HAMILTON — David Clanachan is cautiously optimistic about the future of the Canadian Premier League.

In Calgary and Hamilton …

From Victoria to Halifax …

With potential new stops along the way.

The CPL commissioner divulged Friday the seven-team loop is likely to grow by two or three teams for the second season.

But he wouldn’t name names in the possible expansion.

“We actually have three clubs that are very close,” Clanachan said. “I can tell you right now, there are two cities that have already finished their feasibility studies. We’re now finding that municipalities want to participate in bringing football to their communities, just because of the growth of the game. It appeals to everyone.

“So we’re close. I’m expecting to make an announcement probably in the next 30 days, but it’s going to be very tight for 2020.”

Think Mississauga, Ont., and Langley, B.C.

And the hope is the Ottawa Fury — after playing a wait-and-see game to see how the new Canadian league fared in its first year — will excuse itself from the USL Championship and join the CPL.

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An addition of three teams for the second season would, indeed, be considered fast growth.

“The log-jam that has to be broken in this country is physical stadiums to play in,” Clanachan said. “We will not play in stadiums that have North American football lines on the field. It doesn’t do service to this game.

“So this idea of where you play is the first question when someone shows up with their business plan and a cheque in hand — ‘Where are you going to play?’ So we have to continue to work on that. I’m hoping as we get closer and closer to the 2026 World Cup, this log-jam will break.

“Hopefully, it’s next year.”

In the meantime, though Clanachan is “very proud” of the inaugural season, calling it a “good start.”

But in the same breath, he says, “We’re going to need to be better next year, for sure.

“The expectation always goes up, right?” Clanachan continued. “We have to be better at everything. We’ve got four months (in the off-season) to do that. And that’s everything — scheduling, how it’s done, how we entertain, the level of play …”

Expectations also include the return of all the original clubs next year.

Clanachan’s response to the question is any team in trouble was, ‘No, not at all.’

There were some slow starts at some venues due to stadium issues, but all seven teams are on the radar to return for a second season …

With hopes, of course, of improving the Canadian game even more.

“You look at the number of Canadians playing in our league, and they’re a testament to how good we’ve done,” Clanachan said. “I’m very proud of how they conduct themselves on the pitch and how hard they compete — and that’s the most important thing. They don’t leave anything on the field.

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“You can’t ask for anything more than that if you’re a fan or a supporter.”

EXPERIENCE COUNTS

If experience counts for anything going into the finals, then the Cavs hold an edge.

Nik Ledgerwood, 34, has 50 caps for Canada, meaning he has played in more international matches than anyone else in these finals heading into the first leg Saturday at Tim Hortons Field (2 p.m., CBC/OneSoccer.ca).

Included on his resume is 16 FIFA World Cup qualifiers and eight CONCACAF Gold Cup games.

So his words to younger teammates carry weight before the big dance.

“I think a lot of it is do what you’ve done all season,” Ledgerwood said when asked what he’s saying in the locker room. “We a team that’s here for a reason, right? I don’t think there’s any reason to overthink it.

“At the end of the day, a big part of it is just enjoy it. Because you don’t get too many occasions — especially like this in starting a brand new league and being a part of history. All the players in Cavalry uniforms, we’ve made history this year — spring-season winners, fall-season winners, combined winners … nobody can take that away from us.

“We want to add to that. We want the championship.”

Fellow veteran Mason Trafford, 33, has seen some big soccer stages as well. The fullback has played for the United Soccer League’s Vancouver Whitecaps, a league finalist in 2009, and with the 2015 Ottawa Fury, a one-loss fall team in the North American Soccer League.

On the Forge side, captain Kyle Bekker has 18 caps for Canada in his pocket. He won the 2017 NASL Soccer Bowl with the San Francisco Deltas and was a member of Toronto FC during the 2014 Canadian Championship finals appearance.

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David Edgar, a late arrival to Forge, has 42 caps for Canada.

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