Canada’s professional women’s soccer league has a new name: Northern Super League. Previously known as Project 8, the league now includes Ottawa and Montreal alongside Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, and Halifax as the founding franchises. The league is set to kick off in April 2025.

Diana Matheson, CEO and co-founder of Project 8, along with Thomas Gilbert, unveiled the name and other details about the new league on Tuesday. With the addition of Ottawa and Montreal, the league now has six franchises, meeting the minimum requirement for Canada Soccer sanctioning.

Each team will play 25 games in the regular season, facing each of the other teams five times. The top four teams will advance to the postseason, where the first-ranked team will play the fourth-ranked team, and the second-ranked team will play the third-ranked team in two-legged semifinal matches, followed by a standalone championship game.

The Northern Super League has secured sponsorships from companies including Canadian Tire, DoorDash, CIBC, and Air Canada. All six clubs are owned and operated by independent ownership groups. Isabèle Chevalier and Jean-François Crevier from Quebec are leading the Montreal franchise, bringing together investors from the business, sports, and arts communities.

The league is considering a $1.5 million initial salary cap for each team, covering rosters of 20 to 25 players. In addition to the salary cap, there will be limits on player benefits such as housing and transportation. Franchises will be allowed up to seven foreign players. Additionally, each team can have one marquee player, with only $75,000 of their salary counting against the cap. An announcement about the Northern Super League’s leadership is expected in June.