Prize Pool: CPL Regular Season Champion To Get Money, Trophy

The Canadian Premier League has unveiled the major competitive announcement teased by commissioner Mark Noonan earlier this week, announcing that the regular season champion will earn a monetary award equivalent to the playoff winner.

Prior to this announcement, the only team to receive a monetary award from the league was the playoff champion who hoisted the North Star Shield at the end of the year.

The league has also announced that the regular season winner will, beginning in 2023, hoist a new trophy as well – something that has been quietly in the works since even before 2020’s Island Games season. Previous regular season champions will be honoured after this trophy’s introduction.

“It is important to properly honour the team that finishes at the top of the regular season standings after the grind of a 28-game Canadian Premier League season, as well as the playoff champion,” spoke Commissioner Mark Noonan. “A new financial reward for winning the league this year will add incentive to an already exciting battle for that top spot. We look forward to adding to that prize in 2023, and seeing new hardware lifted at the end of our next regular season.”

With changes still set to come to expanded Concacaf Champions League format next year, the regular season champion will come with an additional perk of continental qualification, too.

Cavalry had finished atop the spring and fall season of the inaugural season’s format, and had also landed first in the shortened 2020 regular season campaign too. Forge took 2021, though no regular season winner has ever won the playoff championship.

The regular season will conclude on October 9, and the race to the finish line is tightly packed at the top: Atletico Ottawa hold the spot for now, but only a few points separate the leading pack.