CNPL 2026 Season Recap: London Smash Win the Title, Toronto United Finish Runners-Up, and Maria Klokotzky Earns the #1 Mixed Doubles Ranking
The 2026 Canadian National Pickleball League season is in the books. London Smash are CNPL champions for the first time, capping a 23-5 regular season with a three-match Championship series win over Toronto United in Waterloo. It could hardly have been closer: the two teams split the games 6-6 and Toronto actually outscored London 226-206. The Vancouver Owls took bronze, the Northern Lights went on a playoff run nobody saw coming, and Apollo's own Maria Klokotzky finished her first CNPL season as half of the league's #1-ranked mixed doubles pairing and ninth on the career player leaderboard, playing every game with the MK47 Signature Pro. Here's the whole season, team by team and player by player.
The Championship Series: London Smash 2, Toronto United 1
The top two seeds met in the final everyone wanted, and it went the distance. London won the series on matches, but Toronto won just as many games and more points. Toronto were one point away from taking Match 1: a 21-20 loss in the first mixed game was all that stood between them and a 3-1 win. That's how thin the line was all weekend.
Toronto outscored London 97-91 and still lost. United took women's doubles 21-18, and Klokotzky and Kawamoto won the second mixed game 21-10. London answered in open (Wong and Torresin, 21-18), edged Bui and Wild 21-20 in the first mixed game, and closed it out in rotational singles 21-17.
Toronto's best playoff result of the year, 63-42 in points. Bui and Klokotzky won women's 21-17, Kawamoto and Wild won open 21-17, and Bui and Wild took the first mixed game 21-8 to force a decider.
Kalsarieva and Courteau opened with a 21-15 women's win and Wong and Torresin followed 21-16 in open. Bui and Wild kept Toronto alive 21-10 in the first mixed game, before Courteau and Torresin beat Klokotzky and Kawamoto 21-14 to clinch London's first title.
For London, it's the payoff for the best season in club history, a massive jump from a 10-7 record in 2025. For Anne-Sophie Courteau, it's a third CNPL championship. She led London through the playoffs at 6-6 (+5) and was on court for the title-clinching game.
2026 CNPL Playoff Results
Six teams made the playoffs, played over three days in Waterloo. The top two seeds went straight to the Semifinals, and three of the four series that followed went the full three matches.
Quarterfinals: Two Upsets in the Making
The Northern Lights had lost all four regular-season meetings with Grand River by a combined 62 points, then swept the #3 seed in two matches, winning both mixed games 21-20 in Match 1. The Vancouver Owls dropped Match 1 to Montreal 3-0, then won the next two, clinching the series on a 21-20 mixed game from Armaan Jiwa Mawji and Kelsey Grambeau.
Semifinals: Both Top Seeds Lose Match 1
The Lights opened their Semifinal with a 3-0 win over London, their best result of the season against a team that beat them four times in the regular season. London trailed 2-1 in both Match 2 and Match 3 and came back each time, winning both rotational singles deciders. On the other side, Vancouver beat Toronto 3-1 in Match 1 before Toronto answered with a 3-0 and a 3-1, winning six of seven games after the opener.
Bronze: Vancouver Finish on the Podium
After the Lights took women's doubles 21-19, Vancouver won the next three games, the last two of them 21-19, to finish third. Not bad for a team that went 13-15 in the regular season.
Toronto United 2026 Season Recap
Toronto United finished the regular season 22-6, went 80-38 in games and outscored opponents 2,323-2,106, a +217 point differential. Mixed doubles carried the load at 39-17 (+109), with open at 19-9, women's at 17-11 and rotational singles at 5-1. Toronto was the only team with two pairings in the CNPL's top three mixed doubles rankings: Klokotzky and Kawamoto at #1 and Wild and Bui at #3.
The season turned on a roster decision. Toronto released Matthew Kawamoto on May 6 and signed Jacob Bolkowy the same day, then released Bolkowy on June 4 and brought Kawamoto back on June 8. From there, Toronto went 14-3 with a +174 differential. Kawamoto finished the regular season 26-6 (+69), and his 81.3% win rate was the best on the team. Bolkowy, meanwhile, landed with the Northern Lights and helped turn their season around.
Maximilian Wild led Toronto in wins and point differential at 39-17 (+124). Jada Bui went 37-19 (+105), and Maria Klokotzky went 36-19 (+63) across women's and mixed. From July 19 to August 31, Toronto won nine straight matches, going 31-6 in games over that stretch. They swept the Northern Lights, York Yeti and Montreal Lions 4-0 each and split 2-2 with London, which is exactly how close the final turned out to be.
The core of Wild, Bui, Klokotzky and Kawamoto gives Toronto two elite mixed options, a proven open pair and a steady women's pair heading into 2027. If you followed our regular-season finale recap, you saw this run coming.
Maria Klokotzky's First CNPL Season: #1 Mixed Doubles Pair and Top 10 With the MK47
Plenty of players take a season to settle into the CNPL. Maria didn't. In her first year in the league, she and Matthew Kawamoto were ranked the best mixed doubles pairing in the CNPL by the league itself, in the deepest partnership field of the season. She was also the anchor of Toronto's women's doubles, playing every women's doubles game Toronto United had all season. She finished ninth on the CNPL career player leaderboard, which counts every season in league history, ahead of players with several years of CNPL experience.
Every one of those games was played with the paddle she helped design: the MK47 Signature Pro, built with her input from the first prototype to the paddle on shelves today.
The numbers behind the season: 36-19 in the regular season and 41-24 across 65 games including the playoffs, a 63.1% win rate, and five Player of the Match awards. With Kawamoto she went 14-2 in mixed (87.5%), outscoring opponents 324-290. That was the highest win rate of the 15 pairings in the league's qualifying mixed field, and the reason the CNPL ranked them #1, even though their season together only started after Kawamoto re-signed on June 8. With Bui she went 17-11 in women's doubles (+25). And on the biggest stage, she delivered: a 21-10 mixed win with Kawamoto in Championship Match 1, and a 21-17 women's win with Bui in Match 2 to force the decider.
Why we care: Apollo is a Canadian paddle brand designed and engineered in Edmonton, Alberta, and we built the MK47 with Maria because we believed in her game. The #1 mixed doubles pairing and a top 10 finish in her first CNPL season, plus a Championship series that came down to the final game, is that belief paying off in the best league in the country.
Every Team's 2026 Season in Brief
Best season in club history: +387 point differential, 13 straight wins from June 28 to August 30, and never two regular-season losses in a row. Aibika Kalsarieva (44-10, +265) and Anne-Sophie Courteau went 25-3 as a women's pair. Mid-season trades brought in Lucas Wong and Ernesto Fajardo, and London went 10-1 once the roster settled.
Nine straight wins to close the regular season, a Semifinal comeback against Vancouver, and a final that went to the last game. Kawamoto (81.3%), Wild (+124), Bui (+105) and Klokotzky (+63) form one of the deepest cores in the league, with two of the league's top three mixed pairs.
Came back from 0-1 down against Montreal, took Match 1 off Toronto, and won bronze. Anna Dyachenko and Kelsey Grambeau (14-8 in women's) and Armaan Jiwa Mawji and Mackonner Dy (13-8 in open) give them two proven pairs for 2027.
Started 0-4 and were 3-8 before signing Jacob Bolkowy on June 15, then went 10-7. Swept #3 Grand River and beat London 3-0 in a Semifinal match. Ben Davis won his first 10 playoff games and finished the weekend 10-2.
The #3 seed handed London its worst result of the year, a 4-0 win on the last day of the regular season. Bruno Faletto sits fourth on the career leaderboard. A Quarterfinal loss to the Lights ended a strong year early.
Part of the three-way 13-15 logjam and seeded fifth on game win percentage. Won Match 1 of the Quarterfinal 3-0 over Vancouver before the Owls took the next two.
Missed the playoffs, but handed Toronto one of its only back-to-back losses of the season on May 10.
A tough year at the bottom of the table, with Audrey Yeung among the bright spots at the regular-season finale.
Final 2026 CNPL Standings
All eight teams played 28 matches. Vancouver, Montreal and the Northern Lights all finished 13-15 and were separated only by game win percentage, which makes the Lights' and Owls' playoff runs even more impressive.
| # | Team | W | L | Match W% | Game W% | Playoff Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | London Smash | 23 | 5 | 82.1% | 70.6% | Champions |
| 2 | Toronto United Pickleball ClubMaria Klokotzky's team | 22 | 6 | 78.6% | 67.8% | Runners-up |
| 3 | Grand River Rapids | 19 | 9 | 67.9% | 62.7% | Quarterfinal |
| 4 | Vancouver Owls | 13 | 15 | 46.4% | 48.8% | Bronze |
| 5 | Montreal Lions | 13 | 15 | 46.4% | 47.1% | Quarterfinal |
| 6 | Northern Lights | 13 | 15 | 46.4% | 45.8% | 4th Place |
| 7 | Detroit-Windsor Drive | 5 | 23 | 17.9% | 31.4% | Did not qualify |
| 8 | York Yeti | 4 | 24 | 14.3% | 26.1% | Did not qualify |
CNPL Player Leaderboard: The Top 15
The CNPL's career player leaderboard covers every game in league history, regular season and playoffs, ranked by win percentage. Aibika Kalsarieva finishes 2026 on top at 75.0% with 10 Player of the Match awards. Toronto United placed three players in the top 10: Wild at #6, Bui at #7 and Klokotzky at #9, with Kawamoto just behind at #14. Players who have suited up for more than one club are listed with every team they've played for.
| # | Player | GP | W-L | Win % | +/- | POTM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aibika KalsarievaLondon Smash | 64 | 48-16 | 75.0% | +3.9 | 10 |
| 2 | Victoria DiMuzioSouthwestern Ontario Brewers | 50 | 35-15 | 70.0% | +1.4 | 7 |
| 3 | Ryan TorresinNorthern Rollers / London Smash | 146 | 101-45 | 69.2% | +2.9 | 16 |
| 4 | Bruno FalettoGrand River Rapids | 58 | 39-19 | 67.2% | +2.4 | 7 |
| 5 | Caelan SampsonVancouver Owls | 26 | 17-9 | 65.4% | +0.3 | 1 |
| 6 | Maximilian WildToronto United Pickleball Club | 110 | 71-39 | 64.5% | +1.9 | 10 |
| 7 | Jada BuiToronto United Pickleball Club | 106 | 68-38 | 64.1% | +2.1 | 12 |
| 8 | Anne-Sophie CourteauLondon Smash / Montreal Lions | 169 | 107-62 | 63.3% | +1.9 | 16 |
| 9 | Maria KlokotzkyApollo · MK47Toronto United Pickleball Club · first CNPL season | 65 | 41-24 | 63.1% | +0.9 | 5 |
| 10 | Angie WalkerWest Coast Wolverines | 37 | 23-14 | 62.2% | +1.7 | 1 |
| 11 | Casey RodgersRocky Mountain Rush / Northern Rollers | 74 | 45-29 | 60.8% | +1.0 | 6 |
| 12 | Marie-Christine SalvasGrand River Rapids / Northern Lights | 99 | 60-39 | 60.6% | +1.4 | 6 |
| 13 | Ernesto FajardoMontreal Lions / London Smash | 165 | 100-65 | 60.6% | +1.4 | 17 |
| 14 | Matthew KawamotoToronto United Pickleball Club | 162 | 98-64 | 60.5% | +0.8 | 13 |
| 15 | Jacob BolkowyToronto United / Northern Lights / Prairie Pronghorns | 48 | 29-19 | 60.4% | -0.3 | 0 |
CNPL's Top 5 Mixed Doubles Pairings of 2026, Plus the Best of the Rest
Mixed doubles had the deepest partnership field in the CNPL this season, with 15 pairings playing more than 10 games together, nearly double open or women's doubles. The league ranked the top five on win rate, volume and point differential, and Maria Klokotzky and Matthew Kawamoto came out on top. Toronto United was the only club with two pairs in the top three.
| # | Pairing | W-L | Win % | Points | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maria Klokotzky / Matthew KawamotoApollo · MK47Toronto United Pickleball Club | 14-2 | 87.5% | 324-290 | +34 |
| 2 | Marie-Christine Salvas / Bruno FalettoGrand River Rapids | 21-6 | 77.8% | 537-451 | +86 |
| 3 | Maximilian Wild / Jada BuiToronto United Pickleball Club | 20-8 | 71.4% | 570-490 | +80 |
| 4 | Ryan Torresin / Anne-Sophie CourteauLondon Smash | 13-7 | 65.0% | 392-351 | +41 |
| 5 | Ben Davis / Danielle BossNorthern Lights | 13-7 | 65.0% | 389-354 | +35 |
Salvas and Faletto had the best volume and point margin of any pair, while Wild and Bui beat them three times and then went 5-1 (+39) through the playoff weekend. Torresin and Courteau, fourth here, won the title-clinching game of the Championship series.
Best of the Rest: Open and Women's Doubles
London Smash, women's doubles. +153 in points, and every one of London's women's wins in the regular season.
Toronto United, open doubles. +44, and the open pair that won the 21-17 game in Championship Match 2.
Northern Lights, open doubles. +32 in the regular season and 5-1 in the playoffs.
Vancouver Owls, women's doubles. +27, then won women's doubles in both Match 2 and Match 3 to flip the Montreal series.
CNPL 2026: Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the 2026 CNPL championship?
London Smash won the 2026 Canadian National Pickleball League championship, the first title in club history. They beat Toronto United 2-1 in a three-match Championship series, even though the teams split the games 6-6 and Toronto outscored London 226-206.
Where were the 2026 CNPL playoffs held?
The 2026 CNPL playoffs were played over three days in Waterloo, Ontario.
What were the final 2026 CNPL playoff placings?
London Smash won the title, Toronto United finished as runners-up, the Vancouver Owls won bronze over the Northern Lights, and the Grand River Rapids and Montreal Lions went out in the Quarterfinals.
How did Maria Klokotzky do in her first CNPL season?
In her first CNPL season with Toronto United, Maria Klokotzky went 36-19 (+63) in the regular season and 41-24 including the playoffs, finishing ninth on the CNPL career player leaderboard. She and Matthew Kawamoto were ranked the CNPL's #1 mixed doubles pairing of the 2026 regular season at 14-2, and she partnered Jada Bui in every Toronto United women's doubles game.
What was the best mixed doubles pairing in the CNPL in 2026?
Maria Klokotzky and Matthew Kawamoto of Toronto United were ranked the CNPL's #1 mixed doubles pairing of the 2026 regular season. They went 14-2 together, an 87.5% win rate and the highest in the qualifying field, and outscored opponents 324-290. The rest of the league's top five were Marie-Christine Salvas and Bruno Faletto (Grand River Rapids), Maximilian Wild and Jada Bui (Toronto United), Ryan Torresin and Anne-Sophie Courteau (London Smash), and Ben Davis and Danielle Boss (Northern Lights).
What paddle does Maria Klokotzky use?
Maria plays the Apollo MK47 Signature Pro, a paddle she co-designed with Apollo Pickleball, a Canadian paddle brand designed and engineered in Edmonton, Alberta.
Who was the best player in the CNPL in 2026?
London Smash's Aibika Kalsarieva had the strongest numbers in 2026, going 44-10 with a +265 point differential in the regular season. She also sits first on the CNPL career player leaderboard at a 75.0% win rate.
Official Team Recaps
Stats in this post come from the CNPL's official team recaps, mixed doubles rankings and player leaderboard. Read more at London Smash Toronto United Vancouver Owls Northern Lights 2026's Best Mixed Doubles Pairings cnpl.ca
Co-designed with Maria Klokotzky for players who want pro-level control and power in one paddle. T700 carbon face, 16mm core, Payload 4 weight clips included.
