elected council members, it was revealed that the name of the league would be the Canadian Premier League and that the Hamilton team was expected to be the flagship franchise. Further details were expected following the Canadian Soccer Association's annual meeting in May 2016.[8] Reports in June 2016 indicated that the Canadian Premier League would avoid current Major League Soccer markets.[10]

On November 14, the first official employee of the Canadian Premier League was announced. Paul Beirne, a Canadian who was also the first employee of Toronto FC, was hired as project manager for the new league.[11] On May 6, 2017, the creation of the league was unanimously approved and sanctioned by the Canadian Soccer Association.[12] Ownership groups in Winnipeg and Hamilton were also approved.[13] On May 5, 2018, the Canadian Soccer Association accepted club memberships for Halifax, York Region, Calgary, and "Port City" (later confirmed to be based in Greater Victoria, rather than Surrey as speculated).[14][15]

The unveiling of the first team, York9 FC, took place on May 10.[16][17] This was followed by Calgary-based Cavalry FC on May 17, 2018,[18][19] Halifax's HFX Wanderers FC on May 25,[20][21] Valour FC in Winnipeg on June 6,[22][23] and the rebranded former NASL side FC Edmonton on June 8.[24][25] After a break from announcements to accommodate the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Hamilton's Forge FC was next unveiled on July 12,[26] followed by Pacific FC of Langford in Greater Victoria on July 20.[27]

On August 27, 2018, the CPL announced that it would hold a series of open tryouts in eight cities across Canada for players age 16 and older. The tryouts were led by Alex Bunbury and took place in front of CPL coaching staff from all teams.[28][29] On September 28, 2018, Italian sportswear company Macron was announced as the official apparel supplier of the CPL. Macron supplies training gear and custom made kits for each CPL team.[30][31]

A match between HFX Wanderers FC and Cavalry FC during the CPL's inaugural season in 2019

Launch (2019–present)

[edit]

The CPL's inaugural match between Forge FC and York9 FC took place at Tim Hortons Field on April 27, 2019, and resulted in a 1–1 draw. Ryan Telfer of York9 FC scored the first goal in Canadian Premier League history in the third minute of the inaugural match.[32]

In advance of the 2019 Finals, the league's trophy was unveiled. The North Star Shield is a crystal shield engraved with the logo of the Canadian Premier League.[33] The inaugural season finished on November 2, 2019, when Forge FC became the first Canadian Premier League Champions, defeating Cavalry FC 2–0 over two legs in the Finals.[34] Forge midfielder Tristan Borges was named the first CPL Player of the Year.[35]

On January 29, 2020, Atlético Ottawa was confirmed to be the first CPL expansion team, joining for the 2020 season.[36] The 2020 season, set to start on April 11, was postponed indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[37] On July 29, it was announced that the entire 2020 season would be played in Charlottetown beginning August 13.[38] The shortened 2020 season, known as "The Island Games" ended on September 19 when Forge FC won their second Canadian Premier League title in a 2–0 victory over HFX Wanderers.[39]

The 2021 season did not begin until June 26 due to the COVID-19 pandemic; however, each team was able to play a full schedule of 28 matches.[40] The season culminated with Pacific FC defeating Forge FC 1–0 in the 2021 Final, held in December.[41]

On November 21, 2022, the Canadian Premier League announced that FC Edmonton would be removed from the league, effective immediately.[42] The league commissioner cited poor on-field performance as well as low attendance and an outdated stadium as reasons for the termination.[43] For the 2023 season, Vancouver FC from Langley, British Columbia entered the league, joining as an expansion team.[44]

Competition format

[edit]

The inaugural 2019 season of the league included a split season format similar to soccer leagues in Latin America. The winners of the two seasons competed in the two-legged CPL Finals.[45][46]

With the addition of an eighth club in 2020, the league moved to a single season format with expanded playoffs. The Canadian Premier League regular season runs from April to October. Each team plays 28 games, including 14 at home and 14 away games.[47] Since 2023, the top five teams in the regular season qualify for the playoffs to determine which two teams play in the final.

On multiple occasions, then league commissioner David Clanachan stated his goal of having promotion and relegation in the Canadian soccer league system as more teams join the league.[48][49][50][51][52]

Other competitions featuring CPL clubs

[edit]

All Canadian Premier League teams also participate in Canada's domestic cup competition – the Canadian Championship. CPL teams compete against Canadian teams in Major League Soccer and Tier 3 league champions for a berth in the CONCACAF Champions Cup.[53] Since 2023, the CPL regular season and playoff champion have also qualified for the Champions Cup.[1]

From 2019 to 2022, one CPL club participated in the CONCACAF League and competed against teams from Central America and the Caribbean for one of six spots in the CONCACAF Champions Cup.[54] For the 2019 edition only, this slot was granted to one of the league's 'inaugural teams' (FC Edmonton, Forge FC, or Valour FC) based on their home and away matches in the 2019 spring season.[55][56] In all other editions, the berth was awarded to the previous year's playoff champion.

Forge FC represented the CPL in CONCACAF League on three occasions. In the 2021 CONCACAF League, Forge advanced to the semi-finals of the competition to qualify for the 2022 CONCACAF Champions League, becoming the first CPL club to do so.[57]

Clubs

[edit]
Canadian Premier League clubs

Eight clubs compete in the Canadian Premier League. Seven clubs competed in the inaugural season. Only FC Edmonton predated the CPL, having been members of the North American Soccer League, and also having competed in the Canadian Championship seven times before joining the league.[58] The league expanded to eight teams with the addition of Atlético Ottawa in 2020. For 2023, Vancouver FC was added as an expansion club, while FC Edmonton was dissolved, keeping the league at eight clubs.

The province of Ontario has three teams, British Columbia has two clubs, while Alberta, Manitoba and Nova Scotia each have one. There is one pair of rivalries between teams in the same province: the 905 Derby between Forge FC and York United FC, named after the area code shared by both teams.[59]

Matches between Pacific FC and HFX Wanderers FC require the third-longest away trips of any domestic professional soccer league in the world, with the two teams separated by 4,476 kilometres (2,781 mi).[59][60] The 905 Derby, between Forge FC and York United FC, is the shortest distance between two clubs in the CPL at 80 kilometres (50 mi).[61]

Team Location Stadium Capacity Joined Head coach
Atlético Ottawa Ottawa, Ontario TD Place Stadium 24,000 2020 Carlos González
Cavalry FC Foothills County, Alberta[a] ATCO Field 6,000 2019 Tommy Wheeldon Jr.
Forge FC Hamilton, Ontario Tim Hortons Field 23,218 2019 Bobby Smyrniotis
HFX Wanderers FC Halifax, Nova Scotia Wanderers Grounds 6,500 2019 Patrice Gheisar
Pacific FC Langford, British Columbia[b] Starlight Stadium 6,000 2019 James Merriman
Valour FC Winnipeg, Manitoba Princess Auto Stadium 33,000 2019 Phillip Dos Santos
Vancouver FC Langley, British Columbia[c] Willoughby Community Park Stadium 6,560 2023 Afshin Ghotbi
York United FC[d] Toronto, Ontario York Lions Stadium 4,000 2019 Vacant
Former clubs
Team Location Stadium Capacity Joined Last season
FC Edmonton Edmonton, Alberta Clarke Stadium 5,100 2019[e] 2022
Notes
  1. ^ ATCO Field is located within the Spruce Meadows equestrian complex, just outside the Calgary city limits.
  2. ^ Langford is located within the Greater Victoria area.
  3. ^ Langley is located within the Greater Vancouver area.
  4. ^ York United FC was originally known as York9 FC in 2019.
  5. ^ FC Edmonton was founded in 2010. Before participating in the Canadian Premier League, they competed in the NASL between 2011 and 2017, and had participated in the Canadian Championship since 2011.

Timeline

[edit]

Notes

* indicates championship winning season

Expansion

[edit]

As CPL commissioner, David Clanachan expressed on numerous occasions the league's plans to expand gradually up to 16 clubs by 2026. He also stated that the biggest issue for potential expansion teams is lack of facilities.[62] Clanachan mentioned that the league was looking at regions and owners in St. John's, Moncton, Laval, Quebec City, Kitchener-Waterloo, the Niagara Region, the Durham Region, Mississauga, Regina, Saskatoon, and Kelowna as well as the Fraser Valley area of British Columbia.[63] Other areas with CPL interest include Barrie, Montreal, and Saint John.[64][65][66]

On August 25, 2022, ARS de Quebec's Director General Philippe Bernard was quoted in Le Journal de Québec announcing that Léger Marketing had been commissioned to launch a market study to verify interest in the province for a CPL team. He also confirmed that Soccer Quebec had determined that Quebec City was the best market in the province for a new team. Although there isn't an ownership group yet, Bernard explained that the market study would help facilitate investment in a new team.[67][68]

Also in 2022, the CPL began considering a "serious expansion bid" for Kelowna that includes a multi-use development proposal for a stadium site at the city's Recreation Avenue Park.[69][70][71]

Completed

[edit]

Ottawa

[edit]
An Atlético Ottawa match. The club was the CPL's first expansion team

It had been speculated that then-existing USL Championship side Ottawa Fury FC would join the league for its 2019 or 2020 season;[72][73] speculation fuelled by the Fury's acquisitions of Canadian players prior to the 2018 season.[74] While the club remained in the USL for 2019, two of the three governing bodies of the USL (United States Soccer Federation and CONCACAF) refused to sanction the Canadian club to continue play in the US league, and the club ceased operations in November 2019.[75][76]

In January 2020, there had been many reports of an Ottawa-based team owned by Atlético Madrid being formed for the 2020 season.[77][78][79] These reports were later confirmed when the CPL announced Atlético Ottawa as the league's first expansion team on January 29, 2020.[36]

Vancouver

[edit]

On November 10, 2021, the CPL awarded an expansion club in Vancouver to SixFive Sports and Entertainment LP to begin play in 2023.[80] On April 13, 2022, the CPL and SixFive Sports and Entertainment LP announced that the club would begin playing in Langley, British Columbia at the Willoughby Community Park adjacent to the Langley Events Centre.[81] On November 2, 2022, the club announced its name as Vancouver FC along with a crest and team colours.[82]

Pending

[edit]

Saskatchewan

[edit]

On March 12, 2021, the CPL conditionally awarded an expansion club to Living Sky Sports and Entertainment Inc. (LSSE), a Saskatchewan-based company. The expansion was dependent on LSSE delivering a soccer-specific stadium, and the preferred location for that stadium is Prairieland Park in Saskatoon.[83] The team was targeting a debut of 2023 at the earliest.[84] As of April 2021, plans called for the former horse-racing grandstand at the park to anchor the north, shorter, end of the soccer pitch, with new stands facing its other sides.[85]

On September 5, 2023, LSSE and Prairieland Park Corporation announced that they had ended their efforts to bring a CPL team to Saskatoon, while a CPL spokesperson confirmed that LSSE's exclusivity to Saskatchewan had lapsed.[86]

Windsor/Essex County

[edit]

On January 10, 2022, the CPL announced that commissioner David Clanachan had stepped down and was awarded exclusive expansion rights for Windsor, Ontario.[87] In June 2022, it was revealed that Clanachan had partnered with Windsor City FC owner Vancho Cirovski, setting a launch date goal of 2026. The pair had targeted Windsor Stadium as a potential home for the club.[88] In October 2022, Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens committed to supporting a new sports turf facility at McHugh Park to host a potential team;[89] the city later allocated CA$3 million for turf upgrades at the park in its 2024 capital budget.[90][91]

League titles

[edit]

Two trophies are awarded to teams at the end of a Canadian Premier League season. The North Star Cup (originally North Star Shield) is given to the playoff champion and has been awarded since the league's inception. The CPL Shield was first revealed in 2023 and is won by the team that earns the most points during the regular season.[92] An award for the regular season winner was announced during the 2022 CPL season and will be awarded retroactively for previous seasons. In addition to equal cash prizes, both trophy winners earn a spot in the CONCACAF Champions Cup competing against teams from across North America, Central America and Caribbean for a spot in the FIFA Club World Cup.[93]

Doubles and trebles

[edit]

As of 2024, no team has yet won a CPL double; Forge FC were CPL champions in four of the league's first six seasons but failed to win the championship in 2021 or 2024, the only seasons to date they topped the regular season standings. While Cavalry FC have two CPL Shields and one North Star Cup, none of these championships have overlapped.

No CPL team has won the Canadian Championship, with Forge FC getting closest as runners-up in the 2020 tournament held during the COVID-19 pandemic and in which the Canadian Premier League was guaranteed a finalist. While a domestic treble is possible for both MLS and CPL teams, the sole Canadian treble to date was achieved by MLS-based Toronto FC in 2017 when the club won the Canadian Championship, MLS Supporters Shield and MLS Cup.

CPL results by team

[edit]
Team North Star Cup (league championship) CPL Shield (regular season) Total titles
Titles Years Titles Years
Forge FC 4 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023 2 2021, 2024 6
Cavalry FC 1 2024 2 2019, 2023 3
Pacific FC 1 2021 0 1
Atlético Ottawa 0 1 2022 1

CPL results by year

[edit]
Year Teams North Star Cup (playoffs) CPL Shield (regular season) Playoff runner-up Regular season runner-up
2019 7 Forge FC Cavalry FC Cavalry FC Forge FC
2020 8 Forge FC N/A[a] HFX Wanderers FC N/A[a]
2021 8 Pacific FC Forge FC Forge FC Cavalry FC
2022 8 Forge FC Atlético Ottawa Atlético Ottawa Forge FC
2023 8 Forge FC Cavalry FC Cavalry FC Forge FC
2024 8 Cavalry FC Forge FC Forge FC Cavalry FC
  1. ^ a b The Canadian Premier League never declared the 2020 regular season champion; the season structure was significantly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the season was different and shorter that year.

Organization

[edit]
Alternate red logo used for Canada Day events

Ownership

[edit]

In April 2018, commissioner David Clanachan said that the league was looking at implementing a club-based structure for the Canadian Premier League, rather than a franchise-based system like in Major League Soccer.[94]

League executives

[edit]

On January 10, 2018, David Clanachan, former president and chief operating officer of Tim Hortons, was named as the first commissioner of the league.[95] On January 24, he announced that Paul Beirne had been named president. Having already worked with the league for over a year, Beirne took on the role of managing the day-to-day league operations.[96] On January 31, the Canadian Premier League named James Easton, a former Canadian international, as vice-president of Soccer Operations.[97] On September 19, 2019, Clanachan announced that Beirne would step down as president of the CPL at the end of the 2019 season in October.[98] On January 10, 2022, David Clanachan resigned from his position as league commissioner.[87]

On August 25, 2022, American sports executive Mark Noonan was announced as the league's new commissioner as well as the new CEO of Canada Soccer Business effective September 1.[99]

Players

[edit]
Chilean player Rodrigo Gattas playing for York United FC

The Canadian Premier League uses a salary cap.[100] As of the 2024 season, clubs are required to spend between CA$750,000 and $1,212,500 on player compensation, with a minimum salary of $30,000 per player.[101][102] For players aged 21 and younger on standard contracts, only 50% of their salary counts towards the cap (up to $200,000 total).[103] There is also a separate salary cap for coaches and technical staff.

The league also has several other rules to give Canadian players more opportunities. This includes a minimum of six Canadian starters per game and a limit of seven foreign nationals per team. Additionally, three of the domestic players must be under the age of 21 and play at least 2,000 combined minutes per season.[104] Rosters are limited to a size of 23 players, although up to 9 players can be signed to a team's developmental roster.[101] Given the limit, most teams opt to carry only two goalkeepers, however, teams may sign an emergency goalkeeper, who does not count to the roster limit, when necessary.[105]

The CPL and U Sports hold an annual draft for university players. Drafted student-athletes are able to play for CPL teams in the spring and summer, and return to their university team by August 15, thereby preserving their eligibility. The first CPL–U Sports Draft took place in Vancouver on November 12, 2018, after the conclusion of the U Sports men's soccer championship.[106]

The Professional Footballers Association of Canada (PFA Canada) is the union representing CPL players. Following a members vote, PFA Canada was formally recognized by the league on December 20, 2022.[107][108]

Stadiums

[edit]
Princess Auto Stadium is home to Valour FC, and is the largest stadium used by a CPL team.

The Canadian Premier League has used a mix of existing, built for purpose, and upgraded stadiums, many of which are shared with other teams. Princess Auto Stadium (Valour FC), TD Place Stadium (Atlético Ottawa), and Tim Hortons Field (Forge FC) were existing Canadian Football League stadiums, and have the largest capacities in the CPL. York Lions Stadium (York United FC) and Starlight Stadium (Pacific FC) are both pre-existing stadiums that were upgraded in capacity before the 2019 season.[109] ATCO Field (Cavalry FC) and Wanderers Grounds (HFX Wanderers FC) were new stadiums in 2019, built at pre-existing venues.

Broadcast rights

[edit]

On February 20, 2019, it was announced that Mediapro had acquired the broadcast rights to the league as part of a ten year agreement.[110] A streaming service established in 2019, OneSoccer, carries all of the league's matches, including the Canadian Championship.[111][112] Twenty games throughout the inaugural season were also available through CBC Sports, ten of which were on broadcast television, and all 20 on CBC Gem and the CBC website.[113][114]

CBC extended the deal with two games every Saturday during the league's second season, while CHCH also picked-up the rights for one game every Sunday.[115][116] In August 2020, Fox Sports became the CPL's first American broadcast partner.[117] The season was also aired by StarTimes in Sub-Saharan Africa, 1Sports in the Indian subcontinent, and Premier Football in the Philippines.[118] The group stage and Final were broadcast in Latin America by DirecTV Go and Tigo Sports.[119] From 2022, BT Sport started showing live coverage of the league across Ireland and the United Kingdom.[120]

In January 2024, the broadcast agreement between the CPL and Mediapro was terminated with five years remaining in the 10-year deal due to a dispute.[121] Despite this, Mediapro's OneSoccer continued to broadcast the CPL in 2024 under a new agreement.[122] The 2024 Canadian Premier League final will be broadcast and streamed on CBC's platforms in addition to OneSoccer.

Region Broadcaster
 Canada OneSoccer
Caribbean Flow Sports
1Sports
BT Sport[120]
Latin America DirecTV Go
Tigo Sports
 Mexico Hi! Sports TV[123]
 Philippines Premier Football
Sub-Saharan Africa StarTimes[118]
 United States Fox Sports[117]

Awards

[edit]

At the conclusion of each season, the league presents the following awards:

  • Golden Boot
  • Golden Glove
  • Coach of the Year
  • Player of the Year
  • Best Under 21 Canadian Player of the Year
  • Defender of the Year
  • Players' Player of the Year

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Davidson, Neil (September 21, 2021). "CONCACAF expands its flagship Champions League club competition". CBC Sports. Retrieved November 27, 2021.
  2. ^ "Canadian Premier League Announces Expansion in Vancouver". Canadian Premier League. November 10, 2021. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
  3. ^ "Canadian Premier League terminates Fath Sports' right to operate FC Edmonton". Canadian Premier League. November 21, 2022. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  4. ^ Milton, Steve (September 11, 2017). "Canadian Premier League working quietly out of Toronto office". The Hamilton Spectator. Archived from the original on April 14, 2019. Retrieved January 10, 2018.
  5. ^ "Canadian Premier League kicks off, marking new era for soccer in Canada". sportsnet.ca. Retrieved August 18, 2019.
  6. ^ "SPORT DISPUTE RESOLUTION CENTRE OF CANADA (SDRCC) SDRCC 13-0194 CANADIAN SOCCER LEAGUE (CSL) (CLAIMANT) AND CANADIAN SOCCER ASSOCIATION (CSA)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on February 13, 2014. Retrieved December 15, 2017.
  7. ^ "The Canadian Soccer League is no longer sanctioned by the CSA". insoccer.ca. October 9, 2016. Archived from the original on October 9, 2016. Retrieved August 18, 2019.
  8. ^ a b c Milton, Steve (February 4, 2016). "Pro soccer team for city sees dome at Ticat field". Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  9. ^ Milton, Steve (June 6, 2013). "Ticats involved in early days of new vision for Canadian soccer". The Hamilton Spectator. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  10. ^ Rooney, Mat (June 14, 2016). "Recent Canadian Premier League reports concerning". Red Nation Online. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  11. ^ Milton, Steve (November 15, 2016). "New Canadian pro soccer league makes major hire". The Hamilton Spectator. Archived from the original on May 8, 2017. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  12. ^ Rosenblatt, Ryan (May 6, 2017). "Canada is getting its own professional league as Canadian Premier League gets green light". Fox Sports. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  13. ^ O'Connor-Clarke, Charlie (May 6, 2017). "Canadian Premier League unanimously ratified by CSA". Waking The Red. Archived from the original on January 20, 2018. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  14. ^ Sandor, Steven (June 1, 2018). "Victoria is in for CanPL: League exploring "several opportunities" on Lower Mainland". The 11. Retrieved June 1, 2018.
  15. ^ Dheensaw, Cleve (June 1, 2018). "Greater Victoria to get pro soccer team next year". Times Colonist. Retrieved June 1, 2018.
  16. ^ McIsaac, Greg (May 10, 2018). "York 9 Football Club Joins Canadian Premier League". Canadian Premier League. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  17. ^ Larson, Kurtis (May 10, 2018). "Canadian Premier League unveils York 9 FC in 'soccer hotbed' York Region". Toronto Sun. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  18. ^ McIsaac, Greg (May 17, 2018). "Cavalry Football Club Joins Canadian Premier League". Canadian Premier League. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  19. ^ Schuller, Rudi (May 17, 2018). "Cavalry FC announced as second Canadian Premier League club". Sporting News. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  20. ^ McIsaac, Greg (May 25, 2018). "HFX Wanderers Football Club Joins Canadian Premier League". Canadian Premier League. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  21. ^ Shaw, Kyle (May 25, 2018). "HFX Wanderers unveiled as Canada's newest professional soccer club". The Coast. Retrieved June 26, 2018.[permanent dead link]
  22. ^ McIsaac, Greg (June 6, 2018). "Valour FC Joins Canadian Premier League". Canadian Premier League. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  23. ^ O'Connor-Clarke, Charlie (June 6, 2018). "Canadian Premier League announces Valour FC club in Winnipeg". Waking The Red. Archived from the original on May 11, 2019. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  24. ^ McIsaac, Greg (June 8, 2018). "The Supporters Have Rallied: FC Edmonton Welcomed into Canadian Premier League". Canadian Premier League. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  25. ^ Sandor, Steven (June 9, 2018). "You only live twice: FCE's resurrection is official". The 11. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  26. ^ Nason, Jason (June 20, 2018). "Hamilton's pro soccer club unveilling July 12th". Hamilton Today. Archived from the original on August 15, 2020. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
  27. ^ McColl, Michael (June 25, 2018). "Episode 278 – The AFTN Soccer Show (The Spice of Life with guest Rob Friend)". aftn.ca. Away From The Numbers. Retrieved June 25, 2018.
  28. ^ Larson, Kurt (August 27, 2018). How should CPL hopefuls approach open trials? The league's coaches offer some advice. Canadian Premier League. Event occurs at 00:12. Retrieved August 29, 2018. You're going to have eight teams, eight coaches watching...
  29. ^ "Canadian Premier League schedules cross-country tryouts". Sportsnet.ca. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
  30. ^ "CPL signs apparel deal with Italy's Macron". The Hamilton Spectator. The Canadian Press. September 28, 2018. Archived from the original on May 11, 2019. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  31. ^ "Macron to become kit provider for CPL". valourfc.canpl.ca. Archived from the original on May 11, 2019. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  32. ^ Kangas, Nolan (April 27, 2019). "RECAP: Forge FC, York9 FC split points on historic day". canpl.ca. Retrieved April 28, 2019.
  33. ^ Molinaro, John (October 25, 2019). "CPL unveils its championship trophy: The North Star Shield". Canadian Premier League. Retrieved February 2, 2020.
  34. ^ "Hamilton's Forge FC crowned CPL champions". Global News. Retrieved January 25, 2020.
  35. ^ "Forge FC's Tristan Borges wins CPL's Player of the Year award". Canadian Premier League. November 26, 2019. Retrieved January 25, 2020.
  36. ^ a b "Canadian Premier League awards 1st Expansion Team to Ottawa". Canadian Premier League. January 29, 2020. Retrieved January 29, 2020.
  37. ^ "Canadian Premier League Commissioner Statement: Start of season postponed". Canadian Premier League. March 20, 2020. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
  38. ^ "Canadian Premier League confirms Charlottetown, P.E.I. as location for 2020 season". Canadian Premier League. July 29, 2020. Retrieved August 12, 2020.
  39. ^ Molinaro, John (September 19, 2020). "Forge FC beats HFX Wanderers FC in Island Games final to repeat as CPL champions". Canadian Premier League. Retrieved September 19, 2020.
  40. ^ "'The Kickoff' is coming: Winnipeg chosen as hub city for Canadian Premier League". CTV News Winnipeg. June 6, 2021. Archived from the original on June 6, 2021. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  41. ^ "Pacific FC beat Forge FC 1-0 to become 2021 CPL champions". Global News. Retrieved January 26, 2022.
  42. ^ "Canadian Premier League terminates Fath Sports' right to operate FC Edmonton". Canadian Premier League. November 21, 2022. Retrieved December 17, 2022.
  43. ^ Szulc, Katarina (November 21, 2022). "Canadian Premier League folds FC Edmonton, citing lack of success on and off field". CBC News. Retrieved December 17, 2022.
  44. ^ Jacques, John (November 3, 2022). "Langley Launched: Introducing Vancouver FC". Northern Tribune. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  45. ^ "Canadian Premier League announces unique format ahead of inaugural season - Hamilton - Globalnews.ca". globalnews.ca. February 28, 2019. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
  46. ^ Gordon, Stuart (May 20, 2019). "2019 CPL Championship format yet to be finalized, says Canadian Premier League commissioner". Total Soccer Project. Archived from the original on July 22, 2019. Retrieved May 27, 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  47. ^ Bedakian, Armen (February 21, 2020). "CPL announces balanced schedule, new league and playoff format for 2020". Canadian Premier League. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
  48. ^ Molinaro, John (January 24, 2019). "CPL commissioner on league's goals, growing Canadian soccer, and more". Sportsnet. Retrieved January 24, 2019.
  49. ^ Davidson, Neil (January 15, 2019). "Canadian Premier League commissioner offers a look at new league ahead of kickoff". Toronto Star. The Canadian Press. Retrieved January 24, 2019.
  50. ^ Sandor, Steven (January 10, 2018). "Promotion-relegation. Independent-club system. The future of CanPL, as seen by its new commissioner". The 11. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  51. ^ Squizzato, Daniel (January 22, 2018). "Let the Commissioner of Canada's New Soccer League Sell You on It". Vice Sports. Retrieved January 24, 2019.
  52. ^ "Pacific FC already looking to the future after Canadian Premier League title - Saanich News". www.saanichnews.com. March 31, 2022. Retrieved August 14, 2022.
  53. ^ "Canadian Championship expands to 13 teams". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The Canadian Press. January 10, 2019. Retrieved January 25, 2019.
  54. ^ "CONCACAF Announces Scotiabank CONCACAF League Expansion". Concacaf League. February 11, 2019. Archived from the original on June 23, 2019. Retrieved February 11, 2019.
  55. ^ "Canada Soccer continues to provide expanded international opportunities with two spots on the path to Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League". Canada Soccer. Archived from the original on April 27, 2019. Retrieved February 13, 2019.
  56. ^ "Canada Soccer continues to provide expanded international opportunities with two spots on the path to Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League". The Sport Information Resource Centre. Retrieved September 19, 2022.
  57. ^ "Forge FC advance to SF, qualify for Concacaf Champions League with resounding Leg 2 win vs. Santos". Forge FC. November 2, 2021. Retrieved April 11, 2022.
  58. ^ "CPL to launch with 7 franchises, in search of 8th for 2019". Sportsnet.ca. The Canadian Press. Retrieved November 11, 2018.
  59. ^ a b Davis, Matt (February 1, 2019). "Canadian Premier League: How do you start a brand new professional league?". BBC Sport. Retrieved February 1, 2019.
  60. ^ "Where does a road trip from Halifax to Van Isle rank among soccer's longest-distance away matches?". Canadian Premier League. November 23, 2018. Retrieved February 1, 2019.
  61. ^ "York9 FC, Forge FC ready to embrace spirit of rivalry in '905 Derby'". Canadian Premier League. January 31, 2019. Retrieved February 1, 2019.
  62. ^ "State of the League: Clanachan on wrapping up Open Trials, CPL-U SPORTS Draft, and 2020 expansion". Canadian Premier League. November 5, 2018. Retrieved November 5, 2018.
  63. ^ Bedakian, Armen (September 10, 2018). "State of the League: Clanachan on Ottawa Fury, CPL roster rules and more". canpl.ca. Retrieved September 10, 2018.
  64. ^ "Bunbury On Montreal Expansion Progress: 'It Takes Time'". Northern Tribune. August 24, 2019. Retrieved June 16, 2020.
  65. ^ "Five Things We Know About 1812 FC". Northern Tribune. June 16, 2020. Retrieved June 16, 2020.
  66. ^ "Clanachan Details Potential Expansion Sites And Plans For A Second Division". Northern Tribune. May 14, 2019. Retrieved June 16, 2020.
  67. ^ Boutin, Richard (August 25, 2022). "Soccer: une équipe de la CPL à Québec?". Le Journal de Québec (in French). Retrieved August 26, 2022.
  68. ^ Gangué-Ruzic, Alexandre (August 26, 2022). "CPL to Québec? Soccer Québec launches market study to 'verify interest of CPL project'". OneSoccer. Retrieved August 26, 2022.
  69. ^ Moore, Wayne (June 17, 2022). "Canadian Premier League franchise kicking tires in Kelowna". castanet.net. Castanet. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
  70. ^ Moore, Wayne (November 11, 2022). "Canadian Premier League has made official pitch for Kelowna franchise and downtown stadium". castanet.net. Castanet. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
  71. ^ Jacques, John (November 12, 2022). "Exclusive: CPL Set For Kick Off In Kelowna". Northern Tribune. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
  72. ^ Van Diest, Derek (May 4, 2018). "Canadian professional soccer league expected to launch with FC Edmonton on board". Edmonton Sun. Retrieved May 20, 2018.
  73. ^ Tierney, Mitchell (May 2, 2018). "Report: Canadian Premier League's original eight teams revealed". Waking The Red. Archived from the original on May 4, 2018. Retrieved May 20, 2018.
  74. ^ Gauthier, Théo (June 29, 2018). "Fury To CPL? New Comments Appear To Suggest Done Deal". Ottawa Sports Network. Archived from the original on September 7, 2019. Retrieved June 28, 2018.
  75. ^ Sandor, Steven (September 5, 2018). "Fury confirms plan to return to USL for 2019". The 11. Retrieved September 5, 2018.
  76. ^ "Ottawa Fury pro soccer team suspends operations". TSN. The Canadian Press. November 8, 2019. Retrieved November 9, 2019.
  77. ^ Baines, Tim (January 17, 2020). "LOCAL HERO: Jeff Hunt could add Ottawa touch for new pro soccer team". National Post. Retrieved January 17, 2020.
  78. ^ Jobin, Jonathan (January 17, 2020). "Le soccer professionnel de retour à Ottawa dès l'été 2020" (in French). CBC/Radio-Canada. Retrieved January 17, 2020.
  79. ^ Menchén, Marc (January 17, 2020). "El Atlético de Madrid ultima la compra de una franquicia en la Canadian Premier League". Palco23 (in Spanish). Retrieved January 17, 2020.
  80. ^ "Canadian Premier League awards expansion club in Vancouver to SixFive Sports & Entertainment". Canadian Premier League. November 10, 2021. Retrieved November 10, 2021.
  81. ^ "SixFive Sports reveals Langley, BC location for Vancouver 2023 CPL team". canpl.ca. April 13, 2022.
  82. ^ Jacques, John (November 3, 2022). "Langley Launched: Introducing Vancouver FC". Northern Tribune. Retrieved November 3, 2022.
  83. ^ "Canadian Premier League Announces Expansion in Saskatchewan". Canadian Premier League. March 12, 2021. Retrieved March 12, 2021.
  84. ^ "Canadian Premier League looking to add expansion team in Saskatchewan". TSN. The Canadian Press. March 12, 2021. Retrieved March 13, 2021.
  85. ^ @LivingSkySport1 (April 9, 2021). "To our soccer fans: the stadium research at @PrairielandPark is officially underway!" (Tweet). Retrieved April 9, 2021 – via Twitter.
  86. ^ Young, Matt (September 5, 2023). "Plans for Saskatoon pro soccer team put on ice". CTV News. Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Archived from the original on September 5, 2023. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
  87. ^ a b "Commissioner David Clanachan Awarded Exclusive CPL Rights to Windsor/Essex County and to Step Down as First CPL Commissioner". canpl.ca. January 10, 2022.
  88. ^ "Windsor's CPL Expansion Bid Is Taking Shape". northerntribune.ca. June 2, 2022.
  89. ^ "Dilkens, Gill commit to new east Windsor sports turf". windsorstar.com. October 14, 2022.
  90. ^ Gorsky, Keiran (June 16, 2024). "First stop for CPL On Tour? Kelowna! Here are 5 more cities we'd love to see host matches". OneSoccer. Archived from the original on June 16, 2024. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
  91. ^ "2024 Recommended Capital Budget" (PDF). City of Windsor. 2024. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 27, 2024. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
  92. ^ Canadian Press (September 21, 2023). "Canadian Premier League revamps trophy case with new hardware up for grabs". CTVNews. Retrieved September 22, 2023.
  93. ^ "Canadian Premier League announces plans to recognize regular season champions". September 18, 2022.
  94. ^ Sandor, Steven (April 6, 2018). "The CanPL and midseason friendlies? "That's something we will have to examine down the line"". The 11. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  95. ^ McIsaac, Greg (January 10, 2018). "David Clanachan named First Commissioner of CPL". Canadian Premier League. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  96. ^ McIsaac, Greg (January 24, 2018). "Soccer Executive Paul Beirne Named President of Canadian Premier League". Canadian Premier League. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  97. ^ McIsaac, Greg (January 31, 2018). "James Easton Named Head of Soccer Operations for the Canadian Premier League". Canadian Premier League. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  98. ^ "Paul Beirne to step down as CPL president after 2019 season". sportsnet.ca. Retrieved September 20, 2019.
  99. ^ Jacques, John (August 25, 2022). "Mark Noonan Named New CPL Commissioner". northerntribune.ca. Northern Tribune. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
  100. ^ Saelhof, Todd (April 13, 2020). "CPL cuts wages for players, coaches, staff". National Post. Retrieved May 6, 2020.
  101. ^ a b Jacques, John (March 13, 2024). "Canadian Premier League Updates Roster Rules For 2024". Northern Tribune. Retrieved March 13, 2024.
  102. ^ "Canadian Premier League Announces Increases to Salary Cap". Canadian Premier League. November 8, 2022.
  103. ^ Jacques, John (April 7, 2022). "Two New CPL Rules (And One That Didn't Make It)". Northern Tribune. Retrieved October 27, 2022.
  104. ^ "CanPL FAQ: Rules, format, and an introduction to the 2022 Canadian Premier League season". Canadian Premier League. April 6, 2022. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
  105. ^ Jacques, John (August 29, 2019). "Meet The Canadian Premier League Emergency Goalkeepers". Northern Tribune.
  106. ^ Davidson, Neil (October 17, 2018). "Canadian Premier League to partner with U Sports on sharing talent". National Post. The Canadian Press. Retrieved October 17, 2018.
  107. ^ "Canadian Premier League and the Professional Footballers Association of Canada joint statement". Canadian Premier League. December 20, 2022. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
  108. ^ Jacques, John (December 20, 2022). "Canadian Premier League Formally Recognizes Players' Union". Northern Tribune. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
  109. ^ "Stadium Profile: Pacific FC". pacificfc.canpl.ca. Retrieved July 21, 2018.
  110. ^ "CSB announces landmark 10-year media deal with MEDIAPRO". February 20, 2019. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
  111. ^ "OneSoccer 24/7 announced as new Canadian soccer streaming channel". TSN. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
  112. ^ "What is OneSoccer?". OneSoccer. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
  113. ^ "CBC Sports To Air Canadian Premier League". Northern Tribune. April 18, 2019. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
  114. ^ "CBC Sports, MEDIAPRO Canada partner to provide 20-game package of CPL season". CanPL.ca. April 18, 2019. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
  115. ^ "CBC, MEDIAPRO Canada partner to provide coverage of CPL's Island Games". CanPL.ca. August 12, 2020. Retrieved August 12, 2020.
  116. ^ "CPL/Island Games Sunday matches to be broadcast on CHCH TV". CanPL.ca. August 13, 2020. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
  117. ^ a b Tannenwald, Jonathan (August 18, 2020). "How to watch RB Leipzig vs PSG, Bayern Munich vs Lyon". inquirer.com.
  118. ^ a b "StarTimes to bring Canadian Premier League's Island Games tournament to audiences across Africa" (Press release). August 26, 2020. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
  119. ^ "CPL's Island Games Final to reach 135m households in 65 territories worldwide". Mediapro Canada. September 17, 2020. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
  120. ^ a b "Live: Pacific FC v Forge FC". April 11, 2022. Retrieved April 11, 2022.
  121. ^ Davidson, Neil (January 25, 2024). "Canadian Soccer Business takes back broadcast rights from Mediapro, launches legal action". CBC. Retrieved January 28, 2024.
  122. ^ Davidson, Neil (April 3, 2024). "Broadcast future for Canadian soccer appears brighter with CSB, Mediapro nearing deal". CBC. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
  123. ^ Jacques, John (April 25, 2022). "Mexican Broadcaster Picks Up CPL Rights". Northern Tribune. Retrieved April 26, 2022.
[edit]


Preceded by Division 1 soccer league in Canada
2019–present
Succeeded by
Current