2025 Sports Year in Review

If 2024 was about survival and recalibration for Canadian sports, then 2025 was about reassertion—of identity, relevance, and belief. Across leagues and levels, Canadian teams and athletes didn’t just participate last year; they mattered. And as we turn our eyes toward 2026, there’s a quiet but growing sense that something bigger may be forming.

The Toronto Blue Jays going to the World Series for the first time since 1993 – only to lose to the LA Dodgers in Game 7 – was voted Story of the Year by Rod Pedersen Show viewers. Will they make a repeat performance? The odds are literally against it, and the landing spot of free agent shortstop Bo Bichette is front-of-mind for Jays fans. The good news is the team locked up President Mark Shapiro on a longterm deal.

Staying on the diamond, the Regina Red Sox captured the Western Canadian Baseball League title with a stirring road victory over the Sylvan Lake Gulls.

Hockey, as always, set the emotional temperature of the nation. The Edmonton Oilers’ continued status as a legitimate Stanley Cup contender reminded Canadians that generational talent still changes everything. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl aren’t just superstars anymore—they’re benchmarks. Yet they still couldn’t find a way to get past the repeat Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers.

Meanwhile, the Toronto Maple Leafs’ familiar spring disappointment once again sparked debate about culture versus talent, a conversation that feels uniquely Canadian in its persistence. In Winnipeg, Vancouver, and Ottawa, however, there were signs of organizational clarity—teams that know who they are and are finally acting like it.

The Canadian Hockey League enjoyed one of its healthiest years in recent memory. Attendance rebounded strongly, junior stars committed earlier, and the league’s role as a development pipeline—both athletic and cultural—felt reaffirmed. The London Knights won the Memorial Cup, while the Medicine Hat Tigers captured the Dub before losing star Gavin McKenna to the NCAA.

Speaking of, with the World Juniors returning to North American soil in 2026, the groundwork laid this year may pay off in a very public way. McKenna is leading Canada against the world in Minnesota, hoping to snap USA’s two-year hold on the gold medal.

The most exciting curling is ahead, with Brad Jacobs and Rachel Homan representing Canada in Italy. For Homan, it’s her third straight Olympic appearance.

Basketball’s upward trajectory continued in 2025, even if it wasn’t always flashy. The Toronto Raptors leaned into development over drama, a move that may not win headlines but could restore long-term credibility. More importantly, Canadian players across the NBA didn’t just exist—they excelled. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander remains the face of Canadian basketball, but he’s no longer alone. Canada’s depth is now real, and with Olympic qualification secured for Paris already in the rearview mirror, 2026 looms as a proving ground for sustained international excellence rather than a one-off moment. Closer to home, the Niagara River Lions captured the CEBL title while the Saskatchewan Rattlers missed the playoffs.

In the CFL, stability returned. After years of existential questioning, the league in 2025 felt comfortable being exactly what it is: a regional, community-driven product with deep roots. Attendance improved modestly, rivalries intensified, and the Grey Cup once again felt like a national event rather than a nostalgic one. Perhaps it was because the Saskatchewan Roughriders won it, 25-17 over Montreal in Winnipeg.

The Saskatchewan Huskies were unable to complete the 4-peat of 306 gridiron champions (Roughriders, Saskatoon Hilltips, Saskatoon Valkyries), after losing 30-16 to the Montreal Carabins in the Vanier Cup at Mosaic Stadium. Roughly 8,000 showed up for the national university championship in Regina, and we’re still not sure if that’s a good or bad crowd!

The Saskatchewan Rush suffered heartbreak in the National Lacrosse League championship, falling to the Buffalo Bandits in Game 3 of the Best of 3 final, but have started the 2025-26 season off well.

Individually, Canadian athletes shone across Olympic and professional sports. From swimming pools to tennis courts, tracks to golf greens, 2025 reinforced that Canada is no longer a niche sporting nation punching above its weight. It’s a system—imperfect, evolving, but undeniably productive.

So what does 2026 hold?

Expectation. That’s both the opportunity and the danger.

With the FIFA World Cup coming to Canadian soil, with Olympic momentum still fresh, and with multiple professional franchises at competitive crossroads, the margin for complacency is gone. Fans won’t just hope anymore—they’ll demand. Transparency. Competence. Results.

That’s not a burden. It’s a sign of growth.

Canadian sports in 2025 didn’t deliver perfection. They delivered belief. And if the right lessons are learned, 2026 could be the year belief turns into legacy.