✍️ Ivan Sørensen
Today, we take a look back at the 2025 Canadian Premier League season and how each club fared, as we gear up mentally for the campaign ahead.
Clubs have new signings — and in some cases new coaches — but last season's performances serve as the benchmark for objectives and expectations. And with what feels like an eternity to go until April 4th, what better way to spend your coffee break than a journey through the previous season?
For those new to the CPL and tuning in for the first time this year, this article also serves as a handy primer for 2026. As a reminder, the regular CPL season sees each side play four games against every other club, for a total of 28 matches.
Atlético Ottawa
Ottawa fans will look back on 2025 with considerable pride, having lifted their first North Star Cup in what was an impressive campaign from start to finish. Fifteen wins from 28 matches with only two defeats is a phenomenal record, and they outscored every other side in the process.
Such form made it no surprise that the club settled into second place as early as week two and remained in the top two for the entire season.
In the playoffs, they dispatched rivals Forge before defeating Cavalry in the match that would put Canadian football in the global spotlight, thanks to the extraordinary conditions and the now-infamous "Icicle Kick."
There is often truth in the idea that strong league campaigns come at the expense of cup runs, and Ottawa's journey through the Canadian Championship — past York before falling to Vancouver — is something of an example of that. A semi-final finish is no disgrace, but many Ottawa fans would have had their sights set on a showdown with the formidable Whitecaps in the final.
Questions will inevitably arise heading into 2026. Golden Boot winner Sam Salter not only set the record for the most goals in a single season, but also the most in a single match. Ottawa remain a capable side, but his departure to the Swedish Allsvenskan leaves a significant void to fill, and fan expectations will be sky high this year.
Forge FC
"Bayern of the North"? Forge certainly looked the part, losing just two games all season and finishing with 58 points to add another Shield to their collection. Their quality and tactical discipline made it all the more surprising that they fell short of the final, though they can hardly look back on the season and feel they didn't give it everything.
Finishing two points above Ottawa highlights just how fine the margins between the two sides could be this year.
Notably, while Ottawa outscored everyone, no one conceded fewer goals than the Hammers, allowing just 22 across the season and posting a road record as consistent as the one they put together at home.
The playoff run, then, must have been a bitter pill to swallow, with single-goal defeats to Ottawa and then Cavalry meaning the Shield would be the only silverware on offer.
The Canadian Championship told a similarly agonizing story. After seeing off Halifax and impressing with a victory over MLS side Montreal, a 2-2 draw in the first leg against a worn-out Whitecaps side made it seem very possible that Forge could not only reach the final but eliminate two MLS clubs along the way.
It wasn't to be, but the fact that it seemed entirely plausible speaks to the considerable strength of this side.
Cavalry FC
The Cavs came out of the gates with a shaky start, not moving into the playoff spots until week five. Once established there, however, they never looked back.
Eleven wins and 42 points in total kept them safely in playoff contention, though a sizeable gap to the top two suggested their efforts could never quite gain ground on Ottawa and Forge.
That said, playing steady, consistent football was enough to reach the playoffs and make the final, with York and Forge left behind before a hard-fought 1-2 defeat in the snow. Hardly anything to be ashamed of, though many Cavalry fans were left gutted after the remarkable feat of eliminating Forge in the semi-final.
The Canadian Championship run perhaps captured the team's inconsistency best, with back-to-back draws against Vancouver FC leading to a penalty shootout exit. Few would have predicted it would be the Eagles, and not Cavalry, who went on to face Ottawa in the semi-finals.
Cavalry is well-positioned to make their mark in the new season, but they will need to iron out some of the inconsistencies if they want to turn potential into something more emphatic.
Halifax Wanderers FC
The Wanderers endured a gruelling season, spending the early months near the top of the table before settling into fourth and fifth place. Eleven wins and a goal difference of +7 brought them to 39 points, with their impressive home record proving a significant boost to the campaign.
In the playoffs, their campaign ended at the first hurdle, as a 2-2 draw with York was followed by a penalty shootout defeat.
A deep Voyageurs Cup run wasn't on the cards either, with an early exit at the hands of Forge in the opening round.
A mid-table finish and frustrated ambitions ultimately led to one of the more notable off-season shake-ups, as Patrice Gheisar stepped down from coaching duties in favour of Vanni Sartini, formerly of the Vancouver Whitecaps, signalling potential tactical changes ahead. The mood around the club appears positive heading into the new season, and with the second-highest attendance figures in the league, Halifax fans certainly have reason to remain hopeful.
Inter Toronto FC
A club of many names, York will be competing as Inter Toronto in 2026. Ten wins and 38 points under Mauro Eustaquio, who took over coaching duties, saw them comfortably secure a playoff spot ahead of Valour. Throughout the latter half of the season, York and Halifax were locked in a battle for fourth and fifth place.
With just a single point separating the two sides, York and Valour met in the opening playoff round, with the former prevailing on penalties before falling to Cavalry in the next stage.
Their championship run also came to an end in the second round, with back-to-back defeats against Ottawa ending their hopes.
Under their new name, the club carries plenty of upward potential. In the regular season, they finished just four points behind Cavalry — a side they managed to beat both home and away — and with three home defeats by a single goal and four draws at home, there were plenty of moments that could easily have gone the other way.
Is Inter Toronto ready to challenge for the Shield? Probably not just yet. But are they a contender for deep runs in the cup competitions? Absolutely.
Valour FC
Consider this the funeral rites for Valour, as the club is no longer with us. Their final season brought a sixth-place finish, 12 points off the playoff spots, with seven wins to their name — including victories over Cavalry and one of only two league wins against Forge in the regular season.
They also had a respectable championship run, drawing with the Whitecaps before ultimately going out by a single goal on aggregate.
It is hard to say whether Valour could have found their stride in the long run. A team that struggles to win on the road faces a difficult task in a league that demands some of the longest travels in world football.
The absence of professional football in Winnipeg will no doubt sting, particularly following a season in which the club came closer than ever to reaching the playoffs for the first time. To the memories!
Pacific FC
The regular season saw Pacific finish with five wins and 23 points, edging ahead of Vancouver to avoid the wooden spoon. The record was tarnished by having both the fewest goals scored in the league and the worst goal difference, with the club finishing 15 points adrift of the playoff spots.
There were moments of promise, however. The team matched a formidable Cavalry side 3-3 late in the season and played out a thrilling 4-4 derby with Vancouver in June. Looking at the numbers, had they found eight or so more goals across the campaign, those 15 points could have told a very different story.
The Canadian Championship offered little consolation, with a penalty shootout defeat to Vancouver ending their run in the opening round. For a club that has regularly been a playoff contender, this was arguably one of their most disappointing showings in recent memory.
Will there be a renewed spark heading into the new season? This is a club with a strong track record, but arresting a dip in form is never straightforward. There will be plenty of fingers crossed for Pacific, and a lot of eyes on them in the opening matches to see what kind of response they bring.
Vancouver FC
The "best last-place team in the league's history," The Eagles had a wild ride of a season. Just four wins and 21 points left them rooted to the bottom of the standings, 17 points adrift of the playoffs — though it is worth noting that their -22 goal difference was still a better return than the other two sides who also missed out.
The club was plagued by instability and chaos until Martin Nash took over in late July. As the team settled under his guidance, they strung together a six-game unbeaten run to close out the season, capped by a home draw against Cavalry in the rain.
This was thrown into even sharper relief by a surprisingly strong Canadian Championship campaign, in which the club eliminated Pacific and Cavalry on penalties before pulling off perhaps the most shocking result of the competition — a 3-2 aggregate victory over Ottawa — to set up a Vancouver Derby. While they couldn't overcome the Whitecaps, indisputably the strongest side in the country at that point, they scored twice and played like they belonged on that stage.
It is a cliché to say there is nowhere to go but up, but under Nash, the Eagles genuinely feel like a club that believes in itself again — and that has been a long time coming. This writer is willing to stick their neck out and call them playoff contenders.
