6 May 2026
Latest News
Calgary Blizzard become first APL side to face MLS opposition in TELUS Canadian Championship
Photo Credit: Ken Hurd, Calgary Blizzard
The Calgary Blizzard’s first-ever TELUS Canadian Championship match against Major League Soccer opposition ended in a 5-0 defeat to CF Montréal on Wednesday night at Stade Saputo.
Facing an MLS club for the first time in league history, the Blizzard, the defending Alberta Premier League champions after a 10-1-5 season in 2025, spent much of the night defending against sustained Montréal pressure as the hosts advanced to the 2026 TELUS Canadian Championship quarter-finals.
The match marked a historic moment not only for the Calgary Blizzard, but for the Alberta Premier League as a whole, with the club becoming the first APL side to compete against MLS opposition in the TELUS Canadian Championship. For many of Calgary’s players, the opportunity to compete at Stade Saputo against top-flight opposition represented a rare and significant experience in the club’s history.
Despite the result, goalkeeper Hany Shafie delivered several standout moments across the full 90 minutes for the APL side, making multiple key stops throughout the match to keep Calgary battling against the MLS attack.
His best moment came in the 42nd minute, when he reacted quickly to push away a dangerous Montréal effort, a save that later earned him the Allstate Save of the Match honour on the OneSoccer broadcast.
Montréal also struck the woodwork twice in the opening half, including a powerful effort from Wiki Carmona in the 16th minute. Carmona hit the post again in the 29th minute, prompting OneSoccer commentator Jordan Wilson to joke, “Did Shafie put a curse on the post?”
Calgary’s back line showed flashes of resilience throughout the night as well, with Jacob Hunter — the brother of APL alum and current Northern Super League side AFC Toronto defender Kaylee Hunter — putting in several strong defensive interventions against the MLS attack.
Montréal opened the scoring in the 18th minute after a cross into the area deflected into space before the eventual shot took another unfortunate touch off a Calgary defender on its way into the net.
The hosts carried a 2-0 lead into halftime before adding three more goals in the second half to secure progression.
Calgary Blizzard’s men’s and women’s divisions will now turn their attention to the start of the 2026 APL season on Saturday, May 9, with the women’s side set to kick off at 3 p.m. MT before the men’s side begins its title defence at 5:15 p.m. MT. The full APL schedule can be found here.
