Canadian Soccer Business Aligns League Portfolio with New Brand Identities for Canadian Premier League and Premier Soccer Leagues Canada

Canadian Soccer Business Aligns League Portfolio with New Brand Identities for Canadian Premier League and Premier Soccer Leagues Canada

TORONTO — Jan. 27, 2026 — Canadian Soccer Business (CSB) today unveiled new brand identities for the Canadian Premier League (CPL) and Premier Soccer Leagues Canada (PSLC), formerly known as League1 Canada, as part of a coordinated evolution reinforcing a clearer, more intentional alignment within Canada’s domestic soccer pathway, as the Canadian game settles into its stride.

The updated identities reflect CSB’s long-term vision for a more connected and coherent domestic pathway, representing the first step in aligning a league portfolio that is increasingly connected, recognizable and enduring — from community-based competition through professional-amateur environments to the professional game.

Designed to express continuity and progression across CSB’s leagues, the new identities reinforce a pathway that has already helped hundreds of players move from local clubs into professional environments in Canada and abroad. That same pathway has also played a meaningful role in developing players who have gone on to represent Canada internationally, underscoring the importance of clarity and alignment across the domestic game. 

Together, the new identities provide a clearer expression of how CSB’s leagues relate to one another, while preserving the distinct roles, audiences, and strengths of each competition — and mark a clear step forward in strengthening how that pathway is structured and understood.

“This evolution is about aligning our leagues with greater intention,” said James Johnson, Group CEO, Canadian Soccer Business. “The Canadian Premier League and Premier Soccer Leagues Canada play distinct but complementary roles in the Canadian game. This alignment is a meaningful expression of how we’re supporting players, clubs, and partners, guided by a clear vision for how CSB’s leagues can grow, connect, and strengthen the pathways of the Canadian game over time.”

The CPL, Canada’s top domestic men’s professional league, anchors the elite end of the men’s player pathway, shaping the competitive landscape and providing a platform for high-performance environments, professional clubs, and commercial partners. 

Premier Soccer Leagues Canada represents an evolution of the most established pro-am league system in Canadian soccer, League1 Canada. Positioned at the centre of the domestic pathway, PSLC connects deeply rooted community clubs with higher levels of opportunity across both the men’s and women’s game. Delivered through provincial and regional league structures — with the Ontario Premier League, British Columbia Premier League, Alberta Premier League and, beginning in 2026, the Prairies Premier League operating under the newly aligned branding — it forms a nationally coherent system rooted in local communities. Its long-standing impact is visible across the sport, with a proven track record of player development nationally and internationally.

Together, these leagues reflect the continued expansion of CSB’s national pro-am system, extending the domestic pathway into new regions and strengthening the bridge between community clubs and the professional game across Canada, supported by changes in how CSB is organizing and resourcing its work to better serve its leagues and clubs.

“This alignment is about more than visual consistency,” said Johnson. “Clearer structure and shared identity help explain how the pathway functions, enable deeper collaboration, and support longer-term commitment as expectations around the Canadian game continue to rise. Together, these identities support a stronger, more unified vision of the Canadian game.”

Please find the media assets for the new CPL and PSLC identities at the link here.

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About Canadian Soccer Business

Canadian Soccer Business (CSB) represents a suite of top-tier national assets that are central to the sport of soccer in Canada. This includes representation for all corporate partnerships and media rights (broadcast and distribution) related to Canada Soccer’s core assets including the Men’s and Women’s National Team and the TELUS Canadian Championship, along with all rights associated with the Canadian Premier League (CPL) and Premier Soccer Leagues Canada (PSLC).

About Canadian Premier League

The Canadian Premier League (CPL) is Canada’s Tier 1 domestic men’s professional soccer league, provides a national platform for Canadian players to compete at the highest level on home soil and gain exposure on the global stage, contributing to the long-term growth of Canadian soccer domestically and internationally. As part of Canadian Soccer Business’s league portfolio, which also includes Premier Soccer Leagues Canada (PSLC), the CPL brings high-quality professional soccer to communities from coast to coast and competes in Concacaf- and FIFA-sanctioned competitions.

About Premier Soccer Leagues Canada

Premier Soccer Leagues Canada (PSLC) is the national pro-am soccer system connecting community-based clubs with higher levels of opportunity within Canada’s domestic pathway. Formerly known as League1 Canada, PSLC operates across both the men’s and women’s game and plays a central role in supporting player development and competitive progression. As part of Canadian Soccer Business’s league portfolio — alongside the Canadian Premier League (CPL) — PSLC is delivered through aligned provincial and regional leagues, including the Ontario Premier League, the British Columbia Premier League, Alberta Premier League, and, beginning in 2026, the Prairies Premier League, while remaining rooted in local communities.

For more information, please contact:

Laura Armstrong

Vice President, Communications and Business Integration

Canadian Premier League and Canadian Soccer Business 

laura.armstrong@cansb.ca

Katrin Ivanov

Coordinator, Communications 

Canadian Premier League and Canadian Soccer Business 

katrin.ivanov@cplsoccer.com

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Costa Smyrniotis

Costa Smyrniotis is a seasoned Canadian executive with nearly 20 years of experience driving the growth of soccer domestically and internationally. Currently serving in the Canadian Premier League Commissioner’s Office, Smyrniotis previously spent five years as Director of Football and Business at Forge FC. Under his leadership, Forge became a dominant domestic force and a respected organization within the Concacaf region.

As a co-founder of Sigma FC, one of North America’s premier development academies, Smyrniotis has been instrumental in cultivating top-tier talent. Sigma has produced a steady pipeline of professional players and technical staff, most notably Cyle Larin, the Canadian Men’s National Team’s all-time leading goal scorer.

Beyond club management, Smyrniotis established a prominent North American player agency, managing the careers of numerous international and Canadian stars. His professional foundation is rooted in business, having held senior roles at several multinational corporations before transitioning to soccer full-time. This unique blend of corporate expertise and deep footballing knowledge makes him a pivotal figure in the evolution of the Canadian game.

Laura Armstrong

Laura Armstrong is Vice President, Communications & Business Integration at Canadian Soccer Media & Entertainment, where she leads strategic communications, public relations, and key stakeholder engagement across the company’s corporate functions, leagues, and media assets.

In this role, Laura works closely with executive leadership to align organizational strategy and priorities, supporting the delivery of the company’s long-term vision through coordinated planning and execution across teams.

Prior to joining CSME, Laura spent nearly a decade as a journalist with the Toronto Star, Canada’s largest daily newspaper, where she led the paper’s soccer coverage beginning in 2015. A leading voice in Canadian soccer — particularly in the women’s game — she covered major milestones including the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup, Toronto FC’s treble-winning 2017 season, and Canada’s men’s national team qualification for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Laura regularly appeared across national and international broadcast platforms including OneSoccer, Sportsnet, CBC, CTV, the BBC and more

A bilingual native of Barrhaven, Ont., Laura holds a combined honours degree in Journalism and English Literature from the University of King’s College in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Dylan Hewko

Dylan Hewko is a finance executive with extensive experience in professional sports, specializing in financial strategy, governance, and organizational oversight. He currently serves as Senior Vice President, Finance, supporting the continued growth and financial stewardship of Canadian Soccer Media & Entertainment.

In this corporate leadership role, Dylan is responsible for financial planning, reporting, and governance, as well as people operations and organizational policies, supporting the company’s overall business objectives across its leagues and properties.

Prior to joining the Canadian Premier League in 2021, Dylan spent three years with New York City FC as Controller and held finance roles with the Toronto Blue Jays. He began his professional career at Deloitte Canada in the Assurance & Advisory practice, building a strong foundation in corporate accounting and financial management.

A graduate of Queen’s University, Dylan holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) and a Graduate Diploma in Accounting, and is a Chartered Professional Accountant (Canada) and Certified Public Accountant (USA). He has long been engaged in the intersection of sport and business, including through leadership roles with the Queen’s Sports Industry Conference.

Marni Dicker

Marni Dicker is a senior executive and governance leader with deep experience in corporate law, infrastructure development, and organizational leadership across complex public- and private-sector environments.

In her dual role as Chief Legal Officer and Executive Vice President, Infrastructure, Marni oversees legal strategy, corporate governance, risk management, and compliance, while also leading infrastructure planning and expansion strategy and execution for the Canadian Premier League.

Her career includes senior roles such as Chief Commercial Officer and General Counsel at Infrastructure Ontario, where she led legal and commercial oversight for major infrastructure and venue development projects, including facilities for the Toronto 2015 Pan American Games. She has also served as Executive Vice President at Live Work Learn Play Inc. and held board positions with organizations including CreateTO, Tarion, and Habitat for Humanity GTA.

A nationally recognized leader, Marni has been named one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women and one of the Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers. Her honours include the Canadian General Counsel Award for Business Achievement and induction into the Urban Land Institute’s Hall of Champions. She lectures at Toronto Metropolitan University’s Faculty of Law and holds degrees from Western and McGill, along with the ICD.D designation. Marni is a proud wife and mother of two.

Shaun Guest

Shaun Guest is a senior sports business executive with more than a decade of experience driving commercial growth through sponsorships, partnerships, and revenue strategy. He currently serves as Vice President, Commercial Operations, working within the commercial leadership team to support partner growth across Canadian Soccer Media & Entertainment and its properties.

In his role, Shaun leads corporate partnerships and sponsorship initiatives, while also overseeing ticketing, and licensing operations. He works closely with internal teams and external partners to deliver integrated commercial programs that support long-term business objectives.

Prior to joining CSME, Shaun served as Vice President, Business Operations for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Forge FC, where he played a key role in Forge FC’s launch and oversaw corporate partnerships, ticket sales, community engagement, and marketing initiatives.

Earlier in his career, Shaun held roles with the 2007 Grey Cup Festival and the Toronto Rock, building a strong foundation in ticket sales, sponsorship development and revenue generation across multiple sports and event platforms. He is a graduate of Brock University’s Sport Management program and holds a Master’s degree in Sport & Leisure Commerce from the University of Memphis.

Michael Beckerman

Michael Beckerman is a seasoned marketing and business leader with more than two decades of global experience across sports, media, and consumer brands. He brings a strategic, partner-first approach to growing audiences, brands, and commercial impact within the soccer ecosystem.

Beckerman’s career spans three continents and includes senior leadership roles as Director of Advertising for Nike Europe, Vice President of Marketing at Canadian Airlines, Chief Marketing Officer at the Bank of Montreal, and CEO of sponsorship agency MKTG Canada. He also led Ariad Communications, an award-winning marketing and digital agency, and most recently served as Chief Client Officer at Torstar Corporation.

A recognized voice in sponsorship and brand strategy, Beckerman is a frequent speaker on marketing trends, consumer engagement, and the evolving business of sport.

At CSME, Mike leads partner strategy, helping organizations — including Canada Soccer, the Canadian Premier League, Premier Soccer Leagues Canada, OneSoccer, and other media and properties — connect meaningfully with fans to achieve their business objectives while advancing the growth of soccer in Canada.

James Johnson 

James Johnson is a globally recognized sport and entertainment executive with more than two decades of leadership experience across North America, Europe, Australia and Asia. He was appointed Group CEO of Canadian Soccer Media & Entertainment (CSME) and Commissioner of the Canadian Premier League in July 2025 to accelerate the growth and transformation of Canadian soccer ahead of the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup.

Johnson previously served as CEO of Football Australia, leading a period of transformation marked by record commercial growth, strong national team performance, increased participation, and the successful hosting of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. The tournament delivered a lasting legacy, unlocking $389 million in government investment to support the sport’s growth in Australia. He also secured record broadcast agreements with Paramount+, Disney+, and Fox Sports.

His career includes senior executive roles with FIFA, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and City Football Group, where he built a reputation as a commercially driven, innovative leader advancing sport on and off the pitch.

Johnson leads the group’s overall strategic direction, aligning commercial growth, media innovation, and sporting performance to strengthen the business of Canadian soccer. He serves on the board of OneSoccer.