Canadian Major Indoor Soccer League

Last updated
Canadian Major Indoor Soccer League
CmislLogo.png
Sport Indoor Soccer
Founded2007
First season2008
Owner(s)Mel Kowalchuk (2007-2014)
No. of teams5 (2014)
CountryFlag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada
Most recent
champion(s)
Edmonton Drillers
Most titlesEdmonton Drillers (3)

The Canadian Major Indoor Soccer League or CMISL was a professional indoor soccer league that began full league play in January 2008. The league's president was Mel Kowalchuk.

Contents

As the league has become affiliated with the Professional Arena Soccer League in the United States, the Edmonton Drillers and Saskatoon Accelerators played four soccer games and the Calgary United FC played eight games against the PASL teams in 2009. Edmonton and Saskatoon played two home games and two road games and Calgary played four home games and four road games against PASL teams. In the CMISL portion of the schedule each team will play eight games. This will see Edmonton play six home games and two road games, Saskatoon play two home games and six road games and Calgary play six home games and two road games. The Winnipeg Alliance FC decided to sit out the 2009 season, but rejoined for the 2010 season. [1] In addition, a new expansion club joined the league in 2010 in the form of the Prince George Fury. [2]

The league shrank to just three teams (Calgary, Edmonton, and Winnipeg) in 2011 then just two teams (Calgary and Edmonton) in 2012. The league announced a hiatus for 2013 and had planned return for 2014, but never did.

History

On January 23, 2007, the CMISL issued its first major announcement disclosing its charter franchises in Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, and Saskatoon.

The press release announced that each member franchise would play year round, in both indoor and outdoor professional leagues.

2007 season

For 2007, the CMISL played a "Showcase Season" or an exhibition schedule to create interest and test the markets.

The first match of the "Showcase" was held on March 10, 2007, at the Stampede Corral in Calgary and was played between the Edmonton Drillers and Calgary United FC, while the final match was played on April 1, 2007, in Winnipeg, at the MTS Centre, between Edmonton and the Winnipeg Alliance FC. In all, each CMISL franchise held a home doubleheader, leading to an uneven number of games between the teams. Edmonton played the most with six games played, as they were the road team for three of the four doubleheaders. The Saskatoon Accelerators on the other hand played only two games, as they did not play a single road game.

2008 season

The CMISL released its 2008 schedule via press release on October 25, 2007, and held an accompanying press conference at Servus Place in St. Albert. The league kicked off its inaugural season on January 19, 2008, with a tournament involving all the teams, hosted by Calgary United FC at the Stampede Corral in Calgary.

A "showcase" match had been scheduled for December 1, 2007, and December 2, 2007, between the Edmonton Drillers and the Prince George FC, but on November 10, 2007, it was reported the series had been rescheduled to April 5, 2008, and April 6, 2008. The game is being played in Prince George at the CN Centre. Four other pre-season exhibition games were scheduled between the Edmonton Drillers and Saskatoon Accelerators. Two of these games will be held in St. Albert at the Servus Place and two will be held in Saskatoon at the Credit Union Centre. All were held between December 28, 2007, and January 6, 2008.

2009 season

As the league has become affiliated with the Professional Arena Soccer League in the United States, the Edmonton Drillers and Saskatoon Accelerators will play four soccer games and the Calgary United FC will play eight games against the PASL teams. Edmonton and Saskatoon will play two home games and two road games and Calgary will play four home games and four road games against PASL teams. In the CMISL portion of the schedule each team will play eight games. This will see Edmonton play six home games and two road games, Saskatoon play two home games and six road games and Calgary play six home games and two road games.

The playoffs will feature the CMISL champion taking part in an interlocking championship with the winners of the PASL and the winner of the Mexican Liga Mexicana de Futbol Rapido. It has not been announced what format the CMISL championship will take.

2010 season

The 2009–08 Canadian Major Indoor Soccer League season sees the reactivation of the Winnipeg Alliance FC and the expansion of the Prince George Fury. Each team will play 4 games against teams from the Professional Arena Soccer League (PASL) in the United States. The season will consist of 12 soccer games total. The Edmonton Drillers, Saskatoon Accelerators, Prince George Fury and Winnipeg Alliance FC will play 6 home games and the Calgary United FC will play 7 due to playing American teams.

2011 season

Calgary United FC won the league championship in the three-team league. [3]

2012 season

With only two teams in the league for the 2012 season, the Edmonton Drillers visited the Calgary United FC for a one-game season and league championship game at the Genesis Wellness Centre on April 21, 2012. Edmonton defeated Calgary 6–3. [4]

2013 season

The league was on hiatus for 2013, planned to return in 2014, but never did. League president Mel Kowalchuk cited health concerns for the failure to recruit additional teams for 2013. [3]

2014 season

The CMISL did not return to play for the 2014 season due to the failure to recruit other teams throughout Canada and with the health concerns of Mel Kowalchuk.

Scheduled format

All games were played every Saturday and will started exactly at 12:00pm, this allowed the players to free up their schedule. January (Pre Season) February (Regular Season/Indoor) March (Regular Season/Indoor) April (Off Season) May (Regular Season/Outdoor) June (Regular Season/Outdoor) July (Post Season, Playoffs/Outdoor) August (Off Season) September (Regular Season/Indoor) October (Regular Season/Indoor) November (Post Season, Playoffs/Indoor) December (Off Season)

CMISL teams

Western Canada location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Calgary
Red pog.svg
Edmonton
Red pog.svg
Prince George
Red pog.svg
Saskatoon
Red pog.svg
Winnipeg
Current team locations

Teams

TeamCityEstablishedHome ArenaNotes
Calgary United F.C. Calgary, Alberta 2007 Subway Soccer Centre Moved to Subway Soccer Centre from Stampede Corral for the 2008–09 season.
Edmonton Drillers Edmonton, Alberta 2007 Edmonton Soccer Centre South Moved to St. Albert's Servus Centre from Rexall Place for the 2008 season. Moved to Edmonton Soccer Centre South in 2010
Prince George Fury Prince George, British Columbia 2009–2010 CN Centre
Saskatoon Accelerators Saskatoon, Saskatchewan 2007–2010 Credit Union Centre/Henk Ruys Soccer Centre Moved from Credit Union Centre to Henk Ruys Soccer Centre for the 2010 season.
Winnipeg Alliance FC [5] Winnipeg, Manitoba 2007–2011 7 Oaks Indoor Soccer Complex/MTS Centre (for 2 games)Due to arena scheduling concerns, the Alliance were a road-only team for the 2008 season. The Alliance sat out the 2009 season, and returned for the 2010 season.

CMISL Champions

SeasonTeamNotes
2007 No Champion CrownedThe CMISL played what they termed a "Showcase Season" consisting of a series of exhibition games
2008 Edmonton DrillersEdmonton defeated Calgary United FC 8–7 on March 13, 2008
2009 Edmonton DrillersCMISL became a division of the PASL-Pro
2010 Calgary United8 wins, 2 losses (lost to California in quarter-finals)
2011 Calgary UnitedAfter winning the championship, the team's home field was damaged. [3]
2012 Edmonton DrillersEdmonton defeats Calgary 6–3. This was the only game of the season. [4]

Rules

The pitch is a regular sized hockey rink with artificial turf placed on it. The goals are eight feet high and 14 feet (4.3 m) wide. Unlike previous years, all goals are worth one point.

Teams consist of six players, including the goalkeeper, on the floor at any one time. The players are changed on the fly, like in hockey. Also like hockey, at times teams will be required to play one or even two players short. These situations, are a result of a player being shown a blue card. A blue card requires the offending player to serve a two- or four-minute penalty depending on the severity of the offense.

A single game is composed of four 15-minute quarters. In the few instances where doubleheaders are scheduled, the games will then be shortened to two 20-minute halves. During exhibition matches if the teams are tied at the end of the regulation time, a penalty shootout will occur to determine the winner.

Related Research Articles

For 2007, the Canadian Major Indoor Soccer League played a "Showcase Season," or an exhibition schedule, to create interest and test the markets.

Kevin Holness is a former Canadian international soccer player.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edmonton Drillers (2007–2010)</span> Canadian indoor soccer team

The Edmonton Drillers were a Canadian Major Indoor Soccer League team.

Calgary Sports and soccer team. is one of four of Canada's newest professional soccer teams participating in the Canadian Major Indoor Soccer League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saskatoon Accelerators</span> Football club

Saskatoon Accelerators were a professional soccer team based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan that played in the Canadian Major Indoor Soccer League. The team played indoor soccer which is different from the official FIFA indoor game called futsal. Its home games were played at Henk Ruys Soccer Center in Saskatoon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Winnipeg Alliance FC</span> Football club

Winnipeg Alliance FC were a professional indoor soccer team that played in the Canadian Major Indoor Soccer League (CMISL) from 2007 through 2011. The team suspended operations in January 2012.

The 2008 Canadian Major Indoor Soccer League (CMISL) season had each team playing 10 games. The schedule however was unbalanced as both the Edmonton Drillers and Saskatoon Accelerators played six home games and two road games and two at a neutral site, while the Calgary United FC played five home games and five road games. The games held at the Stampede Corral were unique as they were featured in a round-robin style with all CMISL teams participating. Due to scheduling concerns at the MTS Centre, the Winnipeg Alliance FC were a road-only franchise, playing all 10 of their games away from home.

The 2008–09 Canadian Major Indoor Soccer League (CMISL) season sees a different format than previous seasons. As the league has become affiliated with the Professional Arena Soccer League (PASL) in the United States, the Edmonton Drillers and Saskatoon Accelerators will play four soccer games and the Calgary United FC will play eight games against the PASL teams. Edmonton and Saskatoon will play two home games and two road games and Calgary will play four home games and four road games against PASL teams. In the CMISL portion of the schedule each team will play eight games. This will see Edmonton play six home games and two road games, Saskatoon play two home games and six road games and Calgary play six home games and two road games. As a result of the imbalanced schedule, the CMISL announced that all Calgary United FC games against PASL opponents will only be worth one point in the standings. The remainder of Calgary's schedule, as well as the entire Edmonton and Saskatoon schedules are worth two points in the standings.

Martin Dugas is a Canadian former soccer player who spent a total of 12 years as a professional. He last coached the Edmonton Drillers.

The 2009 Challenge Trophy was contested for in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan from October 7 to 12, 2009. The round robin group seedings were based on last years performance.

The 2008-09 Copa America was an indoor soccer tournament that included teams from 3 countries and 3 professional leagues. Each team was supposed to have played 10 games, with the three group winners plus a wild card team to qualify for a final 4 weekend to decide the title. Due to economic issues, the cup was cut short with teams playing an unequal number of games. The two group leaders with the most wins and points, the Saskatoon Accelerators and Monterrey La Raza, were selected to play in the championship of the now shortened Copa America competition. With the exception of the games involving the Monterrey La Raza of the NISL, all other games in the competition doubled as PASL-Pro regular season matches, CMISL regular season matches, or United States Open Cup for Arena Soccer matches.

The 2010 Canadian Major Indoor Soccer League (CMISL) season saw the reactivation of the Winnipeg Alliance FC and the expansion of the Prince George Fury. Each team played four games against teams from the Professional Arena Soccer League (PASL) in the United States. The season consisted of twelve soccer games total. The Edmonton Drillers, Saskatoon Accelerators, Prince George Fury and Winnipeg Alliance FC played six home games and the Calgary United FC played seven due to playing American teams.

The 2010–11 Professional Arena Soccer League (PASL-Pro) season is the third season for the American arena soccer league. The season kicked off on Friday November 12, when the Louisville Lightning hosted the Cincinnati Kings. A new feature for the 2010–11 season was the Frontier Division. The Frontier Division featured teams above the level of PASL-Premier but not ready for the higher travel demands and costs of the PASL-Pro. Frontier teams played an abbreviated 12-game schedule, with a mixture of PASL-Pro, PASL-Premier, and other Frontier Division opponents. The 2010–2011 PASL playoffs were held in the Cincinnati Gardens, home of the newly rechristened Cincinnati Kings.

The 1980–81 season was the North American Soccer League's second indoor soccer season.

Sam Lam is a Canadian professional soccer player.

Sipho Sibiya Riopel, also known as Siphos Sibya, is a retired South African-Canadian soccer player who is an assistant coach with the Vancouver Whitecaps women's team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dallas Sidekicks (2012–present)</span> American professional indoor soccer team based in Allen, Texas

The Dallas Sidekicks are an American professional indoor soccer team based in Allen, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. The team plays its home games in the Credit Union of Texas Event Center. They kicked off their inaugural season as a member of the Professional Arena Soccer League on November 3, 2012. The Sidekicks segued to the new Major Arena Soccer League (MASL) for its inaugural season on October 25, 2014. The team took a leave of absence on September 19, 2017, for one season to re-organize. On July 24, 2018, it was announced that the Dallas Sidekicks would return for the 2018–2019 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Calgary Foothills FC</span> Football club

Calgary Foothills Football Club is a Canadian soccer club based in Calgary, Alberta, that competes in League1 Alberta (L1AB). The club was founded as a youth club in 1972 and joined as a USL2 franchise in 2015. The team plays its home games at the Foothills Composite High School in Okotoks. The team colours are green and white.

The Western Canada Soccer League was a soccer league in Canada. The league operated for eight seasons over a nine-year period from 1963 to 1971 and eventually operated across nine cities in four Canadian provinces and one American state. In the 1960s, the Western Canada Soccer League was one of four major leagues in Canadian soccer alongside the Pacific Coast League, the National Soccer League of Ontario/Quebec, and the Eastern Canada Professional Soccer League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mississauga MetroStars</span> Former professional arena soccer team in Canada

Mississauga MetroStars were a professional indoor soccer team which played its home games at the Paramount Fine Foods Centre in Mississauga, a suburb of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The team joined the Major Arena Soccer League for the 2018–19 season. The club featured former Toronto FC players Dwayne De Rosario, Molham Babouli and Adrian Cann on the roster in its first season. Just as the 2019–20 season began, it was announced the team would cease operations.

References

  1. Winnipeg Sun: Winnipeg Alliance FC is alive and well 8 December 2009
  2. Prince George Free Press: Prince George lands CMISL franchise [ permanent dead link ] 15 October 2009
  3. 1 2 3 Sandor, Steven (December 21, 2012). "CMISL to take one-year hiatus: Plans to return for 2013–14". The 11. Archived from the original on December 30, 2012. Retrieved December 29, 2012.
  4. 1 2 Sandor, Steven (April 22, 2012). "Edmonton Drillers claim one-game CMISL championship". The 11. Archived from the original on January 17, 2013. Retrieved December 29, 2012.
  5. "Major blow to CMISL". Archived from the original on 2012-05-20. Retrieved 2012-05-12.