The next chapter in the 401 Derby is coming.
The Montreal Impact and Toronto FC will face off in the 2017 Canadian Championship final, after the Impact defeated the Vancouver Whitecaps 5-4 on aggregate in the semifinal and TFC downed USL side Ottawa Fury 5-2 on aggregate. The first leg of the final will take place June 21 in Montreal, with the return leg in Toronto scheduled for June 27.
Toronto are the defending Canadian Championship title-holders, having won the 2016 edition in dramatic fashion over the Whitecaps on effectively the final kick of the second leg. In the knockout era of the tournament, which began in 2011, TFC have won the most titles, with three titles to the Impact's two (Vancouver have one).
Normally the winner of the Canadian Championship also books Canada's slot in the following CONCACAF Champions League tournament, but due to the calendar shift in the CCL this year, there will be a playoff to determine the next entrant if Montreal win this year's Canadian Championship, against Toronto. If TFC win, however, they will automatically qualify because they filled both playoff spots.
The Canadian Championship will also reignite the 401 Derby between Montreal and Toronto. In the knockout era, the teams have only clashed in the final once, in 2014, with the Impact prevailing. The series will also give the teams another chance to play a home-and-away series, something they did to unforgettable effect in the 2016 Eastern Conference Championship, with Toronto winning a thrilling tie 7-5 on aggregate.
