At last, Canada has its own women's professional footy league.
The Northern Super League kicks off on Wednesday, April 16, as the Vancouver Rise host Calgary Wild at BC Place (7 pm PT / 8 pm MT).
Without further ado, everything you need to know ahead of its historic inaugural season.
How many games will each team play?
All clubs will play a total of 25 games in the regular season, facing each team five times.
Ottawa, Calgary, and Halifax will play 13 games at home, while Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver will play 12 in their stadiums.
What's the playoff format?
The top four teams advance to the playoffs, where two-legged semi-finals will take place before the single championship match.
Important dates
The regular season will span from April 16 to October 18.
The final championship match will be held almost a month later on November 15.
Where will each club play their home games?
Calgary Wild: McMahon Stadium, Calgary, Alberta (35,400 capacity)
Halifax Tides: Wanderers Grounds, Halifax, Nova Scotia (7,500 capacity)
Montreal Roses: Centre Sportif Bois-de-Boulogne, Laval, Quebec (5,581 capacity)
Ottawa Rapid: TD Place, Ottawa, Ontario (24,000 capacity)
AFC Toronto: York Lions Stadium, Toronto, Ontario (4,000 capacity)*
Vancouver Rise: Swangard Stadium, Burnaby, British Columbia (4,500 capacity)**
* AFC Toronto will play its first home game of the season against Montreal Roses on April 19 at BMO Field in Toronto.
** Vancouver Rise will play its first home game of the season against Calgary Wild on April 16 at BC Place in Vancouver.
Rosters
Northern Super League rosters will consist of 20 to 25 players, with a maximum of eight international players.
The minimum salary is CAD 50,000, while a club's salary cap is CAD 1,600,000.
Similar to MLS, each club can designate one player whose salary doesn't count against the cap.
And now, unlike MLS, players cannot be drafted or traded without their consent.
Where can we watch the games?
Each game will feature different broadcasters, with TSN, TSN+, CBC Gem, RDS, and the Northern Super League’s website each set to air select matches. Fans can check the broadcast details for each game here.
Will these clubs get to play in continental competitions?
While it has yet to be formally confirmed, it is widely expected that at least one NSL club will earn a spot in the new Concacaf W Champions Cup.
In the 2024–25 edition of the tournament, the Vancouver Whitecaps’ academy took part as winners of the League1 Canada Inter-Provincial Championship.
With the 2025–26 edition of the Concacaf W Champions Cup scheduled to begin in the latter half of 2025, it’s possible we may have to wait until 2026 to see an NSL team compete in a Concacaf tournament.
