The Canadian Premier League is no stranger to a moment of sporting history.

It was only last year that a bicycle kick was scored during a blizzard in the CPL final between Atletico Ottawa and Cavalry FC. It was dubbed the 'icicle kick' and gained more than one billion views across social media.

"I think as a young league in a country that's developing the sport of football, it's important that we do get that visibility," said Cavalry defender Bradley Kamdem, who played in that frosty final.

But now the Canadian top flight will have a different set of eyes on it as it enters its eighth season.

One of those especially invested in the league will be former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, now Fifa's chief of global football development, whose new 'daylight' offside rule is being trialled by the CPL.

The rule itself is that there should be a complete gap between the attacker and the second-to-last opposition player. Critics of this change have said it will give too big an advantage to the attacker. But how have people involved in the CPL viewed it?

This is set to be a historic year for football in Canada. The CPL continues to evolve and develop, with the first team from Quebec province, Supra du Quebec, debuting in the 2026 season.

In continental competitions, four Canadian teams competed in the Concacaf Champions Cup for the first time - three from the CPL and Vancouver Whitecaps from America's Major League Soccer (MLS).

Along with the club game, the country will co-host a men's World Cup for the first time, with the USA and Mexico.

And so, the introduction of this adapted offside rule only helps the CPL try to break further into football's mainstream discussion.

The CPL's CEO James Johnson said: "It's a league that is still young, but it's maturing very quickly.

"We like to do things that are different. We want to create some debates and also make sure the CPL is at the heart of a global football conversation, because we're innovative and that's how we want to be seen.

"We want to contribute to world football. And when you have someone like Arsene Wenger, who's leading football discussions, we want to support that.

"And so if we can play a part we think it won't only be good for Canadian soccer, but also for world football, then I am all for it."

The CPL is the first top-flight league to try out this new offside rule, with low-level trials held in Italy's Under-18 Championship in 2023 and in youth competitions in the Netherlands.

When there is an adaptation of the rules, it gives managers, coaches and players opportunities to find creative ways to gain an advantage over an opponent. This offside rule will be no different.

With the advantage now shifting to the attacker's favour, it could create a league with a blend of defensive styles as each team seeks a tactical edge.

Bobby Smyrniotis, head coach of Forge FC, said: "I think the biggest thing is just how your defensive line is going to deal with it, and how aggressive they can be in moments or not.

"Because you look at it in the world of VAR [video assistant referee], you can play that fine line, and you've had that safety net. Now, that fine line has been given to the attacker. So it's a little bit different for how the defenders may approach it.

"The aggressiveness that creates. Does that create more space between the lines? So these are the little nuances we all want to look at.

"So in these early stages, you just look at the small things. And then, as coaches, what we do is we start tinkering. We start seeing this on the pitch and now we have to adjust in a certain way.

"Globally, it'll be interesting just to see how the defences deal with being overly aggressive and playing that fine line, because we know half a metre to an attacker is a big thing, and it's going to create more opportunities going forward."

Smyrniotis was in charge of Forge when the CPL was trialling defenders being allowed in the box during goal-kicks, and the effect that had on the game in the way teams pressed changed the landscape of the sport.

So, for the players themselves, how do they feel about the prospect of this new offside rule?

"They should probably change my clean-sheet bonus, if I'm being honest. So I'll have to have a talk with the general manager about that," joked left-back Kamdem.

"It's definitely going to be a change. I'm a defender, so I prefer stricter rules on the offside.

"It could happen that it creates higher-scoring games, which I'm probably not the happiest about, but maybe for the fans it's a little bit more entertaining."

With the World Cup starting in June, the prospect of more Canadians paying attention to football and the CPL, the potential for high-scoring, more exciting games could attract them to the league past the showpiece tournament.

Smyrniotis said: "Whether it's 7,000 fans at the Hamilton Stadium or it's 90,000 at Wembley, everyone comes to see goals.

"The excitement that you get from the broadcast, from sitting live, all has to do with how that ball goes into the net. So if this is something that helps more goals, I think it's good."

Supra du Quebec head coach, Nicholas Razzaghi, added: "What I love about football is the emotions and sounds. I'm a coach, and they're supposed to be tactics and it's important.

"But at the same time, it's the emotion that you feel from the fans watching. When there was Covid and there were no fans in the stadium, it was pretty boring. I still love the game. It's not the same.

"My biggest hope is that the World Cup will propel more fan engagement, which has been growing. But I want to see the stadiums full."

For the CPL, it hopes that it can be the 2026 World Cup's legacy, with fans wanting to remain invested in the game, and the new offside rule might play a part in that.