The Story
Forge FC — 1st place, 58 points
Record (W-D-L): 16-20-2
Goals For/Against: 51/22
Top Scorer: Brian Wright (12)
Assists Leader: Hoce Massunda (5)
Forge FC were, quite simply, the best team in the Canadian Premier League this year. They finished on top of the table, winning the CPL Shield on the final day of the regular season.
They were remarkably consistent in 2025, and began the season with a league-record 20-game unbeaten streak. Although their quest for an invincible campaign was halted by Cavalry in August, the Hammers were untouchable on home turf all year with a 9-5-0 record at Hamilton Stadium.
After making significant squad changes in the off-season, coach Bobby Smyrniotis managed to integrate a large cast of new players into his group. On opening day, five members of their starting XI hadn't been with the club last year. Now, all of those players feel like they've been part of the group for years.
The year began for Forge on Jan. 5, when they opened training camp ahead of the Concacaf Champions Cup. Now, 10 months later, they're competing to be the first ever CPL side to win the Shield and North Star Cup in the same year.
After losing in the CPL Final in 2024, Forge are keen to return to the marquee game, and win their fifth CPL championship.
The Stats
Scored first 21 times
Forge tend to start games well, which gives them an edge early. They scored first in 21 out of 28 CPL games this year, which helped take the pressure off in matches and allow them the leeway to either sit in defence or go searching for another goal.
Under this CPL Playoff format, teams that score first have won nine and lost two. In knockout football, which can sometimes be cagey affairs without many scoring opportunities, if you can put yourself in front you've got a great chance to stay there.
13 clean sheets
Goalkeeper Jassem Koleilat set a new CPL record this year with 13 clean sheets, as Forge conceded just 22 goals all year. They've been even better at home, where they've only given up nine in 14 games. With Koleilat and a rock-solid defensive unit featuring centre-backs Dan Nimick and Alex Achinioti-Jönsson, the Hammers are incredibly difficult to break down.
820 successful long passes
Forge have a number of players with top-class passing ranger, and can spray the ball to anywhere on the pitch. From the back, both Dan Nimick completed the most long passes in the league with 197, and his defensive partner Alex Achinioti-Jönsson was sixth with 98. Add to that the likes of Kyle Bekker and Alessandro Hojabrpour in midfield, and Forge have a lot of ways to break the press with a ball downfield or a diagonal switch.
The Stars
Kyle Bekker, Midfielder
In his seventh year as Forge captain, Bekker continues to be arguably the club's best player. At 35 years old, Bekker remains one of the most dangerous attacking players in the CPL. He finished fourth in chances created with 49, third in successful passes in the final third (343), and also contributed three goals. Few players in the league are as good on the ball as Bekker, who also does a tremendous amount of running out of possession.
Bekker's minutes have been managed well this year. For the first time since he arrived at Forge, he came off the pitch fairly regularly late in games, getting substituted out of the match 13 times in 24 starts. The hope is that Bekker will, therefore, be at full fitness heading into the playoffs, ready to give 100 per cent of his energy.
Dan Nimick, Defender
Nimick signed for Forge last winter after two years with the Halifax Wanderers, and he has seamlessly become one of the most important players on the pitch for the Hammers. No defender in the CPL has quite as good a passing range as Nimick, who also finished fifth in the league in recoveries this year. He's great in the air, comfortable on the ball, and has the tactical intelligence to perform in Bobby Smyrniotis' system.
The 25-year-old has been one of the best defenders in the entire CPL this year, and can be relied on in high-pressure situations. Nimick started every single match for Forge in the regular season, and even chipped in up front a bit with two goals and four assists of his own.
Hoce Massunda, Forward
The 20-year-old Toronto native has been a revelation for Forge in his first professional season. He needed some time to adjust to the CPL level and earn the trust of Smyrniotis, but in the homestretch of the season he was one of the most reliable attacking players on the team.
Massunda led Forge with five CPL assists this year, and scored four goals of his own. His quick feet and ability with the ball make him a nightmare for defenders to deal with, and he's fully capable of both whipping a cross into the box or cutting in himself and trying a shot.
The Soundbites
"The quality of football has been fantastic from this group. We keep on talking about the consistency, but at some point we start talking about seven years, you don’t see this often in North American sport. What these guys do every day is special." — Forge FC head coach Bobby Smyrniotis
"The bond we have is unbelievable. Whatever we do, we do as a group, whether it’s get pissed off together, get pissed off at each other, hold each other accountable; we’ve proven that we do that every single day." — Forge FC goalkeeper Jassem Koleilat
The Scenario
There is only one thing that would be considered success for Forge in the playoffs: winning the North Star Cup.
They've won four CPL championships already, but lost the Final last year to bitter rivals Cavalry FC. After winning the CPL Shield as the top regular season side for a second straight year, they're still not satisfied, and are desperate to reclaim the Cup. No team has ever won both in one year in the CPL, but it would be another huge accolade in Forge's remarkable history.
For them, the path is similar to a year ago, although they might see different foes on the way. They play Atlético Ottawa in the first-vs-second championship semifinal on Sunday, Oct. 26 (2 p.m. ET) at Hamilton Stadium, and the winner of that heads straight to host the Final on Nov. 9. The loser of that match has a longer path, because they'll drop to the contender semifinal on Nov. 1 or 2, to take on either Cavalry FC or York United.
Forge lost that first match last year to Cavalry, which meant they had to beat Ottawa in the contender semifinal to get to the CPL Final — which they played in Calgary after losing the first semi. That's why it's so important to them to win their first game, and ensure they have home field in the FInal.
