Canadian Premier League announces 2022 season schedule, new playoff format

The 2022 Canadian Premier League schedule presented by WestJet has been released, bringing a full 28-match slate for the CPL’s eight clubs in 2022.

To view the schedule in full (updated shortly after 2pm ET on Thursday), click here.

As unveiled Wednesday, the 2022 campaign will kick off on the second week of April, starting with York United hosting HFX Wanderers FC at York Lions Stadium on Thursday, April 7th.

Each club will play a balanced regular season of 28 games – 14 home and 14 away matches – facing each team twice and home and twice on the road.

The CPL schedule will consist primarily of weekend matches with only 16 midweek matches slated for the 2022 campaign – a change from the condensed 2021 CPL season.

Also unveiled live on OneSoccer Wednesday is CPL’s new playoff format for the 2022 season.

A four-team playoff is still in place, like in 2021, but with the semi-final rounds – set to be played Saturday, October 15th and Saturday, October 22nd – becoming two-legged affairs between 1st vs. 4th and 2nd vs. 3rd in the regular season. This is a change from the 2021 CPL season, which featured single-legged ties in the semi-final round.

The 2022 CPL Final will remain a one-match winner-take-all affair, set to be played at the higher seed’s home stadium on Saturday, October 29th.