The competition follows a similar format to the originally proposed 2020 edition with four rounds and regional pairings in the first two rounds. For the first time in the Canadian Championship, each tie will be played as a single-leg fixture. CF Montréal, Forge FC, and Toronto FC enter the tournament in the quarter-finals due to their placements in the 2019 and 2020 editions of the competition. All other teams enter in the preliminary round of the tournament.
A.S. Blainville and Master's FA were originally supposed to participate in the 2020 edition of the competition, as they won the 2019 editions of the Première ligue de soccer du Québec and League1 Ontario, respectively. As the format of the 2020 edition was revised, their participation was postponed to the 2021 tournament.
Distribution
Distribution of teams for 2021 Canadian Championship
Statistics include previous incarnations of FC Edmonton, Montreal Impact, and Vancouver Whitecaps
Appearances in the 2020 Canadian Championship are included for Toronto FC and Forge FC even though the championship was not played until following the start of the 2021 edition