Canada Soccer opens the expanded 2018 Canadian Championship with a historic Canadian Championship opening round as AS Blainville faces Oakville Blue Devils this Wednesday 6 June at the Stade Desjardins au Centre Bois-de-Boulogne in Laval. For the first time ever, Canada Soccer’s signature competition will feature champions from leagues in Ontario and Québec in a First Qualifying Round to face professional side Ottawa Fury FC.

Fans around the world can watch the 2018 first round on the international soccer streaming platform MyCujoo.tv/canada-soccer for free with matches on Wednesday 6 June (19.30 ET / 16.30 PT) and Wednesday 13 June (19.30 ET / 16.30 PT).

AS Blainville, 2017 winners of the Première ligue de soccer du Québec, host the first leg while Oakville Blue Devils FC, 2017 winners of League1 Ontario, host the return leg a week later. Fans can also follow the competition on the official website at canadianchampionship.ca as well as through Canada Soccer’s digital channels on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram using the #CanChamp hashtag.

The Voyageurs Cup will be presented on 15 August along with the George Gross Memorial Trophy to the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.

About the Canadian Championship

• The Canadian Championship is Canada Soccer’s highest domestic professional soccer competition and it is the sole qualification route for Canadian professional clubs into Concacaf Champions League and onto the FIFA Club World Cup

• The current champions are Toronto FC who have won the tournament six times

• Canadian content is a focus and since 2017 competition regulations state that each team must field a minimum of three Canadian starters for each match

• The Voyageurs Cup has been awarded to the Canadian Championship winner since 2008; created by the Voyageurs Canadian Supporters group, the trophy represents Canadian fans’ commitment to the game in our country

• The George Gross Memorial Trophy recognizes the Canadian Championship’s most valuable player, with Sebastian Giovinco the reigning winner in 2017; the award is named after the late George Gross, an honoured member of the Canada Soccer Hall of Fame

• In 2018, the competition will feature six clubs from four different leagues: Vancouver Whitecaps FC, Toronto FC and Impact de Montréal from Major League Soccer (all earn automatic berths to the Semi-finals); Ottawa Fury FC from the United Soccer Leagues (who enter in the Second Qualifying Round); Oakville Blue Devils from League1 Ontario (who enter in the First Qualifying Round); and AS Blainville from the Première ligue de soccer du Québec (who also enter in the First Qualifying Round)

• Since 2008, three Canadian winners have reached the Quarter-final stage or further in Concacaf Champions League: Toronto FC twice (Semi-finals in 2011-12 and Grand Final in 2018); Impact de Montréal twice (Quarter-finals in 2008-09 and Grand Final in 2014-15); and Vancouver Whitecaps FC (Semi-finals in 2016-17)