Canadian National Soccer League Explained

Canadian National Soccer League
Country:	Canada
Confed:	CONCACAF
Founded:	1926
Folded:	1997
Promotion:	None
Relegation:	None
Most Successful Club:	Play-off: Toronto Italia & Toronto Ulster United FC (8 titles) Regular Season: Montréal Carsteel FC (11 titles)

The National Soccer League was a soccer league in Canada that existed from 1926 to 1997.^[1] ^[2] Teams were primarily based in the provinces of Ontario and Quebec. The league was renamed to Canadian National Soccer League in 1993 following the folding of the Canadian Soccer League, and the accepting of the Winnipeg Fury, making the league more national. In the 1960s, the Canadian National Soccer League was one of four major leagues in Canadian soccer alongside the Pacific Coast League, the Eastern Canada Professional Soccer League and the Western Canada Soccer League.^[3]

It was replaced by the Canadian Professional Soccer League in 1998, after an agreement between the CNSL and the Ontario Soccer Association.^[4]

NSL/CNSL champions

Season	Playoff champions	Score	Playoff runners-up	Regular season champions	Runners-up	Cup
1926	Toronto Ulster United FC	5–1 /1-0	Montréal Maroons	Toronto Ulster United FC	Montréal Maroons	NSL Cup: Toronto Ulster United FC
1927	Not completed
1928	Montréal CNR	1–2 / 4–0	Toronto Ulster United FC	Eastern: National Breweries Western: Hamilton Thistles	Eastern: Montreal CNR Western: Toronto Scottish FC
1929	Montréal CNR	1–0 / 3–2	Toronto Ulster United FC	Eastern: Montréal CNR Western: Toronto Ulster United FC	Eastern: Montréal Carsteel FC Western: Hamilton Thistles
1930	Toronto Scottish FC	1–1 / 4–3	Montréal CNR	Eastern: Montréal CNR Western: Toronto Scottish FC	Eastern: Montréal Carsteel FC Western: Toronto CNR
1931	Toronto Scottish FC	2–1 / 2–2	Montréal Carsteel FC	Eastern: Montréal Carsteel FC Western: Toronto Scottish FC	Eastern: Montreal CPR Western: Toronto Ulster United FC
1932	Toronto Ulster United FC	4–3 / 3–1	Montréal Carsteel FC	Eastern: Montréal Carsteel FC Western: Toronto Ulster United FC	Eastern: Montréal CNR Western: Hamilton City
1933	Toronto Ulster United FC	5–0 / 3–2	Montréal Carsteel FC	Eastern: Montréal Carsteel FC Western: Toronto Scottish FC	Eastern: Emard St. Paul Western: Toronto Ulster United FC
1934	Toronto Ulster United FC	2–0 / 3–2	Montréal Carsteel FC	Eastern: Montréal Carsteel FC Western: Toronto Ulster United FC	Eastern: Hamilton United Western: Toronto British Consols
1935	Frood Mines	3–1	Toronto Ulster United FC	Eastern: Montréal Aldred Northern:Frood Mines Western: Toronto Ulster United FC	Eastern: Emard St. Paul Northern: Western: Toronto Scottish FC
1936	Montréal Carsteel FC	5–3 / 1–0	Toronto Ulster United FC	Eastern: Montréal Carsteel FC Northern:Falconbridge Falcons Western: Hamilton Thistles	Eastern: Notre Dame de Grace Northern:Frood Mines Western: Toronto British Consols
1937	Toronto British Consols	1–3 / 5–1	Falconbridge Falcons	Eastern: CNR Scottish Northern:Falconbridge Falcons Western: Toronto British Consols	Eastern: Montréal Carsteel FC Northern:Frood Mines Western: Toronto Ulster United FC
1938	Montréal Royal Victoria Hospital	w/o	Toronto Ulster United FC	Eastern: Montréal Carsteel FC Western: Toronto Ulster United FC	Eastern: Montréal Royal Victoria Hospital Western: Toronto Maple Leafs
1939	Montréal Royal Victoria Hospital	w/o	Toronto British Consols	Eastern: Montréal Carsteel FC Western: Toronto Ulster United FC	Eastern: Montréal Royal Victoria Hospital Western: Toronto British Consols
1940	Montréal Carsteel FC	3–2 / 2–2	Toronto Maple Leafs	Eastern: Montréal Carsteel FC Western: Toronto Maple Leafs	Eastern: Maisonneuve Rovers Western: England United
1941	Toronto Ulster United FC	0–1 / 2–0	Montréal Carsteel FC	Eastern: Montréal Carsteel FC Western: Toronto Maple Leafs	Eastern: Montréal Wings Western: Toronto Ulster United FC
1942–46	Not played during World War II.
1947	Toronto Greenbacks			Montréal Stelco	Toronto Ulster United FC
1948	Montréal Carsteel FC	3–1 / 3–3	Hamilton Westinghouse	Eastern: Montréal Carsteel FC Western: Hamilton Westinghouse	Eastern: Canadair Falcons Western:
1949	Toronto East End Canadians	7–1 / 4–1	Montréal Carsteel FC	Eastern: Montréal Carsteel FC Western: Toronto East End Canadians	Eastern: Montréal Stelco Western: Hamilton Westinghouse
1950	Hamilton Westinghouse	3–2 / 1–1	Montréal Canadian Falcons	Eastern: Montréal Canadian Falcons Western: Hamilton Westinghouse	Eastern: Westmount Western: Toronto St. Andrews
1951		1–0	Toronto East End Canadians	Toronto St. Andrews	Toronto Ulster United FC	Dominion Cup: Toronto Ulster United FC
1952	Toronto Ulster United FC		Toronto St. Andrews	Toronto East End Canadians	Toronto Hungaria	Arnold Cup: Toronto Ukraina
1953					Toronto Ulster United FC
1954	Toronto Ulster United FC	2–1 / 0–1 / 6–0	Polish White Eagles		Toronto Ulster United FC
1955	Toronto Ulster United FC		Polish White Eagles		Toronto Ulster United FC
1956	Polish White Eagles	2–1 / 2–2		Polish White Eagles
1957		1–0 / 1–1 / 1–2 / 2–0	Toronto Hungaria		Polish White Eagles
1958	Montréal Hungaria	2–2 / 2–2		Montréal Hungaria
1959		1–0 / 1–1	Montréal Cantalia FC	Montréal Cantalia FC
1960		2–2 / 0–0 / 4–2	Montréal Cantalia FC		Toronto Sparta
1961		1–0 / 1–0	Toronto Hungaria	Toronto Roma FC
	Italian Virtus	2–0 / 2–3		Olympia-Harmonie
		2–0 / 3–2	Toronto Hakoah	Italian Virtus	Toronto Hakoah
		1–0 / 4–1	Toronto Abruzzi		Montréal Cantalia FC
	Toronto Hakoah	2–3 / 3–1			Toronto Hakoah
	Windsor Teutonia	1–1 / 1–0		Sudbury Italia	Toronto Hellas
	Windsor Teutonia	3–1 / 1–0			Toronto Roma FC
	Sudbury Italia		Toronto Hellas	Sudbury Italia	Toronto Hellas
		no play-off		Toronto First Portuguese	Toronto Hellas	NSL Cup: Toronto Italia
		3–0				NSL Cup: Toronto First Portuguese
		1–0	Toronto First Portuguese		Toronto First Portuguese	Canadian Open Cup: Toronto Croatia NSL Cup: Toronto First Portuguese
	Toronto Italia
	Toronto Hungaria	2–1				Canadian Open Cup: Toronto Croatia NSL Cup: Toronto Hungaria
		1–0	Toronto Homer		Toronto Homer	Canadian Open Cup: Serbian White Eagles NSL Cup: Toronto Italia
		no play-off		Toronto Italia	Toronto First Portuguese	Canadian Open Cup: Toronto Italia NSL Cup: Toronto Croatia
	Toronto First Portuguese	2–0 / 2–1	Toronto Italia	Toronto Italia		NSL Cup: Toronto Panhellenic
		no play-off			Toronto Italia	NSL Cup: Toronto Panhellenic
					Toronto First Portuguese
		no play-off		Toronto First Portuguese		NSL Cup: Toronto First Portuguese
	Toronto Panhellenic	1–0			Toronto First Portuguese	NSL Cup: Toronto Italia
			Toronto Italia		Toronto Panhellenic	NSL Cup: Hamilton Steelers
1982	Hamilton Steelers	2–1 / 1–1	Toronto Italia	Toronto Italia	Hamilton Steelers	NSL Cup: Toronto Italia
1983	Toronto Italia	0–2 / 2–0 (4–3 p.)	Dinamo Latino	Toronto Panhellenic	Toronto Italia	NSL Cup: Toronto Italia
	Toronto Italia			Toronto Italia		NSL Cup: Toronto Italia
	Toronto Italia	1–1 / 1–0	Windsor Roma			NSL Cup: Dinamo Latino
	Toronto Italia	1–0			Toronto Italia	NSL Cup: Toronto Blizzard NSL Canadian Championship: Toronto Blizzard NSL Canada Cup: Toronto Blizzard
	Toronto Italia	2–0		Windsor Wheels		NSL Cup: Toronto Italia NSL Canadian Championship: Windsor Wheels NSL Canada Cup: Toronto Italia
			Toronto Italia	Toronto Italia	Toronto Panhellenic	NSL Cup: Toronto Croatia NSL Canadian Championship: Toronto Italia NSL Canada Cup: Corfinium de St-Léonard
		no play-off		Toronto Italia		NSL Cup: Toronto Croatia NSL Canadian Championship: Toronto Italia NSL Canada Cup: Toronto Croatia
		no play-off		Toronto First Portuguese	Toronto Italia	NSL Cup: St. Catharines Roma NSL Canadian Championship: Toronto First Portuguese
		no play-off		Toronto Italia	Scarbourough International
		no play-off				NSL Cup: Toronto Croatia
		0–0 / 1–0			Croatia de Montréal	CNSL Cup: Toronto Croatia
	Toronto Italia	0–1 / 3–1		Toronto Italia		CNSL Cup: St. Catharines Roma
		1–1 / 2–1				CNSL Cup: St. Catharines Wolves
	Toronto Italia	5–0 / 6–0		Toronto Italia		CNSL Cup: St. Catharines Wolves
		0–0 / 4–3				CNSL Cup: Toronto Supra

thecnsl.com – Canadian National Soccer League / Update: 6 June 2022
RSSSF – Canadian National Soccer League / Update: 6 June 2022

Titles

Team	Playoff championships		Regular season championships		Total championships
Team	Titles	Years	Titles	Years	Total championships
Toronto Italia (1972–96)	8		9	1975, 1976, 1982, 1984, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1994, 1996	17
Toronto Ulster United FC	8	1926, 1932, 1933, 1934, 1941, 1952, 1954, 1955	7	1926, 1929w, 1932w, 1934w, 1935w, 1938w, 1939w	15
Montréal Carsteel FC	3	1936, 1940, 1948	11	1931e, 1932e, 1933e, 1934e, 1936e, 1938e, 1939e, 1940e, 1941e, 1948e, 1949e	14
	5		5	1953, 1954, 1955, 1964, 1965	10
	3		5	1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1992	8
	3	1957, 1959, 1960	2	1957, 1960	5
Toronto Scottish FC	2	1930, 1931	3	1930w, 1931w, 1933w	5
	3		1	1997	4
Montréal CNR	2	1928, 1929	2	1929e, 1930e	4
Toronto First Portuguese	1		3	1969, 1979, 1990	4
	2		1	1981	3
Hamilton Westinghouse (1948–55)	1	1950	2	1948w, 1950w	3
Toronto East End Canadians	1	1949	2	1949w, 1952	3
Sudbury Italia	1		2	1966, 1968	3
Montréal Royal Victoria Hospital	2	1938, 1939	0		2
Windsor Teutonia	2		0		2
Frood Mines	1	1935	1	1935n	2
Toronto British Consols	1	1937	1	1937w	2
Polish White Eagles	1	1956	1	1956	2
Montréal Hungaria	1	1958	1	1958	2
Italian Virtus	1		1	1963	2
	1		1	1980	2
Toronto Panhellenic	1		1	1983	2
Hamilton Thistles	0		2	1928w, 1936w	2
Falconbridge Falcons	0		2	1936n, 1937n	2
Toronto Maple Leafs	0		2	1940w, 1941w	2
	0		2	1977, 1978	2
Toronto Greenbacks	1	1947	0		1
Toronto Hakoah	1		0		1
	1		0		1
Toronto Hungaria	1		0		1
National Breweries	0		1	1928e	1
Montréal Aldred	0		1	1935e	1
CNR Scottish	0		1	1937e	1
Montréal Stelco	0		1	1947	1
Montréal Canadian Falcons	0		1	1950e	1
Toronto St. Andrews	0		1	1951	1
Montréal Cantalia FC	0		1	1959	1
Toronto Roma FC	0		1	1961	1
Olympia-Harmonie	0		1	1962	1
	0		1	1967	1
	0		1	1974	1
	0		1	1985	1
	0		1	1986	1
Windsor Wheels	0		1	1987	1
	0		1	1993	1
	0		1	1995	1

NSL/CNSL clubs

Clubs are listed by name and year that a club by that name participated. Whether clubs by the same name were indeed the same club or not has not been made clear by the source used for compiling this list. Note as well that the same source does not include information for the Eastern Division of the league from the 1930s through to the 1950s, nor any information at all for the following seasons: 1968, 1969, from 1983 through 1992, and 1994. Moreover, the source provides only an incomplete list of teams for 1947 through 1949, and, for a few other seasons, not all team names in full.

Bradford Marshlanders (1977–1982 – ?)
Brampton Kicks (? – 1993, ?1994)
Brantford City (1931–1934)
Brantford Cockshutts (1928–1930; 1948)
Buffalo Blazers (1976–1978)
Canadian National Railway (1929–1932)
Corinthians (1928, 1929)
Detroit Besa (1981)
Dynamo Latino (?–1985)
Fergus (1948)
General Motors (1928)
Guelph Taylor-Forbes (1928)
Hamilton Apollos (?1968, ?1969, 1970–1972)
Hamilton Austins (1951)
Hamilton British Imperials (1948)
Hamilton City (1927–1940; 1950; 1973–1975)
Hamilton Cougars (1959)
Hamilton Croatia (?1968, ?1969, 1970–1976)
Hamilton Homer (?1968, ?1969, 1970; 1973–1975)
Hamilton Hungaria (1958)
Hamilton Italo-Canadians (1958–1960; 1972–1979)
Hamilton Primos (1967, ?1968, ?1969)
Hamilton Steelers (1981, 1982)
Hamilton Stelcos (1939, 1940; 1947)
Hamilton Thistles (1927–1938)
Hamilton Westinghouse (1948–1955)
Hamilton White Eagles (1993, 1995)
Kenwoods (1941)
Kitchener Concordia (?1968, ?1969, 1970, ?1971)
Kitchener Kickers (1965, 1966, ?1967, ?1968, ?1969)
Kitchener Maple Leafs (?1971, 1972)
Kosova Albanians (1997)
Liptons (1941)
London City (1973–1997)
London Marconi (1984–1989)
London CNR (1928)
London German Canadians (?1968, ?1969, 1970–1972)
McKinnons (1929)
Montreal Alouettes (1959)
Montreal Cantalia (1958–1960; 1964)
Montreal Carsteel (1927–1948 –?)
Montreal Castors (1975–1978)
Montreal CNR (1928–?)
Montreal Concordia (1960, 1961)
Montreal Hungaria (1959, 1960)
Montreal Maroons (1927)
Montreal Sparta (1958)
Montreal Stars (1979)
Montreal Ukrainians (1959, 1960; 1964)
North York Rockets (1993)
North York Talons (1996, 1997)
Oakville CW (1996)
Oshawa Italia (1962)
Ottawa Sons of Italy (?1968, ?1969, 1970, ?1971)
Ottawa Tigers (?1971, 1972–1978)
Quebec Selects (1974)
Queen City (1962)
Richmond Hill Kick (?–1993, ?1994)
Scarborough Astros (1994?, 1995, 1996)
Serbian White Eagles (1970–1980)
Soccer Portugais du Quebec (1970)
St. Andrews/Earlscourt (1955)
St. Catharines Heidelberg (1971–1978)
St. Catharines (Roma) Wolves (1978–1997) – (St. Catharines Roma 1978–1994; St. Catharines Wolves 1995; St. Catharines Roma Wolves 1996, 1997)
Sudbury (1971)
Sudbury Cyclones (1976–1980)
Sudbury Italia (1965–1967)
Toronto Abruzzi (1964, 1965)
Toronto Azurri (1965)
Toronto Blizzard (1986)
Toronto British Consols (1934–1939)
Toronto Canadian Scots (1957, 1958)
Toronto Canadians (1979)
Toronto City (1948)
Toronto CNR (1928)
Toronto Congasco (1933)
Toronto Croatia (1963–1982 –?–1993; 1997)
Toronto Dimano (1982–?)
Toronto East End Canadians (1949–1956)
Toronto England United (1935–1941)
Toronto Estonia (1962, 1963)
Toronto Falcons (1976–1982 –?)
Toronto First Portuguese (1965–1981)
Toronto Greenbacks (1947)
Toronto Hakoah (1954; 1964, 1965)
Toronto Hellas (1965–1967, ?1968, ?1969, 1970)
Toronto Hungaria (1952–1975)
Toronto Inter-Roma (1967, ?1968, ?1969)
Toronto Italia (1953–1960)
Toronto Italian Virtus (1962, 1963)
Toronto Jets (1995)
Toronto Macedonia (1974–1977)
Toronto Macedonians (1962)
Toronto Malta United (1957, 1958)
Toronto Maple Leafs (1928–1941)
Toronto Maroons (1934)
Toronto Melita (1973–1975)
Toronto Mississauga Hungaria (1977, 1978)
Toronto Oakwoods (1950)
Toronto Olympia (1952–1965)
Toronto Panhellenic (1976–1982 –?)
Toronto Polish White Eagles (1952–1961)
Toronto Polonia (1964; 1973)
Toronto Scottish (1927–1941; 1950–1952)
Toronto Serbians (1979)
Toronto Sparta (1956–1960)
Toronto Supra (1996, 1997)
Toronto St. Andrews (1950)
Toronto Transit Commission (1928–1934)
Toronto Tridents (1954–1960)
Toronto Ukrainia (1977–1981)
Toronto Ukrainians (1950–1967, ?1968, ?1969)
Toronto Ulster United (1927–1941; 1947–1961)
Toronto White Eagles (1967, ?1968, ?1969)
Le Tricolore de Montréal (1955?)
Welland (1948)
Willy Overland (1928)
Windsor Rovers (1927)
Windsor Stars (1975–1978)
Windsor Teutonia (?1965, 1966, 1967–?1968, ?1969)
Windsor Wheels (?–1993, ?1994)
Winnipeg Fury (1993)
Woodbridge (?–1993, ?1994)

External links

Notes and References

Web site: Jose . Colin . The National Soccer League . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090105164243/http://www.canadiansoccerhistory.com/ontario/nationalsoccerleague3.htm . 5 January 2009 . Canadian Soccer History . 2 January 2011.
Book: Jose, Colin . On-Side – 125 Years of Soccer in Ontario . Ontario Soccer Association and Soccer Hall of Fame and Museum . 2001 . Vaughan, Ontario . 114, 115.
Web site: 2018 Canada Soccer Records & Results. March 21, 2018 .
Web site: Canadian Soccer League . 2021-09-05 . Canadian Soccer League . en-US.