A league is born: Canadian Premier League gets the green light

Canada Soccer confirmed at its Annual Meeting that the Canadian Premier League has the go-ahead. The projected starting date for the CPL is 2018 or 2019.

Canada has its own league at last.

After months of speculation and rumours, the Canadian Premier League has officially received the green light. At their Annual Meeting of the Members, Canada Soccer confirmed their unanimous approval of the new league.

The league will have Tier 1 status and is expected to launch partially with six teams in 2018. A full season would follow in 2019. Here’s what we have learned so far about the fledgling league, tasked with developing young Canadian talent to support the national team.

Mar 25, 2016; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Mexico Hector Herrera (16) battles for the ball with Canada midfielder Adam Straith (15) during the first half at BC Place. Mandatory Credit: Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports /

Close Ties with CFL

According to a press release, the CPL has received expressions of interest from 10 Canadian cities. However, currently there are two cities confirmed as hosting CPL teams: Hamilton, Ontario, and Winnipeg, Manitoba. The proposed ownership groups in both cities have strong ties to the Canadian Football League (CFL).

Scott Mitchell, CEO of the CFL’s Hamilton Tiger-Cats, and Wade Miller, President and CEO of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, have both confirmed that work has been put in to bring CPL teams to both cities. Quoted in the same press release, Mitchell seemed optimistic about the league’s future.

"“The leadership of the Canadian Soccer Association has shown an outstanding commitment to its vision for the future of soccer in Canada with today’s decision to ratify the Canadian Premier League. The CPL will fill the existing void in Canada’s national soccer development platform by operating a world-class professional league, both on and off the field.”"

Other rumoured ownership groups are linked to the CFL’s Calgary Stampeders and Saskatchewan Roughriders.

Avoiding MLS Cities

Three cities that seem unlikely to see a CPL team any time soon are the three MLS markets: Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver. Any new team would struggle to compete with the established sides in those cities.

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However, the CPL could have a positive effect on how those Canadian markets are treated by MLS, as it gives Canada Soccer a bargaining tool to try to get a better deal. The threat of withdrawing Toronto FC from MLS may open a lot of doors. The most obvious would be a revisiting of the homegrown player rule in MLS and how it affects Canadian players, who are currently treated the same as international players on US-based MLS teams.

Around the same time as CPL rumours were building steam, MLS loosened the rules on the domestic status of Canadian players in the US. Then, in February, MLS commissioner Don Garber made noises about wanting to grow the league north of the border.

Now, with the CPL confirmed, Garber is talking about opening an MLS office in Canada. Even if there is no interest in putting CPL teams in MLS cities, Garber seems ready to defend his property.

Don Garber : "We are opening an office in Canada." #MLS
— Nicolas A Martineau (@nik_martineau) May 16, 2017

So does TFC president Bill Manning. In February, Manning lashed out at the idea of a competing CPL team in Toronto. Manning’s suggestion, to instead move TFC II (or even TFC III) to the CPL, was not popular with fans of the future league.

Potential Candidates

Jul 2, 2016; New York, NY, USA; Ottawa Fury FC forward Paulo Junior (7) celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal during the first half against the New York Cosmos at James M. Shuart Stadium. New York Cosmos won 2-1. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports /

So if the big three cities aren’t in the mix, where can we expect to see CPL teams? So far, only Hamilton and Winnipeg have been confirmed, with the league to be headquartered in Hamilton.

Potential ownership groups have shown interest in putting teams in various cities across Canada. Suggestions include Halifax, Moncton, Calgary, Saskatoon (or possibly Regina), Victoria, Quebec City, and Kitchener-Waterloo.

Ottawa and Edmonton, home to Canada’s two non-MLS-owned professional teams, are also unknowns. A year ago, Ottawa Fury were in the NASL, a league which seemed about to fold. They seemed obvious candidates for the CPL. Now, however, they have just invested substantially in entering the USL. Eventually, surely, Ottawa will make the jump to the CPL, but they may be willing to wait until the league is up and running.

It’s unclear whether the rumours of an Edmonton team in the CPL refer to FC Edmonton, still in the NASL, or a different ownership group.

Big things are on the horizon for Canadian soccer in the upcoming years. Not to forget, there’s also the small matter of Canada’s participation in a joint World Cup bid for 2026.

Next: MLS Attendance: Week 11 figures and 2017 update

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