The Canadian Premier League playoffs () is the postseason phase of the Canadian Premier League to determine that year's league champion. It was first contested as a multi-round elimination tournament in the 2021 season, to replace previous methods of determining the participants of the Canadian Premier League Finals, which used an Apertura and Clausura format in 2019, and an additional group stage in 2020. The winner of the playoffs is awarded the North Star Cup trophy, and receives the second Canadian berth into the next season's CONCACAF Champions Cup.
Format Summary Season League teams Playoff teams % of teams Rounds Matches Format 2019 7 2 28.6% 1 2 Final played as a two legged series. 2020 8 2 25% 1 Final played as single match. 2021 4 50% 2 3 Single match for all rounds. 2022 5 Two legged semi-finals, final played as single match. 2023–2025 5 62.5% 4 Page playoff system, all matches single legged. 2026–present 4 50% 2 Two legged semi-finals, final played as single match.
2019 The 2019 finals were contested between the winners of the spring and fall seasons. The championship was contested as a two-legged tie, with each team hosting one leg at home. The winner was determined by aggregate score but if the aggregate score was tied, the team with the most away goals wins the series. A penalty shoot-out was the final tiebreaker.
2020 The 2020 season saw the end of the split season format, with the 2020 finals scheduled to be contested between the top-seeded regular season team and the winner of a playoff between the second and third-placed teams. However, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the season format was scrapped and replaced with a single-site tournament with a two-stage regular season. The 2020 final was contested in a single match between the two top-seeded teams from the four-team second stage.
2021–2022; 2026–present The 2021 season brought in a new four-team single leg knockout playoff with the two first round winners advancing to the final. The higher-seeded finalist hosts the single leg final. If a match is tied at the end of normal playing time, extra time is played (two periods of 15 minutes each) and, if necessary, followed by a penalty shoot-out to determine the winners.
Prior to the start of the 2022 season, the league announced that playoff semi-finals would switch to a two-legged format but that the final would continue to be played as a single match hosted by the higher-seeded team.
After a three year hiatus, the CPL returned to the format for the 2026 season.
2021
2022; 2026
2023–2025 From 2023 to 2025, the CPL playoffs utilized a Page playoff system, where five of the league's eight teams advance to the playoffs. The system was first used in the 2023 season to replace the conventional Shaughnessy playoff system used in 2021 and 2022. The CPL chose to use the Page playoff system as it puts more emphasis on regular season performances.
Results Results by team As of the 2025 season. Team Series Match statistics Best result Forge FC 7 13 8 5 15 9 1 5 (4) Cavalry FC 6 11 5 6 13 5 1 7 (1) Pacific FC 4 6 3 3 7 3 1 3 (1) Atlético Ottawa 3 6 4 2 7 2 2 2 (1) Inter Toronto FC 4 6 2 4 4 1 2 3 (1) HFX Wanderers FC 3 3 0 3 3 0 1 2 (1) Vancouver FC 0 Active team has never qualified for playoffs 0 Defunct team has never qualified for playoffs Valour FC 0
Year-by-year + Legend § Won CPL Shield Season Champion Runner-up Semi-finalist(s)Top scorer 2019Details Forge FC Cavalry FC § N/A Tristan Borges David Choinière 1 2020Details Forge FC N/A Alexander Achinioti-Jönsson Maxim Tissot 1 2021Details Pacific FC Forge FC § Cavalry FCYork United FC 7 players tied 1 2022Details Forge FC Atlético Ottawa § Cavalry FCPacific FC Woobens Pacius David Choinière 2 2023Details Forge FC Cavalry FC § Pacific FC Ali Musse 2 2024Details Cavalry FC Forge FC § Atlético Ottawa Molham Babouli Tobias Warschewski 2 2025Details Atlético Ottawa Cavalry FC Forge FC § Tobias Warschewski 3
Active playoff streaks Playoff appearances Updated through 2025 Canadian Premier League season. This list includes the five clubs that made the post-season in 2025. For the purposes of this section, the four-team group stage in 2020 is considered to be part of the post-season. Club Last miss of post-season Length of streak Cavalry FC 7 seasons Forge FC 7 seasons Inter Toronto FC 2022 3 seasons Atlético Ottawa 2023 2 seasons HFX Wanderers FC 2024 1 season
Finals appearances Updated through 2025 Canadian Premier League final. This list includes the two finalist clubs from 2025. Club Last miss of finals Length of streak Cavalry FC 2022 3 seasons Atlético Ottawa 2024 1 season
Active playoff droughts – team is no longer playing in the Canadian Premier League. Playoff appearances Updated through 2025 Canadian Premier League season. This list does not include clubs that made the post-season in that year. For the purposes of this section, the four-team group stage in 2020 is considered to be part of the post-season. Club Last appearancein post-season Length of drought Valour FC 7 seasons 4 seasons Vancouver FC 3 seasons Pacific FC 2024 1 season
Finals appearances Updated through 2025 Canadian Premier League final. This list does not include the clubs that qualified in that year. Club Last appearancein finals Length of drought Valour FC never (club joined in 2019, folded after 2025) 7 seasons Inter Toronto FC never (club joined in 2019) 7 seasons never (club joined in 2019, folded after 2022) 4 seasons HFX Wanderers FC 2020 5 seasons Pacific FC 2021 4 seasons Vancouver FC never (club joined in 2023) 3 seasons Forge FC 2024 1 season
Championships Updated through 2025 Canadian Premier League final. This list does not include the club that won the championship in that year. Club Last championship Length of drought HFX Wanderers FC never (club joined in 2019) 7 seasons Valour FC never (club joined in 2019, folded after 2025) 7 seasons Inter Toronto FC never (club joined in 2019) 7 seasons never (club joined in 2019, folded after 2022) 4 seasons Pacific FC 2021 4 seasons Vancouver FC never (club joined in 2023) 3 seasons Forge FC 2023 2 seasons Cavalry FC 2024 1 season
Goalscorers
Rank Player Club(s) Goals 1 Forge FC 3 Forge FC Pacific FC, Forge FC Forge FC 5 Forge FC 2 Forge FC, York United FC Cavalry FC Cavalry FC Cavalry FC 10 Forge FC 1 Atlético Ottawa Forge FC Cavalry FC Cavalry FC Pacific FC, Forge FC Atlético Ottawa York United FC York United FC Pacific FC Cavalry FC Pacific FC Forge FC Forge FC York United FC Pacific FC Atlético Ottawa Atlético Ottawa Forge FC, Atlético Ottawa Atlético Ottawa
See also MLS Cup playoffs Liga MX final phase
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