Vancouver Whitecaps FC confirmed on Thursday that TSN will be broadcasting the 2017 Canadian Championship. The 'Caps campaign in search for their second Voyageurs Cup begins when they host Montreal Impact at BC Place on Tuesday, May 23 at 7 p.m. PT live on TSN.
Canada Soccer and TSN unveiled broadcast details for the annual tournament, kicking off with Tuesday's semifinal doubleheader. The matchup between Vancouver and Montreal will be preceded by the other semifinal series, as Ottawa Fury FC host Toronto FC at 4 p.m. PT. Both matches will be aired on TSN (see complete broadcast schedule below).
Live streaming and on-demand viewing of the 2017 Canadian Championship is available to TSN subscribers via the TSN GO mobile app and on TSN.ca/Live. French-language coverage of the Vancouver Whitecaps FC versus Montreal Impact semifinal series is available on RDS.
"We are pleased to extend our partnership with TSN and RDS to bring the Battle of the North to fans from coast to coast on television and digital platforms," said Peter Montopoli, Canada Soccer General Secretary. “We’re calling this competition The Battle of the North because it really is the pinnacle of Canadian club soccer, and the only competition that gives Canadian professional clubs an opportunity to advance to the international stage, including the CONCACAF Champions League and FIFA Club World Cup. Fans can expect to see some world-class soccer in each of these upcoming Canadian Championship matches available on TSN and RDS.”
“We’re excited to once again partner with Canada Soccer to deliver exclusive coverage of the Canadian Championship, as teams compete to earn their spot in the 2018 CONCACAF Champions League,” said Shawn Redmond, TSN Vice President of Content Strategy and Business.
New Canadian Content rules introduced by Canada Soccer in 2017 will include the requirement that a minimum of three Canadians are in the starting lineup for all Canadian Championship matches which will result in more Canadian players taking the pitch than in any previous editions of the competition’s 10-year history. The Canadian Content rule builds on the youth development initiatives announced last year, in collaboration with MLS, that include the expansion of the Homegrown Player parameters to ensure that Canadian youth players in MLS club academies or Canadian approved youth clubs will be considered as domestic players in MLS.
TSN’s coverage of the Ottawa Fury FC versus Toronto FC series is led by MLS ON TSN play-by-play commentator Luke Wileman and analyst Steven Caldwell. Peter Schaad delivers the call for the first leg of Vancouver Whitecaps FC versus Montreal Impact with analysts Nick Dasovic and Perry Solkowski, while TSN’s Vic Rauter hosts coverage for the second leg alongside analyst Greg Sutton.
The 2017 Canadian Championship is the 10th edition of the tournament, which features five Canadian professional soccer clubs battling for the Voyageurs Cup and a spot in the 2018 CONCACAF Champions League – the most prestigious tournament in North American soccer. Ottawa Fury FC advanced out of the qualifying round on a 4-2 aggregate score over Edmonton FC. With the restructuring of the CONCACAF Champions League for the 2018 season, this year’s tournament winner will compete against last year’s champion Toronto FC in a single-game elimination playoff match to determine Canada’s entrant into the CONCACAF Champions League. Toronto FC will automatically qualify by defending their title in this year’s tournament.
As the only all-Canada competition that leads to the international stage, including the CONCACAF Champions League and FIFA Club World Cup, not only will the 2017 Canadian Championship winner claim club soccer supremacy in Canada, but have the chance to carry Canada’s flag in international competition.
One of the most distinguished club level trophies in soccer, the FIFA Club World Cup pits the winners of CONCACAF Champions League against the winners of the five other continental championships: Asia's AFC Champions League, Africa's CAF Champions League, South America's Copa Libertadores, Oceania's OFC Champions League, and Europe's UEFA Champions League. The competition also features the host nation's national champions.
TSN Broadcast Schedule of the 2017 Canadian Championship:
Tuesday, May 23
2017 Canadian Championship Semifinal First Leg: Ottawa Fury FC vs. Toronto FC at 4 p.m. PT on TSN
2017 Canadian Championship Semifinal First Leg: Vancouver Whitecaps FC vs. Montreal Impact at 7 p.m. PT on TSN/RDS
Tuesday, May 30
2017 Canadian Championship Semifinal Second Leg: Montreal Impact vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC at 4:30 p.m. PT on TSN/RDS
Wednesday, May 31
2017 Canadian Championship Semifinal Second Leg Toronto FC vs. Ottawa Fury FC at 4 p.m. PT on TSN
Tuesday, June 20
2017 Canadian Championship Final First Leg (TBC)
Tuesday, June 27
2017 Canadian Championship Final Second Leg (TBC)
Schedule subject to change
* Final Leg #1 will be on Wednesday, June 21 should Montreal advance to the Final
