2023 Canadian Premier League season

Professional soccer league season

Football league season

Canadian Premier LeagueSeason| 2023

|

Dates| April 15 – October 7 (regular season)
Champions| Forge FC
CPL Shield| Cavalry FC
CONCACAF Champions Cup| Forge FC
Cavalry FC
Matches played| 112
Goals scored| 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 October 7, 2023.

The 2023 Canadian Premier League season was the fifth season of the Canadian Premier League, the top level of Canadian soccer. 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.

## Team and rule changes

[edit]

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

[edit]

### Stadiums and locations

[edit]

See also: List of soccer stadiums in Canada

Forge

Cavalry

Pacific

Wanderers

York

Valour

Vancouver

Ottawa

Location of the 2023 Canadian Premier League teams

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

[edit]

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

[edit]

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

[edit]

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

[edit]

### Format

[edit]

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

[edit]

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

Source: CanPL
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:

1. ^ a b Tie resolved by away goal differential; Forge: +4, Wanderers: −2

### Results

[edit]

Home \ Away  | ATO | CAV | FOR | HFX | PAC | VAL | VFC | YRK

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

Atlético Ottawa |  | 1–0  | 0–1  | 1–1  | 1–4  | 2–0  | 1–0  | 0–1
| 1–2  | 0–0  | 2–0  | 1–1  | 0–1  | 3–1  | 3–3
Cavalry | 2–0  |  | 1–1 | 2–2  | 1–0  | 1–1  | 3–1  | 2–1
0–2  |  | 3–0 | 1–0  | 3–0  | 2–1  | 2–1  | 2–1
Forge | 4–3  | 2–2 |  | 1–1  | 0–1  | 3–2  | 0–0  | 1–2
0–1  | 0–0 |  | 1–1  | 3–1  | 1–1  | 2–0  | 3–3
HFX Wanderers | 1–0  | 3–1  | 2–1  |  | 2–1  | 2–0  | 1–1  | 0–3
3–2  | 1–2  | 2–1  |  | 1–2  | 3–0  | 3–0  | 1–2
Pacific | 2–2  | 1–1  | 0–1  | 1–1  |  | 1–0  | 1–0 | 4–1
0–1  | 1–2  | 0–2  | 1–1  |  | 2–1  | 1–2 | 1–0
Valour | 1–1  | 0–2  | 2–0  | 0–0  | 1–1  |  | 1–0  | 1–1
1–3  | 3–2  | 2–3  | 0–1  | 0–3  |  | 0–1  | 1–2
Vancouver | 0–5  | 1–1  | 2–0  | 2–1  | 3–6 | 0–0  |  | 1–2
2–1  | 1–5  | 0–3  | 2–1  | 3–2 | 0–0  |  | 1–2
York United | 2–1  | 1–0  | 0–1 | 2–2  | 0–0  | 0–2  | 1–2  |
1–0  | 0–1  | 0–4 | 0–2  | 1–4  | 1–3  | 2–1  |

Source: CanPL.ca
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

### U-21 minute standings

[edit]

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

Source: CanPL
(Q) Qualified for the playoffs

## Playoffs

[edit]

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

[edit]

| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 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

[edit]

#### Play-in round

[edit]

Pacific FC v York United FC 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

[edit]

HFX Wanderers FC v Pacific FC 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

[edit]

Cavalry FC v Forge FC 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 |

* Hojabrpour 29'
* Bekker 50'

| Stadium: ATCO Field
Attendance: 4,385

#### Second semifinal

[edit]

Cavalry FC v Pacific FC October 21 |  Cavalry FC | 2–1|  Pacific FC | Foothills County, Alberta

|
|
|
|

2:00 PM MDT
(4:00 PM EDT) |

* Klomp 27'
* Musse 61'

| Report | Manneh 66' | Stadium: ATCO Field
Attendance: 4,066

#### Final

[edit]

Main article: 2023 Canadian Premier League final

October 28, 2023

6:00 pm ET

Forge FC| 2–1 (a.e.t.)| Cavalry FC

|
|

* Badibanga 105+2'
* Borges 111'

| Recap
Report |

* Musse 101'

Tim Hortons Field, Hamilton, Ontario

Attendance: 13,925

Referee: Marie-Soleil Beaudoin

## Attendance

[edit]

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%†

Source: [1][2]

## Statistical leaders

[edit]

See also: Canadian Premier League records and statistics § Career player records

### Top scorers

[edit]

Rank  | Player  | Club  | Goals[14]

|
|
|

1  |  Ollie Bassett | Atlético Ottawa | 11
Myer Bevan | Cavalry
3  |  Terran Campbell | Forge | 10
Woobens Pacius | Forge
5  |  Massimo Ferrin | HFX Wanderers | 8
6  |  Samuel Salter | Atlético Ottawa | 7
Ayman Sellouf | Pacific
8  |  Molham Babouli | York United | 6
Gabriel Bitar | Vancouver
Sergio Camargo | Cavalry
Mikaël Cantave | Cavalry / Vancouver
Osaze De Rosario | York United
Shaan Hundal | Vancouver
Daniel Nimick | HFX Wanderers
Kévin dos Santos | York United

### Top assists

[edit]

Rank  | Player  | Club  | Assists[15]

|
|
|

1  |  Ayman Sellouf | Pacific | 8
2  |  Kyle Bekker | Forge | 7
3  |  Lorenzo Callegari | HFX Wanderers | 6
Ali Musse | Cavalry
5  |  Manny Aparicio | Pacific | 5
Aidan Daniels | HFX Wanderers
Jérémy Gagnon-Laparé | York United
Kian Williams | Valour
9  |  Myer Bevan | Cavalry | 4
Gabriel Bitar | Vancouver
Tristan Borges | Forge
Jesse Daley | Cavalry
Carl Haworth | Atlético Ottawa
Wesley Timoteo | HFX Wanderers

### Clean sheets

[edit]

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

[edit]

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

[edit]

### Canadian Premier League Awards

[edit]

The 2023 Canadian Premier League Awards were held in Hamilton, Ontario, on October 26, 2023.[19]

Award  | Recipient  | Finalist

|
|

Golden Boot |

Myer Bevan (Cavalry FC)
Ollie Bassett (Atlético Ottawa)

| N/A
Golden Glove  |  Triston Henry (Forge FC) |

Marco Carducci (Cavalry FC)
Rayane Yesli (Valour FC)

Coach of the Year  |  Tommy Wheeldon Jr. (Cavalry FC) |

Patrice Gheisar (Halifax Wanderers)
Bobby Smyrniotis (Forge FC)

Player of the Year  |  Daan Klomp (Cavalry FC) |

Manny Aparicio (Pacific FC)
Kyle Bekker (Forge FC)
Lorenzo Callegari (Halifax Wanderers)
Ali Musse (Cavalry FC)

Best Under 21 Canadian Player of the Year  |  Matteo De Brienne (Valour FC) |

James Cameron (Vancouver FC)
Kwasi Poku (Forge FC)

Defender of the Year  |  Daan Klomp (Cavalry FC) |

Manjrekar James (Forge FC)
Daniel Nimick (Halifax Wanderers)

Players' Player of the Year  |  Ali Musse (Cavalry FC) |

Kyle Bekker (Forge FC)
Daan Klomp (Cavalry FC)

### Canadian Premier League Best XI

[edit]

Goalkeeper  | Defenders  | Midfielders  | Forwards  | Ref

|
|
|
|

* Triston Henry (Forge)

* Daan Klomp (Cavalry)
* Manjrekar James (Forge)
* Daniel Nimick (HFX)

* Lorenzo Callegari (HFX)
* Manny Aparicio (Pacific)
* Kyle Bekker (Forge)
* Ollie Bassett (Ottawa)

* Béni Badibanga (Forge)
* Terran Campbell (Forge)
* Ali Musse (Cavalry)

| [20]

### Team of the Week

[edit]

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  |

* Irving (Vancouver)

* Ferrazzo (HFX)
* Nimick (HFX)
* Samaké (Valour)
* Vliet (Pacific)

* Callegari (HFX)
* Ohin (Valour)
* Jensen (Forge)
* Aparicio (Pacific)

* Bevan (Cavalry)
* Niyongabire (Valour)

| [21]
April 22–23  |

* Irving (Vancouver)

* Bakare (Vancouver)
* Espejo (Ottawa)
* Romeo (Vancouver)
* de Brienne (Valour)

* Gutiérrez (Valour)
* Young (Pacific)
* Sellouf (Pacific)
* Bitar (Vancouver)
* Ferrin (HFX)

* Hundal (Vancouver)

| [22]
April 29–30  |

* Giantsopoulos (York)

* Gee (York)
* James (Forge)
* Morgan (Forge)

* Baquero (Valour)
* Chung (Vancouver)
* Sissoko (Forge)
* Sandoval (Vancouver)

* Musse (Cavalry)
* Babouli (York)
* Collomb (HFX)

| [23]
May 5–7  |

* Henry (Forge)

* Mukumbilwa (Pacific)
* Đidić (Pacific)
* Bakare (Vancouver)

* Sellouf (Pacific)
* Aparicio (Pacific)
* Campbell (Valour)
* Borges (Forge)

* Daniels (Pacific)
* Campbell (Forge)
* Heard (Pacific)

| [24]
May 13–14  |

* Melvin (Ottawa)

* de Brienne (Valour)
* Đidić (Pacific)
* Meilleur-Giguère (Pacific)
* Assi (Ottawa)

* Verhoven (Ottawa)
* Young (Pacific)
* Bassett (Ottawa)
* Musse (Cavalry)

* Hamilton (Forge)
* Reid (Pacific)

| [25]
May 19–21  |

* Baskett (Pacific)

* Crawford (Vancouver)
* Soumaoro (York)
* Klomp (Cavalry)
* Kwak (Vancouver)

* Daley (Cavalry)
* Young (Pacific)
* Musse (Cavalry)
* Camargo (Cavalry)
* Niyongabire (Valour)

* Ricci (York)

| [26]
May 27–28  |

* Henry (Forge)

* Faye (York)
* Gee (York)
* Martínez (Vancouver)
* Fernandez (HFX)

* Callegari (HFX)
* Young (Pacific)
* Musse (Cavalry)
* Daniels (HFX)
* Bayiha (York)

* Reid (Pacific)

| [27]
May 31–June 4  |

* Melvin (Ottawa)

* de Brienne (Valour)
* Soumaoro (York)
* Espejo (Ottawa)
* Baquero (Valour)

* Bekker (Forge)
* Toussaint (Pacific)
* Bassett (Ottawa)

* Sellouf (Pacific)
* Tahid (Vancouver)
* Reid (Pacific)

| [28]
June 9–11  |

* Baskett (Pacific)

* Loughrey (HFX)
* Mourdoukoutas (York)
* Meilleur-Giguère (Pacific)
* Grant (York)

* Gagnon-Laparé (York)
* Watson (HFX)
* Ntignee (Cavalry)
* Daniels (HFX)
* Reid (Pacific)

|  Bevan (Cavalry)  | [29]
June 16–18  |

* Yesli (Valour)

* Campbell (Valour)
* Đidić (Pacific)
* Pianelli (Valour)
* Haworth (Ottawa)

* Daniels (HFX)
* Young (Pacific)
* Bassett (Ottawa)

* Ponce (Valour)
* Salter (Ottawa)
* Coimbra (HFX)

| [30]
June 20–25  |

* Irving (Vancouver)

* White (Vancouver)
* Samaké (Valour)
* Đidić (Pacific)

* Sellouf (Pacific)
* Sánchez (Valour)
* Gutiérrez (Valour)
* Ntignee (Cavalry)

* Babouli (York)
* Campbell (Forge)
* Daniels (HFX)

| [31]
June 30–July 2  |

* Carducci (Cavalry)

* Gee (York)
* Klomp (Cavalry)
* Nimick (HFX)
* Acosta (Ottawa)

* Gagnon-Laparé (York)
* Bekker (Forge)
* Bassett (Ottawa)

* Sellouf (Pacific)
* Ferrin (HFX)
* Bayiha (York)

| [32]
July 7–9  |

* Henry (Forge)

* Aird (Cavalry)
* Romeo (Vancouver)
* Klomp (Cavalry)
* Sacko (Ottawa)

* Bassett (Ottawa)
* Bekker (Forge)
* Kobza (Cavalry)

* Borges (Forge)
* Cantave (Cavalry)
* Campbell (Forge)

| [33]
July 12–16  |

* Giantsopoulos (York)

* Aird (Cavalry)
* Espejo (Ottawa)
* Meilleur-Giguère (Pacific)
* Acosta (Ottawa)

* Callegari (HFX)
* Bekker (Forge)
* Zapater (Ottawa)

* Haworth (Ottawa)
* Campbell (Forge)
* Ferrin (HFX)

| [34]
July 21–23  |

* Henry (Forge)

* Klomp (Cavalry)
* James (Forge)
* Nimick (HFX)

* Choinière (Forge)
* Bekker (Forge)
* Callegari (HFX)
* Ferrari (York)

* Musse (Cavalry)
* Collomb (HFX)
* Ricci (York)

| [35]
July 28–30  |

* Henry (Forge)

* Niba (Ottawa)
* Ouimette (Ottawa)
* Fernandez (HFX)

* Morgan (Forge)
* Bekker (Forge)
* Callegari (HFX)
* Dada-Luke (Pacific)

* Salter (Ottawa)
* Aparicio (Pacific)
* Morelli (HFX)

| [36]
August 4–7  |

* Yesli (Valour)

* Cameron (Vancouver)
* Klomp (Cavalry)
* Đidić (Pacific)
* Haworth (Ottawa)

* Ntignee (Cavalry)
* Young (Pacific)
* Camargo (Cavalry)
* Aparicio (Pacific)
* Bayiha (York)

* Heard (Pacific)

| [37]
August 11–13  |

* Ingham (Ottawa)

* Timoteo (HFX)
* Walker (Ottawa)
* Nimick (HFX)

* Williams (Valour)
* Bekker (Forge)
* Gutiérrez (Valour)
* Santos (York)

* Ferrin (HFX)
* Morelli (HFX)
* Akio (Cavalry)

| [38]
August 18–20  |

* Ingham (Ottawa)

* Loughrey (HFX)
* Klomp (Cavalry)
* Nimick (HFX)

* Kamdem (Cavalry)
* Iliadis (Ottawa)
* Daley (Cavalry)
* Assi (Ottawa)

* Badibanga (Forge)
* Bassett (Ottawa)
* Bitar (Vancouver)

| [39]
August 25–27  |

* Fillion (HFX)

* Acosta (Ottawa)
* Klomp (Cavalry)
* Nimick (HFX)
* Kobza (Cavalry)

* Gagnon-Laparé (York)
* Achinioti-Jönsson (Forge)
* Omar (HFX)

* Bitar (Vancouver)
* Morelli (HFX)
* Ricci (York)

| [40]
September 2–4  |

* De Rosario (York)

* Mourdoukoutas (York)
* Thompson (York)
* Klomp (Cavalry)

* Sellouf (Pacific)
* Trafford (Cavalry)
* Achinioti-Jönsson (Forge)
* Akio (Cavalry)

* Camargo (Cavalry)
* Pacius (Forge)
* Aparicio (Pacific)

| [41]
September 8–9  |

* Yesli (Valour)

* Ferrazzo (HFX)
* Henry (HFX)
* Klomp (Cavalry)
* Campbell (Valour)

* Cameron (Vancouver)
* Wilson (HFX)
* Gutiérrez (Valour)
* Shome (Cavalry)

* Bitar (Vancouver)
* Cantave (Vancouver)

| [42]

### Monthly Awards

[edit]

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

[edit]

Main article: List of Canadian Premier League transfers 2023

### U Sports Draft

[edit]

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

[edit]

Main article: List of foreign CPL 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]

Club  | Player 1  | Player 2  | Player 3  | Player 4  | Player 5  | Player 6  | Player 7  | Former players

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

Atlético Ottawa |  Miguel Acosta |  Ollie Bassett |  Diego Espejo |  Gianni dos Santos |  Aboubakary Sacko |  Alberto Zapater |  Rubén del Campo |
Cavalry |  Daan Klomp |  Joe Mason |  Roberto Alarcón |  Jesse Daley |  Udoka Chima |  Tom Field |  |  José Escalante
Forge |  Alexander Achinioti-Jönsson |  Malik Owolabi-Belewu |  Rezart Rama |  Béni Badibanga |  |  |  |
HFX Wanderers |  Andre Rampersad |  João Morelli |  Lifumpa Mwandwe |  Lorenzo Callegari |  Callum Watson |  Théo Collomb |  |  Kosi Nwafornso
Pacific |  Djenairo Daniels |  Bradley Vliet |  Ayman Sellouf |  David Brazão |  Kekuta Manneh |  |  |
Valour |  Andrew Jean-Baptiste |  Walter Ponce |  Kevin Rendón |  Pacifique Niyongabire |  Kian Williams |  Jaime Siaj |  |
Vancouver |  Nicky Gyimah |  Min-jae Kwak |  Ibrahim Bakare |  Alejandro Díaz |  Renan Garcia |  |  |  Emmanuel Robe
Gael Sandoval
Eugene Martínez
York United |  Tass Mourdoukoutas |  Kévin dos Santos |  Brem Soumaoro |  |  |  |  |  Lassana Faye
Oussama Alou

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

[edit]

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

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Canadian Premier League Announces Expansion in Vancouver". Canadian Premier League. November 10, 2021. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
2. ^ "Canadian Premier League terminates Fath Sports' right to operate FC Edmonton". Canadian Premier League. November 21, 2022. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
3. ^ "Canadian Premier League Announces Increases to Salary Cap". Canadian Premier League. November 8, 2022.
4. ^ Jacques, John (July 20, 2023). "CPL Expands Roster Sizes With New 'Exceptional Youth Talent' Rule". Northern Tribune. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
5. ^ Kanygin, Jordan. "New 12,000-seat soccer stadium part of Spruce Meadows future plan". CTV News Calgary. Retrieved May 30, 2022.
6. ^ "First Look: Atletico Ottawa's New Primary Kit". Northern Tribune. March 29, 2023. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
7. ^ a b c Jacques, John (November 10, 2022). "Banking On Soccer: CIBC Inks Multi-Year Deal With CPL". Northern Tribune. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
8. ^ "Canadian Premier League signs TELUS as Multi-Year Partner". Canadian Premier League. April 5, 2023. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
9. ^ "Vancouver FC unveils kits for inaugural season". Canadian Premier League. March 27, 2023. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
10. ^ "York United announces Carlsberg as front of jersey sponsor for 2023". York United. November 10, 2022. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
11. ^ "2023 CPL Competition Guidelines". Canadian Premier League. March 17, 2023. Archived from the original on March 20, 2023. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
12. ^ "U-21 Minutes Leaderboard". Canadian Premier League.
13. ^ Jacques, John (March 15, 2023). "The Majority Of CPL Teams Will Be Included In New Playoff Format". Northern Tribune. Retrieved March 16, 2023.
14. ^ "2023 CPL players statistics". Canadian Premier League. Retrieved April 15, 2023.
15. ^ "2023 CPL players statistics - team play". Canadian Premier League. Retrieved April 15, 2023.
16. ^ "2023 CPL goalkeepers statistics". Canadian Premier League. Retrieved April 15, 2023.
17. ^ "York United vs. Forge". Soccerway. Retrieved July 10, 2023.
18. ^ "Vancouver FC vs. Forge". Soccerway. Retrieved September 3, 2023.
19. ^ Jacques, John (October 27, 2023). "2023 CPL Awards Round Up: Cavalry Dominates The Show". Northern Tribune. Retrieved October 29, 2023.
20. ^ "Canadian Premier League Best XI fuelled by Gatorade: 2023 CPL stars honoured". Canadian Premier League. December 20, 2023. Archived from the original on December 20, 2023. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
21. ^ "Gatorade Team of the Week (Week 1)". Canadian Premier League. April 17, 2023. Retrieved April 17, 2023.
22. ^ "Gatorade Team of the Week (Week 2)". Canadian Premier League. April 24, 2023. Retrieved April 24, 2023.
23. ^ "Gatorade Team of the Week (Week 3)". Canadian Premier League. May 1, 2023. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
24. ^ "Gatorade Team of the Week (Week 4)". Canadian Premier League. May 8, 2023. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
25. ^ "Gatorade Team of the Week (Week 5)". Canadian Premier League. May 15, 2023. Retrieved May 15, 2023.
26. ^ "Gatorade Team of the Week (Week 6)". Canadian Premier League. May 23, 2023. Retrieved May 25, 2023.
27. ^ "Gatorade Team of the Week (Week 7)". Canadian Premier League. May 29, 2023. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
28. ^ "Gatorade Team of the Week (Week 8)". Canadian Premier League. June 5, 2023. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
29. ^ "Gatorade Team of the Week (Week 9)". Canadian Premier League. June 12, 2023. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
30. ^ "Gatorade Team of the Week 2023 (Week 10)". Canadian Premier League. June 19, 2023. Archived from the original on June 24, 2023. Retrieved April 19, 2024.
31. ^ "Gatorade Team of the Week (Week 11)". Canadian Premier League. June 26, 2023. Retrieved July 2, 2023.
32. ^ "Gatorade Team of the Week (Week 12)". Canadian Premier League. July 4, 2023. Retrieved July 5, 2023.
33. ^ "Gatorade Team of the Week (Week 13)". Canadian Premier League. July 10, 2023. Retrieved July 13, 2023.
34. ^ "Gatorade Team of the Week (Week 14)". Canadian Premier League. July 17, 2023. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
35. ^ "Gatorade Team of the Week (Week 15)". Canadian Premier League. July 24, 2023. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
36. ^ "Gatorade Team of the Week (Week 16)". Canadian Premier League. July 31, 2023. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
37. ^ "Gatorade Team of the Week (Week 17)". Canadian Premier League. August 8, 2023. Retrieved August 12, 2023.
38. ^ "Gatorade Team of the Week (Week 18)". Canadian Premier League. August 14, 2023. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
39. ^ "Gatorade Team of the Week (Week 19)". Canadian Premier League. August 21, 2023. Retrieved September 18, 2023.
40. ^ "Gatorade Team of the Week (Week 20)". Canadian Premier League. August 28, 2023. Retrieved September 18, 2023.
41. ^ "Gatorade Team of the Week (Week 21)". Canadian Premier League. September 5, 2023. Retrieved September 18, 2023.
42. ^ "Gatorade Team of the Week (Week 22)". Canadian Premier League. September 11, 2023. Retrieved September 18, 2023.
43. ^ "Forge FC's Bobby Smyrniotis named CPL Manager of the Month for April". Canadian Premier League. May 3, 2023. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
44. ^ Tierney, Mitchell (May 4, 2023). "Valour FC's Diego Gutiérrez named CPL Player of the Month for April". Canadian Premier League. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
45. ^ Canadian Premier League [@CPLsoccer] (May 5, 2023). "After leading the league in saves during his first month with expansion side @vanfootballclub, @CallumIrving is the Canadian Premier League Goalkeeper of the Month for April 2023, presented by @AllstateCanada! 🧤" (Tweet). Retrieved August 15, 2023 - via Twitter.
46. ^ "Pacific FC's James Merriman named CPL Coach of the Month for May". Canadian Premier League. June 7, 2023. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
47. ^ Tierney, Mitchell (June 6, 2023). "Pacific FC's Sean Young named CPL Player of the Month for May". Canadian Premier League. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
48. ^ Canadian Premier League [@CPLsoccer] (June 8, 2023). "The Goalkeeper of the Month for May 2023, presented by @AllstateCanada, is @ForgeFCHamilton's @tristonjavon! 🧤" (Tweet). Retrieved August 15, 2023 - via Twitter.
49. ^ "Halifax Wanderers' Patrice Gheisar named CPL Manager of the Month for June". Canadian Premier League. July 6, 2023. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
50. ^ "Pacific FC's Ayman Sellouf named June's CPL Player of the Month". Canadian Premier League. July 5, 2023. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
51. ^ "Valour FC's Rayane Yesli named Allstate CPL Goalkeeper of the Month for June". Canadian Premier League. July 7, 2023. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
52. ^ "Atlético Ottawa's Carlos González named July's CPL Manager of the Month". Canadian Premier League. August 3, 2023. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
53. ^ "Forge FC's Kyle Bekker named Canadian Premier League Player of the Month for July". Canadian Premier League. August 2, 2023. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
54. ^ "Forge FC's Triston Henry named Allstate CPL Goalkeeper of the Month for July". Canadian Premier League. August 4, 2023. Retrieved August 4, 2023.
55. ^ "Cavalry FC's Tommy Wheeldon Jr. named CPL Manager of the Month for August 2023". Canadian Premier League. September 7, 2023. Archived from the original on September 7, 2023. Retrieved September 7, 2023.
56. ^ "Halifax Wanderers defender Daniel Nimick named CPL Player of the Month for August 2023". Canadian Premier League. September 6, 2023. Archived from the original on September 6, 2023. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
57. ^ "Atlético Ottawa's Nathan Ingham named Allstate CPL Goalkeeper of the Month for August". Canadian Premier League. September 8, 2023. Archived from the original on September 8, 2023. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
58. ^ "Cavalry FC's Tommy Wheeldon Jr. named CPL Manager of the Month for September". Canadian Premier League. October 5, 2023. Archived from the original on October 9, 2023. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
59. ^ "Cavalry FC defender Daan Klomp named CPL Player of the Month for September". Canadian Premier League. October 4, 2023. Archived from the original on October 9, 2023. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
60. ^ "Cavalry's Marco Carducci named Allstate CPL Goalkeeper of the Month for September". Canadian Premier League. October 6, 2023. Archived from the original on October 9, 2023. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
61. ^ O'Connor-Clarke, Charlie (November 9, 2023). "Forge FC's Bobby Smyrniotis named CPL Manager of the Month for October". Canadian Premier League. Archived from the original on November 9, 2023. Retrieved November 9, 2023.
62. ^ O'Connor-Clarke, Charlie (November 8, 2023). "Cavalry FC attacker Ali Musse named CPL Player of the Month for October". Canadian Premier League. Archived from the original on November 9, 2023. Retrieved November 9, 2023.
63. ^ O'Connor-Clarke, Charlie (November 10, 2023). "Forge FC's Triston Henry named Allstate CPL Goalkeeper of the Month for October". Canadian Premier League. Archived from the original on November 10, 2023. Retrieved November 10, 2023.
64. ^ "Canadian Premier League Announces 2023 CPL-U Sports Draft Presented By Degree". Canadian Premier League. November 24, 2022. Retrieved December 2, 2022.
65. ^ "2023 CPL Roster Rules & Regulations". Canadian Premier League. March 17, 2023. Retrieved March 20, 2023.
66. ^ Jacques, John (December 15, 2022). "2023 CPL Roster Tracker". Northern Tribune. Retrieved December 24, 2022.
67. ^ "Moca, New England Revolution complete Champions Cup field". CONCACAF. December 11, 2023. Archived from the original on December 16, 2023. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
68. ^ a b O'Connor-Clarke, Charlie (June 6, 2023). "Concacaf unveils rebranded premier club competition, Concacaf Champions Cup". OneSoccer. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
69. ^ Wells, Nick (June 7, 2023). "Gauld nets winner as Whitecaps beat CF Montreal to repeat as Canadian champions". CBC Sports. The Canadian Press. Retrieved June 8, 2023.

## Further reading

[edit]

* Vallejo, Felipe; Rice, Mike, eds. (January 16, 2024). "Rewind The Tape: A Look Back at the 2023 CanPL Season". Coast To Coast FC. No. 001\. Archived from the original on January 16, 2024. Retrieved January 16, 2024.

* v
* t
* e

« 2022

2023 Canadian Premier League season by team

2024 »

* Atlético Ottawa
* Cavalry
* Forge
* HFX Wanderers
* Pacific
* Valour
* Vancouver
* York United

* 2023 U Sports Draft
* 2023 transfers
* 2023 Final

* v
* t
* e

2023 in Canadian soccer

« 2022

2024 »

| Men's leagues|

* CPL
* Final
* MLS
* Playoffs
* L1C
* L1O
* L1Q
* L1BC
* MLS Next Pro
* USL2
* CSL

|

Women's leagues|

* UWS
* L1C
* L1O
* L1Q
* L1BC

Cups|

* Canadian Championship (Final)
* Challenge Trophy

Other|

* CPL transfers
* CPL–U Sports Draft
* League1 Canada showcases
* Alberta
* Maritimes
* MLS transfers
* U Sports Men's Championship
* Northern Super League

International

Club competitions|

* CONCACAF Champions League
* Leagues Cup
* Blue Stars/FIFA Youth Cup

National teams|

| Men|

* CONCACAF Nations League
* 2022–23
* Finals
* 2023–24
* CONCACAF Gold Cup
* Group D
* Knockout stage

|

Women|

* Women's World Cup (Group B)
* Summer Olympics qualifying play-off

Team seasons

Club seasons|

| CPL|

* Atlético Ottawa
* Cavalry FC
* Forge FC
* HFX Wanderers
* Pacific FC
* Valour FC
* Vancouver FC
* York United FC

|

MLS|

* CF Montréal
* Toronto FC
* Vancouver Whitecaps FC

MLS Next Pro|

* Toronto FC II
* Whitecaps FC 2

* v
* t
* e

Canadian Premier League

* Canadian Soccer Association
* Stadiums
* U Sports Draft
* Playoffs
* Finals
* Foreign players
* Records

Seasons|

* 2019
* Inaugural match
* Finals
* 2020
* Final
* 2021
* Final
* 2022
* Final
* 2023
* Final
* 2024
* Final
* 2025

Clubs|

| 2024|

Atlético Ottawa
Cavalry FC
Forge FC
HFX Wanderers FC
Pacific FC
Valour FC
Vancouver FC
York United FC

|

Former|

FC Edmonton

Awards|

Team
CPL Shield
North Star Cup
Individual
CPL Awards

Golden Boot
Player of the Year
Coach of the Year

Rivalries|

905 Derby (Forge–York United)
Cavalry–Forge
Pacific–Vancouver
Former
Cavalry–Edmonton

Key personnel|

Commissioner
Mark Noonan
VP, soccer operations
James Easton

Associated competitions|

* Canadian Championship
* CONCACAF Champions Cup
* results
* League1 Canada
* Alberta
* British Columbia
* Ontario
* Quebec

* Category
* Soccer portal
* Multimedia

* v
* t
* e

2022–23 in North and Central America and Caribbean association football (CONCACAF)

« 2021–22

2023–24 »

Domestic leagues|

* Anguilla '22 '23
* Antigua and Barbuda
* Aruba
* Bahamas
* Barbados '22 '23
* Belize
* Bermuda
* Bonaire
* British Virgin Islands
* Canada '22 '23
* Cayman Islands
* Costa Rica
* Cuba
* Curaçao
* Dominica  '22 '23
* Dominican Republic '22 '23
* El Salvador
* French Guiana
* Greenland '22 '23
* Grenada
* Guadeloupe
* Guatemala
* Guyana
* Haiti
* Honduras
* Jamaica
* Martinique
* Mexico
* ~~Montserrat~~
* Nicaragua
* Panama '22 '23
* Puerto Rico
* ~~Saint-Barthelemy~~
* Saint Kitts and ~~Nevis~~
* Saint Lucia '22 '23
* Saint-Martin
* Saint Pierre and Miquelon '22 '23
* Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
* Sint Maarten
* Suriname
* Trinidad and Tobago
* Turks and Caicos Islands
* United States '22 '23
* U.S. Virgin Islands

Domestic cups|

* Anguilla '22 '23
* Aruba
* Barbados '22 '23
* Bermuda
* British Virgin Islands
* Canada '22 '23
* Cayman Islands
* Costa Rica
* El Salvador
* French Guiana
* Guadeloupe '22 '23
* Guatemala
* Honduras '22
* Martinique '22 '23
* Nicaragua
* Panama
* Puerto Rico '22 '23
* Saint Kitts and Nevis
* Saint Lucia '22 '23
* Suriname
* Trinidad and Tobago
* United States '22 (Qualification)  '23 (Final) (Qualification)

League cups|

* Mexico–United States

Super cups|

* Campeones Cup '22 '23
* Honduras
* Mexico
* Suriname

CONCACAF competitions|

National
Gold Cup

Qualification
Final
Nations League

Finals
Final

Club
CONCACAF League

final
Champions League

Final
CONCACAF U-13 Champions League '22 '23

International competitions|

* FIFA Club World Cup

* v
* t
* e

Canadian Soccer – Division 1 seasons (CSA & USSF)

Canadian Professional Soccer League|

* 1983

Canadian Soccer League|

* 1987
* 1988
* 1989
* 1990
* 1991
* 1992

Canadian Premier League|

* 2019
* 2020
* 2021
* 2022
* 2023
* 2024
* 2025

USSF (U.S. based leagues)|

| United Soccer Association|

* 1967

|

National Professional Soccer League|

* 1967

North American Soccer League|

* 1968
* 1971
* 1972
* 1973
* 1974
* 1975
* 1976
* 1977
* 1978
* 1979
* 1980
* 1981
* 1982
* 1983
* 1984

Major League Soccer|

* 2007
* 2008
* 2009
* 2010
* 2011
* 2012
* 2013
* 2014
* 2015
* 2016
* 2017
* 2018
* 2019
* 2020
* 2021
* 2022
* 2023
* 2024
* 2025

Note: there is no clear information from CSA about tier of U.S. based leagues which have Canadian clubs. In terms of historical information, they have been deployed as tier 1 league as USSF have done.
*[Pos]: Position
*[Pld]: Games played
*[W]: Won
*[D]: Drawn
*[L]: Lost
*[GF]: Goals for
*[GA]: Goals against
*[GD]: Goal difference
*[Pts]: Points
*[Min]: Minutes played by U-21 players
*[Total]: Total season attendance
*[High]: Highest season attendance
*[Low]: Lowest season attendance
*[Average]: Average season attendance
*[Change]: Change in average attendance in comparison with the previous season
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template