LAVAL – Montreal native Alex Bunbury knows full well the quality of talent available in his hometown.

It’s why the former Canada international was all smiles on the sidelines as he and the rest of the Canadian Premier League’s head coaches watched over 200 players gather and display their skills in Laval, a city just north of Montreal, in the second of seven stops for the #GotGame Open Trials.

But for Bunbury, none of this is surprising.

“I knew that Montreal has quality,” Bunbury told CanPL.ca. “It’s a big city, so obviously just from a numerical standpoint, you’re going to get, percentage wise, more talented players than any other province or any other city. So, I’m not surprised. It’s just going to boil down to who the coaches and myself think warrant coming back tomorrow afternoon and showcasing themselves in the (full) games.”

Bunbury reckons the standard has been raised even higher in Quebec in the second stop of these coast-to-coast tryouts, having spotted a handful of talented players in Halifax last week.

“I’m trying to stay neutral and not go up to players and pick them out, because other players are looking, but I see 15 players already that I like,” Bunbury admitted. “Fifteen. That’s a lot.

“Look at the talent here, and I can guarantee you there are other players that didn’t show up here that are just as talented or maybe even more talented. Montreal has always had talented players and the coaches, when I speak to them, will reiterate exactly what I’m talking about. The quality is here, man. The quality is here.”

The #GotGame Open Trials continue in Laval on Friday for Day 2 of the Quebec Open Trials, where the 200+ players will be whittled down to a coaches’ selection of 50, who will have an opportunity to showcase their skills in a smaller group setting. Those 50 players will then go through a final selection, before competing in 11-v-11 matches. The first list of advancing players will be published on CanPL.ca following the conclusion of Day 1.

The CPL’s #GotGame trials continue in Montreal on Sept. 28 before making stops in Hamilton (Oct. 1-2), Toronto (Oct. 11-12), Winnipeg (Oct. 18-19), Calgary (Oct. 25-26) and Vancouver Island (Nov. 5-6). Think you’ve #GotGame? Register at CanPL.ca/GotGame.