The draw for the 2025 TELUS Canadian Championship took place on Thursday, with all eight Canadian Premier League sides learning their preliminary round matchups, as well as their potential paths to the semi-final. 

As the reigning Canadian champions, completing their three-peat with a penalty shootout victory at BC Place against Toronto FC in the 2024 Final, the Vancouver Whitecaps were once again given a bye to the quarter-final. The remaining fourteen teams in this historic 15-club tournament, the most in the competition’s history, were drawn into seven preliminary-round matchups. 

The one preliminary round fixture that does not include a CPL side is also a significant one, as 2024 runners-up Toronto FC have drawn CF Montréal in the single knockout preliminary round. That match will be played at BMO Field, and will see the two winningest clubs in Canadian Champion history go head to head. 

Teams will be redrawn following the semi-final round, as was the case during last year’s competition.

Below is a breakdown of the draw for all eight Canadian Premier League sides, and what they can expect as they begin their Canadian Championship campaigns in the spring of 2025.

Pacific FC vs. Vancouver FC

Kicking things off, it doesn’t get much better than a first-ever Salish Sea Derby in Canadian Championship action. The first-ever knockout meeting between these two clubs in general, this will be one that both clubs will be desperate to win. 

Vancouver FC dominated the season series last year between the two clubs in CPL action, winning three of four meetings. Pacific FC will be the hosts on this occasion at Starlight Stadium, looking for just their third win against Vancouver FC at home since a 1-0 victory in the inaugural meeting between these two sides on Apr. 15, 2023.

Still, history is on the side of the Tridents in this competition, as they have reached the semi-finals in three of the past four tournaments, including in 2024 when they ultimately lost out to the Whitecaps.

Vancouver FC, meanwhile, are still searching for their first Canadian Championship victory, in their third tournament. Getting it against their provincial rivals would be a pretty ideal way to finally do so. They still have yet to host a match in this competition either, something they would do should they advance — where they would face the winner of Cavalry FC and Edmonton Scottish.

Forge FC vs. Halifax Wanderers 

The other all-CPL clash in the preliminary round sees the Halifax Wanderers travel to Tim Hortons Field to take on Forge FC. 

This will be a difficult proposition for the East Coast club. Halifax are still searching for their first-ever club victory in Hamilton. Despite that, they do have a solid record against Forge over the past two seasons, with three wins, three draws and just a pair of losses.

Halifax are coming off a difficult Canadian Championship tournament in 2024, during which they were stunned at home in the opening round by League1 Québec side CS Saint-Laurent on penalties.

Forge, meanwhile, reached the Canadian Championship semi-final in 2024 for the third time in four years. The Hamilton club have never lost a match at home in regulation in the Canadian Championship.

The winner of this match will face the winner of Toronto FC and CF Montréal in the quarter-finals. Forge defeated Montreal over two legs in last year’s competition, before falling to Toronto FC on away goals in the semis. Halifax, meanwhile, missed out on a chance to play Toronto FC for a second time in club history because of that loss to CS Saint-Laurent and will be keen to earn themselves another matchup with MLS opposition.

Valour FC vs. TSS Rovers 

One of the most storied fixtures in Canadian Championship history will get a rematch as TSS Rovers face Valour FC in the 2025 preliminary round. 

Back in the 2023 edition, TSS Rovers made history when they became the first semi-pro club to beat a professional side in the Canadian Championship, defeating Valour 3-1 at Swangard Stadium. 

Valour will be looking for revenge on their home turf at Princess Auto Stadium. Not just for the Rovers results of 2023, but for a humbling 7-0 loss they suffered against Atlético Ottawa in the nation’s capital in last year’s preliminary round. 

TSS Rovers, meanwhile, came painfully close to yet another shocking result when they came within moments of defeating Pacific FC in the preliminary round last year, only to suffer a late equalizer before losing on penalties. They will be confident that they can stun the Winnipeg club again.

The winner will get a home and away matchup against the reigning champion Vancouver Whitecaps, which would certainly be a significant moment for both clubs. Valour have faced the Whitecaps on one other occasion, losing 2-0 in the opening round of the 2022 Canadian Championship.

Cavalry FC vs. Edmonton Scottish United 

The 2024 North Star Cup champions open their 2025 Canadian Championship campaign with a historic meeting against provincial foe Edmonton Scottish United of League1 Alberta at ATCO Field.

The clash between the two will be the first time a League1 Alberta side has competed in the tournament, a significant moment for the development of the sport in the province. The CPL champs Cavalry have never lost to a provincial opponent in their history, and won’t want to start now.

The Cavs have not progressed past the quarter-finals in the Canadian Championship since their first appearance in 2019, where they became the first CPL team to defeat MLS opposition when they stunned the Vancouver Whitecaps. It was the Whitecaps who eliminated them in last year’s Canadian Championship, albeit in tight circumstances as they did so on away goals.

Cavalry will certainly feel they are in a good position to push into the final four again, as they would not face an MLS side until potentially the semi-finals. The winner of their clash with Edmonton Scottish United takes on the winner of Pacific FC and Vancouver FC in the quarter-final.

Atlético Ottawa vs. Scrosoppi FC 

Atlético Ottawa will take on yet another Canadian Championship debutant in the preliminary round, hosting League1 Ontario champions Scrosoppi FC.

This will be the first time that Atleti have faced a semi-professional opponent in this competition, or non-CPL opponent in general. They will be hungry to go deep in this tournament after a bit of an odd 2024 competition where they trounced Valour FC 7-0 at home in the preliminary round, before the goals dried up in the quarter-finals against Pacific FC — losing 2-1 on aggregate.

The capital club are still searching for their first semi-final appearance, and have favourable conditions to do so this year, as they would not face an MLS club until potentially the semis. Should they advance, they would take on the winner of York United and FC Laval.

Given the CPL Playoff contest between Atleti and York United this past year, which ended in penalties after a dramatic extra time period,  that would be another tasty chapter in that growing rivalry. But they cannot look past an incredibly talented Scrosoppi team full of former Canadian Premier League players who will be hungry to prove themselves in their first tournament appearance.

York United vs. FC Laval 

After going out in the opening round of the competition for the first time in club history, York United will look to rebound in 2025 as they host League1 Québec champions FC Laval.

The Nine Stripes have a fairly strong history of success in this competition, including reaching the semi-finals in the 2022 edition. They also have a strong record at home in the Canadian Championship, having lost just once in six all-time matches played at York Lions Stadium.

FC Laval are making their second appearance in this competition, having lost 3-0 to Forge in the 2023 edition. York United are also coming off a tournament where they lost to their Hamilton rivals, 3-1 in last year’s preliminary round at Tim Hortons Field.

The Nine Stripes’ inaugural foray into the Canadian Championship came against League1 Québec side (then PLSQ) A.S. Blainville back in 2019, who they defeated 1-0 on aggregate. Their only other matchup with a semi-professional side came in 2021 when they soundly defeated League1 Ontario side Master’s Futbol Academy by a score of 5-0.