8 CPL Thoughts: Business Awards, growing Grady McDonnell interest, USL money, Ollie Bassett and more

It's hard to believe we're a month removed from the CPL Final in Calgary but what a month it's been. From coaching changes to player departures, we're slowly but surely moving into the depths of another off-season. It will be the best of times; it will be the most boring of times.

But not this week, at least for the boring bit. There's been a lot of movement on all football fronts across the league.

So, if you’re not already familiar, welcome to 8 CPL Thoughts, the column where I round up the news and tidbits I’m hearing across the league. Let’s dig into the 3,000 word CPL column you didn't know you needed. Buckle up.

1. Reading between the lines at the CPL Business Awards

Although the CPL Shield and North Star Cup had found their off-season homes, there was still plenty of silverware to be handed out this past Tuesday as the league held their annual business awards event. In total, six of the CPL's eight clubs were recognized and, unsurprisingly, Cavalry FC took home an armload of trophies following a banner year for the club.

The vast majority of the awards revolve around revenue-based metrics: top group ticket sales (Atlético Ottawa), top season seat member growth (Halifax Wanderers) or top jersey sales (Cavalry). There are also awards for community impact — be it Pacific FC's signing of young fan Ollie Conway or York United FC's The Kids All Right campaign — and more subjective prizes, like business executive of the year, that are chosen by the league's senior leadership team.

Sure, it may not be a flashy event (this year's iteration was held over Zoom) but I'd argue it's incredibly important as it serves as a financial temperature taking for the league, even if no figures are presented publicly. It's encouraging, for example, that Pacific had the top seat member retention in the league and, as I reached out to the club, clocked in at an impressive 92 per cent retention rate. This bodes well for Vancouver Island as a market. And although it was a disappointing season in Halifax, the club still snagged three awards, including top partnerships sales team, which speaks to the connections the club has created with fans and businesses.

But, if you read between the lines, it's telling that neither Vancouver FC or Valour received any recognition in the business awards. Paired with the fact that their performances on the pitch left much to be desired, it's easy to paint them as clubs searching for their way. This needs to change for the health of the league: you need both a strong product on and off the pitch to be successful. Right now, Valour and Vancouver FC don't really have either going for them. Hopefully, that changes in 2025.

You can find the full list of CPL business award winners here.

2. Growing the league, growing the (Wanderers) Grounds

Facilities continue to be a fly in the ointment for league expansion, with CPL commissioner Mark Noonan re-iterating the point at his end of season media availability in Calgary.

But facilities also remain a question mark for several clubs in the league, with York United, the Wanderers and Pacific all trying to negotiate, broker or buy long-term solutions that meet their needs, be it for matchday or training purposes.

I've been doing some work in the background on Pacific's negotiations with the City of Langford as the two parties have only a few months left to re-negotiate a new deal, the club opting to not exercise its right to renew for another five year-term. According to a press release from the city back in April, they had hoped to secure a new five-year agreement before the end of the 2024 season. I reached out a few weeks ago and was told the city does not have an update to share "at this time," as per a spokesperson.

The Wanderers, similarly, are working with a newly elected Halifax Regional Municipality to make their permanent stadium dreams a reality. Progress, I'm told, continues but it's slow going, especially with the recent municipal election and councillor turnover.

The club has taken matters into its own hands, announcing to season ticket holders an additional 1,000 seats at the Wanderers Grounds for the upcoming season.

"While we continue to work with local government on our vision for a permanent, right-sized stadium in downtown Halifax, we didn't want to wait any longer to make some improvements at our temporary Wanderers stadium," said the club statement.

"We are in conversations with the leaders of our supporter groups on these exciting changes and our ticketing team will be in touch soon with more information on the new sections and the opportunity to relocate as desired."

These changes, outlined above, are significant, especially when you take into consideration that the Wanderers Grounds were at capacity several times last season. As Wanderers president Derek Martin told media before 2024's first match of the season, the club was simply "out of room."

Now, both the Wanderers and Halifax Tides — slated to kickoff this coming April in the Northern Super League — will have a little more space to pack in fans.

3. Could Vancouver FC's Grady McDonnell be the club's first transfer?

Despite a disappointing campaign on the pitch, Vancouver FC head coach Afshin Ghotbi stressed the club's long-term vision during his end of season media availability.

“I’ve hinted in some of the interviews, based on my conversations with Rob (Friend), that we really want to be a ‘football factory’,” said Ghotbi. “We feel that there is a niche in the Canadian market that hasn’t really been filled, of a team that can identify talented young players locally and in the B.C. area, bring them into a certain environment, having a certain culture and having a certain onset atmosphere that can push the players to go on and become international players.”

Friend himself, reported The Northern Tribune, hinted that the club was fielding offers for budding talents T.J. Tahid, James Cameron and Grady McDonnell but gave no details as to which player or if the club had tangible offers in hand.

Sources told The Wanderers Notebook on Tuesday that McDonnell, who just completed his first professional season with the Eagles, is garnering significant interest from European clubs. Sources also said clubs in Belgium have taken a particular liking to the 16-year old midfielder, who was called to represent the Republic of Ireland at the 2024/2025 UEFA European Championship qualifiers in November. Belgium, of course, is where Forge FC recently sold CPL U-21 Player of the Year Kwasi Poku, who is now playing with RWD Molenbeek in the Belgian second division. It remains unclear if Vancouver FC has received offers for McDonnell but there's little doubt that he remains a player of interest overseas. And if he was sold, McDonnell would be the club's first transfer in its short history.

McDonnell became the youngest player in CPL history to sign a standard player contract earlier this year, taking the honour away from his teammate, Tahid, who previously held the title.

4. Why so many CPL players are entertaining USL interest

Former CPL star midfielder Ollie Bassett has signed with the Tampa Bay Rowdies of the USL Championship, the club announced on social media on Wednesday. Bassett bid farewell to Atlético Ottawa earlier this month, leaving the nation's capital as their all-time appearance leader.

But as I've reported previously, be it for free agents like Moses Dyer, Kunle Dada-Luke or Thomas Meilleur-Giguère, USL clubs have taken a keen interest in players plying their trade in the CPL. I'm sure countless other courtships are also going on right now that we haven't heard about.

There's two big factors that play into CPL players, specifically ones who are in their mid-20s and have played in the league for a few years, entertaining offers south of the border: the first is money and the second is a change of scenery.

The USL has no salary cap, per se, and although this is above their minimum salary, I've been told it's not uncommon for players making the jump from CPL to USL to make between $55,000 to $70,000 USD (and like any league, there are clubs that spend money and clubs that are on a shoe-string budgets). This is a huge pay jump given the CPL salary average is probably around $40,000 CAD.

The other factor, as mentioned, is a change of scenery. Forge and Cavalry's North Star Cup deciding match earlier this month was their 31st tilt in six years. Speaking to players and coaching staffs across the league, the repetition of continually seeing the same opponents can be tiring. For players like Bassett, who's been in CPL for four years, I think it's natural to want a change of pace, something Tampa Bay noted in their press release.

“I want to test myself in a new league and a new environment,” Bassett said in his signing announcement.

I do know that, for all the players entertaining American interest, there's many CPL players who are delighted by the chance to play in their own country or to call Canada their new home. Watching Kris Twardek's knee slide at TD Place in front of his friends and family in Ottawa is just one example of what it means for Canadians to have their own domestic league.

And USL interest isn't a bad thing: it shows a level of admiration for the quality of players being developed and playing in Canada.

5. Big Forge players out of contract

Speaking of players who have been in the CPL for a while, two of Forge's most important midfielders — captain Kyle Bekker and Alessandro Hojabrpour — are out of contract following another impressive campaign which saw the Hamilton-side play well in the CPL playoffs, Canadian Championship and CONCACAF Champions Cup.

This isn't to say that both won't be back (in fact, it could be that they've already negotiated contracts and we've just not heard about it) but it's noteworthy for the fact that things have been eerily quiet around Forge following the conclusion of the CPL playoffs.

Now, I expect Forge will try and re-sign both players. Bekker, in particular, has been a passionate spokesperson for both the league and club since their inceptions. But I did wonder, after having interviewed and watched both players through multiple competitions this year, if the eye-test still matched their statistical impact on the pitch. Naturally, I got in contact with Alexander Brazier Rymek, who runs CPL By the Numbers, to review his database' findings. The results are unsurprising.

At 34-years old, Bekker remains one of the most impactful CPL players in the final third and, as per Alex's WPA rating (explained here), is the second best central midfielder behind only Lorenzo Callegari. Given his relative health and football IQ, I don't think there's much worry about renewing him for another contract as long as he avoids injury and continues to break open games with his vision and passing.

Hojabrpour's data is equally as impressive, showcasing a defensive midfielder who dictates play and serves as the engine in Forge's midfield. My only question would be, at 24-years old and having won several trophies in the CPL, is if the Vancouver-native would like to try his hand in a different league. He's certainly got the quality to move on should he wish.

It's expected that Forge will announce their end of season roster update next week.

6. The joys and pains of the coaching carousel

While York United was preparing to announce Mauro Eustaquio as their next head coach, Atlético Ottawa was making the final decision to part ways with Carlos Gonzalez.

Ultimately, Atlético Ottawa opted to move on from Gonzalez, who had been their coach for three years and had helped guide them to a regular season championship in 2022. Part of the timing of this decision, as I reported last week, had to do with the fact that the club has found their new CEO, Juan Miguel Vega Francis. Sources told The Wanderers Notebook that Francis began his new post some weeks ago, although the appointment has yet to be publicly confirmed by the club. Gonzalez' departure, although made as a leadership group, is a huge decision to kick off Francis' tenure.

Elsewhere in Ontario, the Pasquel brothers announced Eustaquio as the next head coach of York United following the mutual departure of Benjamin Mora. Leading up to the announcement, I had gotten wind that Eustaquio may be the next Nine Stripes boss and upon reflection, it makes a lot of sense. Although the fourth head coach in club history, Eustaquio, at 31, become the youngest head coach appointed in CPL history but had a myriad of experiences to draw on. He was also the first former CPL player to be named as head coach. I remember being on the post-match press conference following his first coaching victory against the Halifax Wanderers earlier this year and being struck by his poise and thoughtfulness answering questions.

I think Eustaquio's appointment bodes well for both York United and the league. But I do think it's likely we haven't seen the last coaching change this off-season.

7. Spending time with Jesse Marsch and CanMNT

Just a short thought but, earlier this week, I wrote a piece for OneSoccer about Wanderers head coach Patrice Gheisar's time with Jesse Marsch and the Canadian Men's National Team. It was a big moment for Gheisar, who had climbed the Canadian football coaching ranks to make his professional debut last season, to spend time with the national team and some of his former players like Alistair Johnston, Dayne St. Clair and Kamal Miller.

“All of these things, spending time with the coaches, talking to the players and seeing my former players, I couldn’t have asked for more. It was a dream come true. People say that a lot, but this really was a dream, and I mean that in the most sincere way,” he said.

One of the biggest takeaways Gheisar left the camp with was how Marsch has taken an interest in the CPL and his openness.

“He’s taken an interest in CPL, taken an interest in Halifax. I’ve made jokes with him that he needs to come to Halifax to do a coaching symposium, he’s got to do a training camp here, he’s just got to come to see Halifax and he was really receptive (to that),” said Gheisar.

Hopefully, as Marsch has alluded to in several interviews, we'll see a roving CanMNT camp in places like Halifax, Edmonton or Victoria.

8. Who's making the jump to MLS or Europe this off-season?

I've decided that the last thought on these columns will go towards reader questions and for this one, I've opted to answer the outstanding Martin Bauman, who is a reporter for The Coast and co-host of the Wanderer Grounds Podcast.

Martin's question, of course, is which CPL player is making the jump to the MLS or Europe this off-season?

Although I've alluded to the possibility of McDonnell being sold, I think Atlético Ottawa's Matteo de Brienne remains one of the most likely CPL players to move on to a bigger league. As reported by Manuel Veth of Transfermarkt earlier this year, de Brienne's camp has been in talks with an Allsvenskan club about the possibility of moving in 2025. However, the full-back has an option with Atlético Ottawa next season, meaning his move to Sweden would have to involve a transfer fee. Although not a done deal, I believe the situation remains promising for the 22-year old.

Another player I could see making the jump is North Star Cup winner and back-to-back CPL Defender of the Year Daan Klomp, who is out of contract at Cavalry. Klomp has all the tools and football IQ to play at another level. Like Hojabrpour, the question really is does he want to make the move? John Molinaro, who runs TFC Republic, suggested this week that Toronto FC should take a long, hard look at the Dutch defender and I'd argue several MLS clubs could use his services. But it remains to be seen if Klomp will stay with what he knows or takes his services elsewhere.

As always with the off-season, we'll just have to hurry up and wait.

Cover Photo Credit: Beau Chevalier / Vancouver FC