A look back at the victories, heartbreaks, and historic moments that defined Canadian sports in 2025.
There's something happening in Canadian sports. From a Blue Jays team that came within two outs of a World Series title to a teenage swimmer who outpaced legends, 2025 delivered a year that reminded us why we fell in love with sports in the first place. Canadian athletes didn't just compete on the world stage. They dominated it. This is the story of Canada's golden year.
The Blue Jays Bring October Baseball Back to Toronto
For 32 years, Toronto waited for another pennant. In 2025, the Blue Jays delivered one of the most thrilling playoff runs in franchise history, capturing the American League Championship before falling in a heartbreaking Game 7 World Series loss to the Dodgers.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was unstoppable, hitting .397 with eight home runs in the postseason, including the first grand slam in Blue Jays playoff history. But the real revelation was 22-year-old Trey Yesavage, who started the season in Single-A and ended it setting MLB records with 39 postseason strikeouts, the most ever by a rookie.
The championship drought continues, but the message was clear: this Blue Jays core is built to compete for years to come. Guerrero's 14-year, $500 million extension says it all.
Five NHL Teams Chase the Cup
The 2024-25 NHL season sent five Canadian teams to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the most since 2017. The Winnipeg Jets captured the Presidents' Trophy with 116 points, backstopped by Connor Hellebuyck's historic Hart Trophy-winning season. The Edmonton Oilers reached the Cup Final for the second straight year. The Toronto Maple Leafs won their first Atlantic Division title in 25 years.
Canada's 32-year championship drought extended, but the future looks bright. In Montreal, rookie defenseman Lane Hutson posted 66 points and won the Calder Trophy, the first Canadien to claim rookie of the year since Ken Dryden in 1972.
The Raptors Are Back
Remember when the Raptors finished 30-52 last season? That feels like ancient history now.
Toronto sits at 15-11 and fifth in the Eastern Conference, propelled by a nine-game winning streak in November that included three victories over the first-place Cavaliers. Scottie Barnes has evolved into a franchise cornerstone, averaging nearly 20 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists while earning Defensive Player of the Month honours. The Brandon Ingram trade from New Orleans has paid immediate dividends, including his buzzer-beating jumper to cap the team's ninth straight win.
The Raptors are relevant again. And that matters.
Summer McIntosh: Generational Greatness
At 18 years old, Summer McIntosh delivered one of the most dominant performances in World Swimming Championship history, winning four individual gold medals in Singapore. She defeated Katie Ledecky in the 400m freestyle, set championship records in the 200m butterfly and 400m individual medley, and was named Swimmer of the Meet.
McIntosh now owns 13 career World Championship medals at an age when most swimmers are just reaching their potential. We're witnessing something special.
Tennis Finds Its Next Star
Victoria Mboko entered 2025 ranked 350th in the world. She finished the year at No. 18.
The 20-year-old became the first Canadian to win the Canadian Open in Montreal in the Open Era, defeating four Grand Slam champions along the way, including world No. 2 Coco Gauff. Meanwhile, Félix Auger-Aliassime reached world No. 5, captured three ATP titles, and made the US Open semifinals.
Canadian tennis has never been stronger.
Track, Soccer, and Football Round Out the Year
Ethan Katzberg defended his hammer throw world title with a championship-record 84.70 meters, the longest throw in the world in 20 years. Camryn Rogers also defended her hammer crown. Evan Dunfee became Canada's first-ever world champion race walker.
The Vancouver Whitecaps reached both the MLS Cup Final and CONCACAF Champions Cup Final, the most successful season by any Canadian MLS club. And the Saskatchewan Roughriders ended a 12-year drought with a Grey Cup victory over Montreal, scoring 24 unanswered points after falling behind 7-1.
What It All Means
Here’s the thing about a year like this: it doesn’t just happen in stadiums and arenas. It happens because kids grow up shooting hoops in driveways, rallying on backyard courts, and dreaming about what’s possible.
Every world champion started somewhere. McIntosh learned to swim in a local pool. Mboko picked up a racquet at a community tennis court. The Blue Jays’ Trey Yesavage was playing Single-A ball eight months before setting World Series records.
At TSS, we think about this every time we build a court. Whether it’s a pickleball facility that brings a community together or a multi-sport backyard court where a family reconnects after dinner, we aren’t just installing surfaces. We’re creating the spaces where the next generation falls in love with sport. Canada proved something in 2025. We’re not just a hockey nation anymore. We’re a nation of champions across every sport, every surface, every season. And that starts with giving people places to play.
Kids who play on our backyard courts today might one day lead their high school team to a championship or earn a university sports scholarship. Athletes who compete on our gym floors could go on to become Olympians or be drafted into the NBA. What we do has a lasting impact. Though we may not always hear of these victories, we can be proud of the role we’ve played in making them possible.
Total Sport Solutions is proud to support active communities across Canada. From backyard courts to professional facilities, we help bring play to life.
Ready to bring play to life? Discover the TSS difference.