New Canadian Indoor Soccer League

[Shootmaster_44]

In today's Saskatoon Star-Phoenix there was an article about a new indoor soccer league that has been formed called the Canadian Major Indoor Soccer League. Apparently, the Edmonton Drillers have been reformed and this league will include 3 other teams, Saskatoon, Calgary and Winnipeg. They aim to begin proper play in 2009, however this spring they will hold doubleheaders in each of Saskatoon, Calgary and Winnipeg with the visiting team being Edmonton. As well Calgary will travel to Edmonton for a doubleheader as well. Then in 2008 the league will have 3 doubleheaders per team. Then come 2009 the actual league will start and hopes are for a 12 to 16 team league.

The article is available here:
http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/news/sports/story.html?id=cbb786d3-1886-41fd-bf2b-5e2530403e3d

The league's website is here:
http://www.cmisl.com

Here's a few more articles I found:
http://www.edmontonsun.com/Sports/OtherSports/2007/01/19/3406390-sun.html
http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news/sports/story.html?id=30dca2ed-4d86-4627-9f9b-2d15e7827a68
http://www.edmontonsun.com/Sports/Soccer/2007/01/24/3437817-sun.html
http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news/sports/story.html?id=05e0f5b6-69f9-47fe-8ab7-e05db1d223d8&p=1
http://calsun.canoe.ca/Sports/OtherSports/2007/01/24/3437716-sun.html

A few more articles I found
http://winnipegsun.com/Sports/OtherSports/2007/01/25/3444814-sun.html
http://www.cjob.com/news/index.aspx?src=loc&mc=sports&rem=57019
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/subscriber/sports/soccer/story/3860963p-4467482c.html

[Dan K]

I guess this could hurt the long-awaited National Soccer League and its proposed NSL Canada division that was announced in February 2006. The U.S. portion of the NSL is supposed to start in June 2008 with a June to September season. The NSL Canada division would run opposite the U.S. division and play a December to March schedule.

[Shootmaster_44]

Not being a major soccer fan, I hadn't heard about the National Soccer League. I'm guessing that the two could co-exist, with one league focusing on Eastern Canada, while the CMISL seems focused on Western Canada. Besides in a country as large as Canada any non-major level sport suffers from travel costs. The only way either of these leagues would become a national league is if they had deep pockets and major backers. Somehow I doubt either do.