The CNPL's Biggest Markets: Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver's Franchises

The CNPL’s roster of franchises spans the country, but the league’s biggest storylines this season are coming out of Canada’s three largest metro areas. Here’s how Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver’s teams stack up heading into the stretch run.

Toronto United

Based in Etobicoke and playing its home matches at The Picklr Toronto West, a nine-court indoor facility, Toronto United is exactly what you’d expect from the league’s biggest-market franchise: consistently competitive. The team sits third in the standings at 16 wins and 6 losses, a 73 percent win rate, and enters the season’s final stretch on a three-game winning streak. The roster is built around Maria Klokotzky and Jada Bui in the women’s division and Maximilian Wild in the open division, with a team DUPR average of 5.46, right in line with the league’s top tier. With Toronto representing by far the largest media market in the CNPL, United’s on-court success this season has been a genuine boost for the league’s visibility nationally.

Montreal Lions

The Lions represent Canada’s second-largest metro area, and while their record sits at .500 on the season, Montreal has been one of the league’s most-discussed teams thanks to a string of high-profile dreambreaker matches, including a singles dreambreaker against Vancouver that went the distance. In a league still building its national footprint, having a competitive, visible franchise in a market the size of Montreal matters as much for the CNPL’s growth as any single standings position.

Vancouver Owls

The Owls are a case study in how quickly CNPL franchises are evolving off the court as much as on it. What began as the Vancouver Rush was recently acquired by OWL Sport, a pickleball equipment company, and rebranded entirely, with the new ownership group explicitly building toward youth development, school programming, and partnerships with other sports organizations across the Lower Mainland. On the court, Vancouver sits at 11-11 this season, tied for fourth, but the franchise’s off-court investment suggests a longer-term play for one of the country’s fastest-growing pickleball markets.

Why the big markets matter

London Smash currently leads the league standings outright at 17-4, and Grand River Rapids sits second, proof that CNPL success isn’t confined to Canada’s biggest cities. But Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver carry outsized importance for a four-year-old league still building a national media and sponsorship footprint, and this season all three have given fans a reason to pay attention, whether that’s Toronto United’s playoff push, Montreal’s dreambreaker theatrics, or Vancouver’s bet on youth development paying off down the road.