2023 Canadian Premier League season
Professional soccer league season
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The 2023 Canadian Premier League season was the fifth season of the Canadian Premier League, the top men's professional level of the Canadian Soccer Association's league system. The CPL Shield was won by Cavalry FC who finished first in the regular season by a 13 point margin. In the CPL final, Forge FC defeated Cavalry FC 2–1 in Hamilton to capture the North Star Cup. In doing so, Forge became league champions for the fourth time in five seasons. Both title winning clubs qualified for the newly expanded 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup.
| Season | 2023 |
|---|---|
| Dates | April 15 – October 7 (regular season) |
| Champions | Forge FC (4th title) |
| CPL Shield | Cavalry FC (2nd title) |
| CONCACAF Champions Cup | Forge FC Cavalry FC |
| Matches | 112 |
| Goals | 292 (2.61 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Ollie Bassett Myer Bevan (11 goals each) |
| Biggest home win | Pacific 4–1 York United (May 14) Cavalry 3–0 Forge (August 4) HFX Wanderers 3–0 Vancouver (August 12) HFX Wanderers 3–0 Valour (August 26) Cavalry 3–0 Pacific (October 7) |
| Biggest away win | Vancouver 0–5 Atlético Ottawa (May 13) |
| Highest scoring | Vancouver 3–6 Pacific (June 2) |
| Longest winning run | 5 matches Cavalry (September 12 – October 7) |
| Longest unbeaten run | 9 matches Pacific (May 6 – June 30) Cavalry (August 20 – October 7) |
| Longest winless run | 8 matches HFX Wanderers (April 15 – June 3) |
| Longest losing run | 3 matches (8 teams tied) |
| Highest attendance | 7,042 Atlético Ottawa 1–1 HFX Wanderers (April 15) |
| Lowest attendance | 822 York United 1–2 Vancouver (April 22) |
| Total attendance | 421,247 |
| Average attendance | 3,865 |
← 2022 2024 →
All statistics correct as of February 18, 2026. | |
Team and rule changes
Eight teams competed in the 2023 season with the debut of Vancouver FC, and the dissolution of FC Edmonton.[1][2] The league's playoff structure changed to a five-team Page playoff system with four elimination matches and one non-elimination match.
The league's player compensation budget increased by $175,000 compared to 2022.[3] Teams were required to spend between $750,000 and $1,025,000 on their 20–23 player rosters with a minimum of $30,000 per player. A team making full use of the U-21 salary rule could reach a compensation maximum of $1,125,000. In July 2023, the CPL introduced the Exceptional Youth Talent (EYT) designation which teams can apply to two U-18 players who are on standard contracts. EYT players do not count towards the 23 player roster limit and a portion of their salaries do not count towards the cap.[4]
Teams
Stadiums and locations
| Club | Location | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlético Ottawa | Ottawa | TD Place Stadium | 24,000 |
| Cavalry FC | Foothills County | ATCO Field | 6,000[5] |
| Forge FC | Hamilton | Tim Hortons Field | 23,218 |
| HFX Wanderers FC | Halifax | Wanderers Grounds | 6,500 |
| Pacific FC | Langford | Starlight Stadium | 6,000 |
| Valour FC | Winnipeg | IG Field | 33,000 |
| Vancouver FC | Langley | Willoughby Community Park Stadium | 6,560 |
| York United FC | Toronto | York Lions Stadium | 4,000 |
Personnel and sponsorship
| Team | Head coach | Captain | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor (chest) | Shirt sponsor (sleeve) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlético Ottawa |  Carlos González |
 Carl Haworth |
Macron | Maple Lodge Farms[6] | CIBC[7] |
| Cavalry |  Tommy Wheeldon Jr. |
Marco Carducci |
WestJet | ||
| Forge | Bobby Smyrniotis |
Kyle Bekker |
Tim Hortons | ||
| HFX Wanderers | Patrice Gheisar |
 Andre Rampersad |
Volkswagen | ||
| Pacific | James Merriman |
 Josh Heard |
Telus[8] | ||
| Valour | Phillip Dos Santos |
 Andrew Jean-Baptiste |
OneSoccer | ||
| Vancouver |  Afshin Ghotbi |
Callum Irving |
CIBC[7] | Carlsberg 0.0%[9] | |
| York United | Martin Nash |
Roger Thompson |
Carlsberg 0.0%[10] | CIBC[7] |
Number of teams by province or territory
| Rank | Province or territory | Number | Teams |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Ontario |
3 | Atlético Ottawa Forge York United |
| 2 |  British Columbia |
2 | Pacific Vancouver FC |
| 3 |  Alberta |
1 | Cavalry |
 Manitoba |
1 | Valour | |
 Nova Scotia |
1 | HFX Wanderers |
Coaching changes
| Team | Outgoing coach | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Position in table | Incoming coach | Date of appointment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HFX Wanderers | Stephen Hart |
End of contract | October 13, 2022 | Pre-season | Patrice Gheisar |
November 30, 2022 |
| Vancouver FC | N/A (inaugural season) | Afshin Ghotbi |
November 2, 2022 | |||
| FC Edmonton |  Alan Koch |
Team folded | November 21, 2022 | N/A | ||
Regular season
Format
The regular season was played as a quadruple round-robin, with each team playing the other seven teams twice at home and twice away between April 15 and October 7. The regular season winner (the team ranked first after all 28 games) qualified for the 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup and the top five teams qualified for the playoffs.
Standings
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Playoff qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cavalry (S) | 28 | 16 | 7 | 5 | 46 | 27 | +19 | 55 | First semifinal |
| 2 | Forge (C) | 28 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 39 | 32 | +7 | 42[a] | |
| 3 | HFX Wanderers | 28 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 39 | 32 | +7 | 42[a] | Quarterfinal |
| 4 | Pacific | 28 | 11 | 7 | 10 | 42 | 35 | +7 | 40 | Play-in round |
| 5 | York United | 28 | 11 | 5 | 12 | 35 | 44 | −9 | 38 | |
| 6 | Atlético Ottawa | 28 | 10 | 6 | 12 | 38 | 34 | +4 | 36 | |
| 7 | Vancouver | 28 | 8 | 5 | 15 | 28 | 50 | −22 | 29 | |
| 8 | Valour | 28 | 6 | 8 | 14 | 25 | 38 | −13 | 26 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Total wins; 3) Goal difference; 4) Goals scored; 5) Away goal differential; 6) Away goals scored; 7) Home goal differential; 8) Home goals scored; 9) Total minutes played by U-21 players; 10) Coin toss (2 teams tied) or drawing of lots (3+ teams tied).[11]
(C) Champion (qualified to Champions Cup); (S) CPL Shield winner (qualified to Champions Cup)
Notes:
- Tie resolved by away goal differential; Forge: +4, Wanderers: −2
Results
U-21 minute standings
In order to qualify for the playoffs, clubs were also required to accumulate at least 2,000 minutes played by U-21 domestic players during the regular season. Additionally, only 1,000 of these minutes could be played by players on loan from other clubs.[12] Clubs that do not meet the 2,000 minute threshold may also incur financial penalties from the league.
| Pos | Team | Pld | Min | Playoff eligibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vancouver | 28 | 5,203 | Eligible |
| 2 | Valour | 28 | 4,390 | |
| 3 | Pacific (Q) | 28 | 2,674 | |
| 4 | Forge (Q) | 28 | 2,052 | |
| 5 | Cavalry (Q) | 28 | 2,044 | |
| 6 | Atlético Ottawa | 28 | 2,034 | |
| 7 | HFX Wanderers (Q) | 28 | 2,032 | |
| 8 | York United (Q) | 28 | 2,006 |
Playoffs
The 2023 season used the Page playoff system. The team who finished first in the regular-season table would play the team who finished second, and the winner would host the final. The fourth- and fifth-placed teams would play in a play-in round, and the winner of this game would then play the third-placed team in a quarter-final. The quarter-final winner would play the loser of the game between the first and second-placed teams for the other spot in the final.[13]
Bracket
| Play-in round | First semifinal | Second semifinal | Final | |||||||||||||||
| October 14 | October 28 | |||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Cavalry FC | 1 | 2 | Forge FC | 2 | |||||||||||||
| 2 | Forge FC | 2 | October 21 | 1 | Cavalry FC | 1 | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Cavalry FC | 2 | ||||||||||||||||
| Quarterfinal | 4 | Pacific FC | 1 | |||||||||||||||
| October 14 | ||||||||||||||||||
| October 11 | 3 | HFX Wanderers FC | 0 | |||||||||||||||
| 4 | Pacific FC | 1 | 4 | Pacific FC | 1 | |||||||||||||
| 5 | York United FC | 0 | ||||||||||||||||
Matches
Play-in round
| October 11 | Pacific FC | 1–0 | York United FC | Langford, British Columbia |
| 7:00 pm PDT (10:00 pm EDT) |
Reid  90+1' |
Report | Stadium: Starlight Stadium Attendance: 2,780 |
Quarterfinal
| October 14 | HFX Wanderers FC | 0–1 | Pacific FC | Halifax, Nova Scotia |
| 3:00 pm ADT (2:00 pm EDT) |
Report | Fernandez  37' (o.g.) |
Stadium: Wanderers Grounds Attendance: 6,254 |
First semifinal
| October 14 Cavalry–Forge rivalry | Cavalry FC | 1–2 | Forge FC | Foothills County, Alberta |
| 3:00 PM MDT (5:00 PM EDT) |
Mason 80' |
Report |
|
Stadium: ATCO Field Attendance: 4,385 |
Second semifinal
| October 21 | Cavalry FC | 2–1 | Pacific FC | Foothills County, Alberta |
| 2:00 PM MDT (4:00 PM EDT) |
Report | Manneh 66' |
Stadium: ATCO Field Attendance: 4,066 |
Final
Attendance
- As of end of regular season
| Pos | Team | Total | High | Low | Average | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | HFX Wanderers | 81,951 | 6,413 | 4,907 | 5,854 | +0.5% |
| 2 | Forge FC | 74,458 | 6,917 | 3,827 | 5,318 | +55.0% |
| 3 | Atlético Ottawa | 69,423 | 7,044 | 3,074 | 4,959 | +21.9% |
| 4 | Cavalry FC | 57,265 | 4,990 | 3,189 | 4,090 | +17.1% |
| 5 | Pacific FC | 45,376 | 4,825 | 2,455 | 3,241 | +2.0% |
| 6 | Valour FC | 45,084 | 4,036 | 2,665 | 3,220 | +3.5% |
| 7 | Vancouver FC | 39,030 | 6,177 | 2,099 | 2,788 | n/a |
| 8 | York United | 17,382 | 1,783 | 822 | 1,242 | +0.6% |
| League total | 429,969 | 7,044 | 822 | 3,839 | +20.9% |
Statistical leaders
Top scorers
Top assists
Clean sheets
| Rank | Player | Club | Clean sheets[16] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Triston Henry |
Forge | 9 |
| 2 | Marco Carducci |
Cavalry | 8 |
| 3 | Yann Fillion |
HFX Wanderers | 7 |
| Nathan Ingham |
Atlético Ottawa | ||
 Rayane Yesli |
Valour |
Hat-tricks
| Player | For | Against | Result | Date | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terran Campbell | Forge | York United | 4–0 (A) | July 9 | [17] |
| Woobens Pacius | Forge | Vancouver | 3–0 (A) | September 3 | [18] |
Awards
Canadian Premier League Awards
The 2023 Canadian Premier League Awards were held in Hamilton, Ontario, on October 26, 2023.[19]
| Award | Recipient | Finalist |
|---|---|---|
| Golden Boot |
|
N/A |
| Golden Glove | Triston Henry (Forge FC) |
|
| Coach of the Year | Tommy Wheeldon Jr. (Cavalry FC) |
|
| Player of the Year |  Daan Klomp (Cavalry FC) |
|
| Best Under 21 Canadian Player of the Year | Matteo De Brienne (Valour FC) |
|
| Defender of the Year | Daan Klomp (Cavalry FC) |
|
| Players' Player of the Year |  Ali Musse (Cavalry FC) |
|
Canadian Premier League Best XI
| Goalkeeper | Defenders | Midfielders | Forwards | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
|
[20] |
Team of the Week
The Gatorade Team of the Week was selected by the CPL's Kristian Jack and OneSoccer's Oliver Platt.
| Team of the Week | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dates | Goalkeeper | Defenders | Midfielders | Forwards | Ref |
| April 15–16 |
|
|
[21] | ||
| April 22–23 |
|
|
|
[22] | |
| April 29–30 |
|
[23] | |||
| May 5–7 |
|
|
[24] | ||
| May 13–14 |
|
|
[25] | ||
| May 19–21 |
|
|
|
[26] | |
| May 27–28 |
|
|
[27] | ||
| May 31–June 4 |
|
|
[28] | ||
| June 9–11 |
|
|
|
 Bevan (Cavalry) |
[29] |
| June 16–18 |
|
[30] | |||
| June 20–25 |
|
[31] | |||
| June 30–July 2 |
|
|
[32] | ||
| July 7–9 |
|
[33] | |||
| July 12–16 |
|
|
[34] | ||
| July 21–23 |
|
[35] | |||
| July 28–30 |
|
[36] | |||
| August 4–7 |
|
|
[37] | ||
| August 11–13 |
|
[38] | |||
| August 18–20 |
|
[39] | |||
| August 25–27 |
|
|
[40] | ||
| September 2–4 |
|
|
|
[41] | |
| September 8–9 |
|
[42] | |||
Monthly Awards
| Month | Manager of the Month | Player of the Month | Goalkeeper of the Month | References | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manager | Club | Player | Club | Goalkeeper | Club | ||
| April | Bobby Smyrniotis |
Forge FC | Diego Gutiérrez |
Valour FC | Callum Irving |
Vancouver FC | [43][44][45] |
| May | James Merriman |
Pacific FC | Sean Young |
Pacific FC | Triston Henry |
Forge FC | [46][47][48] |
| June | Patrice Gheisar |
HFX Wanderers FC | Ayman Sellouf |
Pacific FC | Rayane Yesli |
Pacific FC | [49][50][51] |
| July | Carlos González |
Atlético Ottawa | Kyle Bekker |
Forge FC | Triston Henry |
Forge FC | [52][53][54] |
| August | Tommy Wheeldon Jr. |
Cavalry FC | Daniel Nimick |
HFX Wanderers FC | Nathan Ingham |
Atlético Ottawa | [55][56][57] |
| September | Tommy Wheeldon Jr. |
Cavalry FC | Daan Klomp |
Cavalry FC | Marco Carducci |
Cavalry FC | [58][59][60] |
| October | Bobby Smyrniotis |
Forge FC | Ali Musse |
Cavalry FC | Triston Henry |
Forge FC | [61][62][63] |
Player transfers
U Sports Draft
The 2023 CPL–U Sports Draft took place on December 15, 2022. Each team made two picks in the draft for a total of 16 selections with expansion club Vancouver FC selecting first.[64]
Foreign players
Canadian Premier League teams can sign a maximum of seven international players, out of which only five can be in the starting line-up for each match. At least 50% of a team's international players must be U-23 at all times. If a club wishes to utilize the maximum 7 slots, the 7th player must be U-21.[65]
The following international players were signed for the 2023 season. Note that players may be considered domestic for CPL purposes (Canadian citizens, permanent residents, or refugees) while still representing other countries in international competitions.[66]
Players in italic denote players who were new to their respective clubs for the 2023 season, sorted chronologically by their announcement. Players in Bold indicate players who have represented their national teams at the senior level.
2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup
Forge FC and Cavalry FC both earned berths in the newly expanded 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup as CPL champions and regular season champions respectively.[67] The newly expanded tournament has teams from across North America, Central America, and the Caribbean compete for a spot in the FIFA Club World Cup.[68] Qualification for the CONCACAF Champions Cup was also available to CPL clubs if they won the Canadian Championship; however, the 2023 Canadian Championship was not won by a CPL team.[68][69]
| Method | Qualified team |
|---|---|
| CPL champion | Forge FC |
| CPL regular season winner | Cavalry FC |