# 1987 Canadian Soccer League season

The 1987 Canadian Soccer League season was the first season of play for the Canadian Soccer League, a new Division 1 men's soccer league in the Canadian soccer pyramid.

## Format

The schedule was not a balanced schedule based on the league principle of playing each club home and away due to travel concerns. The league was divided into two four-team division with each team playing each team in their division four times, twice at home and twice on the road, and playing the teams in the opposing division twice, once at home and once on the road for a total of twenty games. Following the season, the top three teams in each division would advance to the playoffs, with the division leaders earning a first round bye, to designate a national champion club.

## Summary

The Canadian Soccer League was the second attempt to create a national professional league in Canada. Many teams were existing franchises from the non-professional provincial leagues, while others had come from semi-professional leagues, including Edmonton (Western Soccer Alliance), Hamilton (Canadian National Soccer League), and Toronto (CNSL and NASL), while some teams, such as the Vancouver 86ers were new. The league opened with a good start with sizable crowds and a fairly high level of play, but teams soon began to feel the financial pressure, particularly in the smaller markets.
The league's inaugural match took place on June 7, 1987 in Aylmer, Quebec between the National Capital Pioneers and the Hamilton Steelers and finished in a 1–1 draw, in a steady drizzle, in front 2,500 spectators.
The Eastern Division in 1987 consisted of National Capital Pioneers, Hamilton Steelers, Toronto Blizzard, and the North York Rockets. The Western Division comprised the Calgary Kickers, Edmonton Brick Men, Vancouver 86ers, and the Winnipeg Fury. Calgary and Hamilton won their divisions and both advanced to the finals in the playoffs. In the final, Calgary defeated Hamilton 2–1, at home, in a winner-take-all one game final.

## Regular season
### East Division

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Hamilton Steelers | 20 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 32 | 22 | +10 | 26 | Playoff semifinals |
| 2 | National Capital Pioneers | 20 | 7 | 9 | 4 | 22 | 15 | +7 | 23 | Playoff quarterfinals |
| 3 | Toronto Blizzard | 20 | 6 | 8 | 6 | 22 | 27 | −5 | 20 | Playoff quarterfinals |
| 4 | North York Rockets | 20 | 1 | 7 | 12 | 15 | 39 | −24 | 9 | |

### West Division

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Calgary Kickers (O) | 20 | 11 | 5 | 4 | 32 | 22 | +10 | 27 | Playoff semifinals |
| 2 | Vancouver 86ers | 20 | 9 | 3 | 8 | 37 | 27 | +10 | 21 | Playoff quarterfinals |
| 3 | Edmonton Brick Men | 20 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 27 | 24 | +3 | 20 | Playoff quarterfinals |
| 4 | Winnipeg Fury | 20 | 5 | 4 | 11 | 25 | 36 | −11 | 14 | |

### Overall

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Calgary Kickers (O) | 20 | 11 | 5 | 4 | 32 | 22 | +10 | 27 | Regular season winner |
| 2 | Hamilton Steelers | 20 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 32 | 22 | +10 | 26 | |
| 3 | National Capital Pioneers | 20 | 7 | 9 | 4 | 22 | 15 | +7 | 23 | |
| 4 | Vancouver 86ers | 20 | 9 | 3 | 8 | 37 | 27 | +10 | 21 | |
| 5 | Edmonton Brick Men | 20 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 27 | 24 | +3 | 20 | |
| 6 | Toronto Blizzard | 20 | 6 | 8 | 6 | 22 | 27 | −5 | 20 | |
| 7 | Winnipeg Fury | 20 | 5 | 4 | 11 | 25 | 36 | −11 | 14 | |
| 8 | North York Rockets | 20 | 1 | 7 | 12 | 15 | 39 | −24 | 9 | |

## Playoffs

Home team on top.
| Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Final | Final | Final |
| | | | 1W | Calgary (OT) | 4 | | | |
| West | West | West | 1W | Calgary (OT) | 4 | | | |
| West | West | West | 2W | Vancouver | 3 | | | |
| 2W | Vancouver | 2 | 2W | Vancouver | 3 | | | |
| 3W | Edmonton | 1 | | | | | | |
| 3W | Edmonton | 1 | | | | 1W | Calgary Kickers | 2 |
| | | | | | | 1E | Hamilton Steelers | 1 |
| | | | 1E | Hamilton | 1 | | | |
| East | East | East | 1E | Hamilton | 1 | | | |
| East | East | East | 3E | Toronto | 0 | | | |
| 2E | Ottawa | 1 | 3E | Toronto | 0 | | | |
| 3E | Toronto (OT) | 2 | | | | | | |

### Final
## Statistics
### Top scorers

| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
| 1 | Nick Gilbert | Calgary Kickers | 10 |
| 2 | Domenic Mobilio | Vancouver 86ers | 9 |
| 3 | Željko Adžić | Hamilton Steelers | 8 |
| 4 | Norman Odinga | Edmonton Brick Men | 7 |
| 4 | Han Kim | Winnipeg Fury | 7 |
| 4 | James Easton | Vancouver 86ers | 7 |
| 7 | Arnie Meers | Vancouver 86ers | 6 |
| 7 | John Catliff | Calgary Kickers | 6 |
| 7 | Ivor Evans | Vancouver 86ers | 6 |
| 7 | Billy Domazetis | Hamilton Steelers | 6 |
| 11 | John Roumelis | National Capital Pioneers | 5 |
| 11 | Ed McNally | National Capital Pioneers | 5 |
| 11 | David Bryne | Toronto Blizzard | 5 |
| Reference: ||||

## Honours

The following awards and nominations were awarded for the 1987 season.

### Most Valuable Player

| Player | Team |
| Nick Gilbert | Calgary Kickers |

### League All-Stars

| Player | Position |
| Sven Habermann (Calgary Strikers) | Goalkeeper |
| Diego Castello (Edmonton Brick Men) | Defender |
| Greg Kern (Calgary Strikers) | Defender |
| Paul James (Hamilton Steelers) | Defender |
| Randy Ragan (Toronto Blizzard) | Defender |
| Željko Adžić (Hamilton Steelers) | Midfielder |
| Ray Hudson (Edmonton Brick Men) | Midfielder |
| James Easton (Vancouver 86ers) | Midfielder |
| Ed McNally (National Capital Pioneers) | Forward |
| Billy Domazetis (Hamilton Steelers) | Forward |
| Nick Gilbert (Calgary Strikers) | Forward |
Reserves
| Player | Position |
| Don Ferguson (National Capital Pioneers) | Goalkeeper |
| David Norman (Winnipeg Fury) | Defender |
| Han Kim (Winnipeg Fury) | Midfielder |
| Zoltan Metzaros (North York Rockets) | Forward |
Front office
| Person | Role |
| Bill Thompson (National Capital Pioneers) | Head Coach |
| Peter Welsh (Calgary Kickers) | Assistant Coach |
| Buzz Parsons (Vancouver 86ers) | General Manager |

## Average home attendances

| Pos. | Team | GP | Average Attendance |
| 1 | Vancouver 86ers | 20 | 5,977 |
| 2 | Winnipeg Fury | 20 | 4,023 |
| 3 | Edmonton Brick Men | 20 | 3,491 |
| 4 | Calgary Strikers | 20 | 2,949 |
| 5 | National Capital Pioneers | 20 | 2,122 |
| 6 | Hamilton Steelers | 20 | 2,032 |
| 7 | Toronto Blizzard | 20 | 1,814 |
| 8 | North York Rockets | 20 | 1,275 |
| Total Attendance | Total Attendance | 160 | 2,817 |
| Reference: ||||