The 2022 Canadian Premier League season is the fourth season of the Canadian Premier League, the top men's professional level of the Canadian Soccer Association's league system. Pacific FC are the defending champions, having beaten Forge FC in the 2021 final.
The regular season ran from April 7 to October 9, 2022. Each team played four games against each of the seven opponents for a total of 28 matches. Atlético Ottawa won the regular season championship on October 8, securing the club its first trophy.
The top four teams from the regular season qualified for the playoffs where they competed for the league title. Forge FC defeated Atlético Ottawa in the 2022 Final to win their third title.
Team and rule changes The eight teams that competed in the 2021 Canadian Premier League season returned for the 2022 season. This was the last season to feature FC Edmonton and the last season before the debut of Vancouver FC in 2023.
The maximum team compensation for this season remained at $1.2 million split between players and coaching staff. The required spend on player compensation was $650,000 to $850,000. In 2022, the U21 player salary rule was introduced which counts financial compensation to players aged 21 or under at 50% towards the cap (up to a maximum of $100,000).
Teams Stadiums and locations
Club Location Stadium Capacity Atlético Ottawa Ottawa TD Place Stadium 24,000 Cavalry FC Foothills County ATCO Field 6,000 FC Edmonton Edmonton Clarke Stadium 5,100 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 York United FC Toronto York Lions Stadium 4,000
Personnel and sponsorship +TeamHead coachCaptainShirt sponsorKit manufacturerAtlético Ottawa Carlos González Drew BeckieComeOn!Macron Cavalry Tommy Wheeldon Jr. Mason TraffordWestJetFC Edmonton Alan Koch Shamit ShomeSwoopForge Bobby Smyrniotis Kyle BekkerTim HortonsHFX Wanderers Stephen Hart Andre RampersadVolkswagenPacific James Merriman Jamar DixonValour Phillip Dos Santos Daryl FordyceOneSoccerYork United Martin Nash Roger ThompsonGreenpark Group
Number of teams by province or territory +RankProvince or territoryNumberTeams1 Ontario3Atlético OttawaForgeYork United2 Alberta2CavalryFC Edmonton3 British Columbia1Pacific Manitoba1Valour Nova Scotia1HFX Wanderers
Coaching changes +TeamOutgoing coachManner of departureDate of vacancyPosition in tableIncoming coachDate of appointmentYork United Jimmy BrennanEnd of contractNovember 23, 2021Pre-season Martin NashDecember 21, 2021Atlético Ottawa MistaDecember 28, 2021 Carlos GonzálezFebruary 24, 2022Pacific Pa-Modou KahSigned by North Texas SCJanuary 21, 2022 James MerrimanJanuary 21, 2022
Regular season Format The regular season took place from April 7 to October 9. The schedule format is a quadruple round robin with each team playing two matches at home and two matches away against each of the seven opponents for a total of 28 games. The majority of matches were played on weekends.
Table
Results
Playoffs The top four teams from the regular season qualified for the playoffs. The first-place team played against the fourth, and the second-place team played against the third in two-leg semifinals on October 15 and 23. The away goals rule was not used in the semifinals. The winners advanced to the CPL Final, a single match hosted by the higher-seeded team on October 30.
Bracket
Semifinals Summary
Matches
Atlético Ottawa won 3–1 on aggregate.
Forge FC won 3–2 on aggregate.
Final
Awards Canadian Premier League Awards Award Recipient Finalist Golden Boot (Hunter) Alejandro Díaz (Pacific FC) N/A Golden Glove (Qimmiq or Canadian Inuit Dog) Marco Carducci (Cavalry FC) Nathan Ingham (Atlético Ottawa) Callum Irving (Pacific FC) Coach of the Year (Owl) Carlos González James Merriman Bobby Smyrniotis Player of the Year (Nikisuittuq) Ollie Bassett (Atlético Ottawa) Alexander Achinioti-Jönsson (Forge FC) Manny Aparicio (Pacific FC) Ballou Tabla (Atlético Ottawa) Sean Rea (Valour FC) Best Under 21 Canadian Player of the Year(Polar Bear) Sean Rea (Valour FC) Woobens Pacius (Forge FC) Osaze De Rosario (York United FC) Defender of the Year (Walrus) Alexander Achinioti-Jönsson (Forge FC) Amer Đidić (Pacific FC) Dominick Zator (York United FC) Players' Player of the Year (Muskox) Ollie Bassett (Atlético Ottawa) Ballou Tabla (Atlético Ottawa) Alejandro Díaz (Pacific FC)
Team of the Week The Gatorade Team of the Week is selected by OneSoccer staff. Team of the WeekDatesGoalkeeperDefendersMidfieldersForwardsRefApril 7–10 Oxner (HFX) Fernandez (HFX) Yao (Cavalry)
Đidić (Pacific)
Mavila (Pacific) Bassett (Ottawa) Aparicio (Pacific)
Warschewski (Edmonton)
Morelli (HFX)
Gonzalez (Edmonton) Díaz (Pacific)April 15–17 Ingham (Ottawa) N'sa (York) Espejo (Ottawa)
Singh (Edmonton)
Acosta (Ottawa) Bustos (Pacific) Bassett (Ottawa)
Gagnon-Laparé (HFX)
Musse (Cavalry) Shaw (Ottawa) Mason (Cavalry)April 22–24 Giantsopoulos (York) Romeo (Valour) Zator (York)
Samuel (Forge) Akio (Valour) Rampersad (HFX)
Aparicio (Pacific)
Levis (Valour) Dyer (Valour) Campbell (Forge)
Riggi (Valour)April 27–May 1 Carducci (Cavalry) Fernandez (HFX) Niba (Ottawa)
Yao (Cavalry) Tabla (Ottawa) Lamothe (HFX)
McKendry (Ottawa)
Bent (HFX) Salter (HFX) Mason (Cavalry)
De Rosario (York)May 6–7 Irving (Pacific) Dada-Luke (Pacific) Zator (York)
M. Trafford (Cavalry)
Đidić (Pacific) Aparicio (Pacific) Johnston (York)
Rampersad (HFX) Gutiérrez (York) Musse (Cavalry)
Tabla (Ottawa)May 14–15 Sirois (Valour) Sissoko (Forge) Klomp (Cavalry)
Achinioti-Jönsson (Forge)
Abzi (York) Bassett (Ottawa) Dixon (Pacific)
Aparicio (Pacific) Rea (Valour) Salter (HFX)
Diaz (Pacific)May 20–22 Vaikla (Edmonton) N'sa (York) Đidić (Pacific)
Achinioti-Jönsson (Forge)
Vliet (Cavalry) Hojabrpour (Forge) Bekker (Forge)
Bassett (Ottawa) Fisk (Cavalry) Wright (Ottawa)
Choinière (Forge)May 28–June 1 Carducci (Cavalry) Beckie (Ottawa) Yao (Cavalry)
M. Trafford (Cavalry)
Sissoko (Forge)
Verhoven (Ottawa) Haworth (Ottawa) Camargo (Cavalry)
Rea (Valour)
Borges (Forge) dos Santos (Pacific)June 4–5 Vaikla (Edmonton) Acosta (Ottawa) Espejo (Ottawa)
Restrepo (HFX)
Levis (Valour) Hernández (York) Bassett (Ottawa)
Rampersad (HFX)
Bitar (Edmonton) Tabla (Ottawa) Garcia (HFX)June 11-15 Ingham (Ottawa) Loturi (Cavalry) Yao (Cavalry)
M. Trafford (Cavalry)
Morgan (Forge) Sissoko (Forge) Hojabrpour (Forge)
Borges (Forge)
Camargo (Cavalry)
Salter (HFX) Pepple (Cavalry)June 18-19 Vaikla (Edmonton) Meilleur-Giguère (Pacific) Bissainthe (Edmonton)
Wilson (York) Abzi (York) Bekker (Forge)
Jensen (Forge)
Rama (Forge) Gonzalez (Edmonton) Pacius (Forge)
Choinière (Forge)June 25-26 Oxner (HFX) Klomp (Cavalry) Jean-Baptiste (Valour)
Gander (HFX) Riggi (Valour) Polisi (HFX)
Bitar (Edmonton)
Escalante (Cavalry) Rea (Valour) Pepple (Cavalry)
Daniels (HFX)June 29- July 3 Sirois (Valour) Beckie (Ottawa) Jean-Baptiste (Valour)
Acosta (Ottawa) Timoteo (Edmonton) Bassett (Ottawa)
Bitar (Edmonton)
Escalante (Cavalry) dos Santos (Pacific) Camara (Edmonton)
Akio (Valour)July 8-10 Henry (Forge) Rama (Forge) Yao (Cavalry)
Owolabi-Belewu (Forge)
Levis (Valour) C. Trafford (Cavalry) Sissoko (Forge)
Tabla (Ottawa)
dos Santos (Pacific)
Daniels (Pacific) Dyer (Valour)July 14-20 Giantsopoulos (York) Dada-Luke (Pacific) Achinioti-Jönsson (Forge)
Zator (York)
Vliet (Cavalry) Musse (Cavalry) Bekker (Forge)
Johnston (York)
dos Santos (Pacific) Diaz (Pacific) Pacius (Forge)July 22-24 Irving (Pacific) Acosta (Ottawa) Đidić (Pacific)
Beckie (Ottawa) Rama (Forge) Bekker (Forge)
Young (Pacific)
Tissot (Ottawa) Campbell (Forge) Bustos (Pacific)
Mwandwe (HFX)July 27 - August 1 Carducci (Cavalry) Rama (Forge) Yao (Cavalry)
Metusala (Forge)
Lawrie-Lattanzio (York) Sissoko (Forge) Bekker (Forge)
Wilson (York) Diaz (Pacific) Campbell (Forge)
De Rosario (York)August 3-7 Yesli (Valour) Rama (Forge) Achinioti-Jönsson (Forge)
Mekidèche (Valour)
Levis (Valour) Hojabrpour (Forge) Sissoko (Ottawa) Forbes (Valour) Dyer (Valour)
Tabla (Ottawa)
Pacius (Forge)August 12-14 Henry (Forge) Samake (Pacific) Yao (Cavalry)
Vliet (Cavalry) Warschewski (Edmonton) Omar (HFX)
Young (Pacific)
Verhoeven (York)
Escalante (Cavalry) Heard (Pacific) Mason (Cavalry)August 17-21 Himaras (York) Timoteo (Edmonton) Meilleur-Giguère (Pacific)
Beckie (Ottawa)
N'sa (York) Lamothe (HFX) Bassett (Ottawa)
Rea (Valour)
Alemán (Ottawa)
Babouli (York) De Rosario (York)August 27-28 Irving (Pacific) Timoteo (Edmonton) Romeo (Valour)
Espejo (Ottawa)
Baquero (Valour) Bassett (Ottawa) Sissoko (Ottawa)
Salter (HFX)
Escalante (Cavalry)
Rea (Valour) Warschewski (Edmonton)September 2-5 Carducci (Cavalry) Zator (York)
Campagna (HFX)
Espejo (Ottawa) Levis (Valour)
Shome (Edmonton)
Rampersad (HFX)
Dada-Luke (Pacific) Babouli (York)
De Rosario (York)
dos Santos (York)September 9-11 Baskett (HFX) Krutzen (Forge)
Espejo (Ottawa)
Đidić (Pacific)
N'sa (York) Young (Pacific)
Babouli (York)
Sissoko (Forge) Salter (HFX)
De Rosario (York)
Choinière (Forge)September 16-18 Irving (Pacific) Krutzen (Forge)
Jean-Baptiste (Valour)
Campagna (HFX) Poku (Forge)
Hojabrpour (Forge)
Bassett (Ottawa)
Alarcón (Cavalry) Borges (Forge)
Mason (Cavalry)
Rea (Valour)September 23-27 Murasiranwa (Edmonton) Mourdoukoutas (York) Espejo (Ottawa)
N'sa (York) dos Santos (Pacific) Bassett (Ottawa)
Toussaint (Pacific)
Smith (Edmonton)
Aparicio (Pacific) Tabla (Ottawa) Babouli (York)September 30- October 2 Ingham (Ottawa) Alarcón (Cavalry) Achinioti-Jönsson (Forge)
Owolabi-Belewu (Forge)
Tissot (Ottawa) Bahous (Ottawa) Sissoko (Forge)
Aparicio (Pacific)
Borges (Forge) Bustos (Pacific) Musse (Cavalry)
Monthly Awards +MonthManager of the MonthPlayer of the MonthReferencesManagerClubPlayerClubApril James MerrimanPacific FC Marco BustosPacific FCMay Tommy Wheeldon Jr.Cavalry FC Ollie BassettAtlético OttawaJune Carlos GonzálezAtlético Ottawa Aribim PeppleCavalry FCJuly Bobby SmyrniotisForge FC Woobens PaciusForge FCAugust Phillip Dos SantosValour FC Sean ReaValour FCSeptember Martin Nash York United FC Mo Babouli York United FCOctober Bobby SmyrniotisForge FC David ChoinièreForge FC
Attendance
Statistical leaders
Top scorers
RankPlayerClubGoals 1 Alejandro Díaz Pacific 13 2 Osaze De Rosario York United 12 Woobens Pacius Forge 4 Samuel Salter HFX Wanderers 11 5 Moses Dyer Valour 9 6 Ollie Bassett Atlético Ottawa 8 Joe Mason Cavalry 8 Ali Musse Cavalry 7 Ballou Tabla Atlético Ottawa Tobias Warschewski FC Edmonton Brian Wright Atlético Ottawa
Top assists RankPlayerClubAssists 1 Sean Rea Valour 9 2 Tristan Borges Forge 8 3 Kyle BekkerForge 6 Marco Bustos Pacific 5 Wesley Timoteo FC Edmonton 5 José Escalante Cavalry 7 Terran Campbell Forge 4 David Choinière Forge Zachary Fernandez HFX Wanderers Carl Haworth Atlético Ottawa Ballou Tabla Atlético Ottawa Tobias Warschewski FC Edmonton
Clean sheets RankPlayerClubClean sheets 1 Triston Henry Forge 11 2 Marco Carducci Cavalry 10 3 Nathan Ingham Atlético Ottawa 9 Callum Irving Pacific 5 Niko Giantsopoulos York United 6
Hat-tricks Player For Against Result Date Ref Forge FC Edmonton 4–3 (A) May 31 Pacific York United 4–2 (A) July 15 Forge FC Edmonton 5–1 (H) July 19
Player transfers
U Sports Draft The 2022 CPL–U Sports Draft was held on January 20, 2022, with Atletico Ottawa selecting José da Cunha of Cape Breton University first overall. Each team made two picks in the draft, for a total of 16 selections.
Foreign players