On Friday, Atlético Ottawa announced the signing of local midfielder Jason Hartill to a CPL-U SPORTS contract ahead of the 2025 Canadian Premier League (CPL) season.

Hartill, 21, is a native of Carleton Place, Ont. who was selected by Atlético out of Cape Breton University with the sixth overall pick in the 2025 CPL-U SPORTS Draft last December. He was subsequently invited to Ottawa’s pre-season training camp earlier this year, where he earned his spot on the club’s 2025 roster.

“Jason epitomizes professionalism, showing up every day with a great attitude and ready to improve,” said Drew Beckie, Director of Football Development, Atlético Ottawa. “The best compliment I could give Jason as a player is that you wish you had 11 of him to play. I look forward to seeing him progress.”

Hartill excelled with Cape Breton University in 2024, his second year representing the school’s varsity men’s soccer team, starting 11 of 12 games and scoring one goal.

Hartill, who can play as a central midfielder or a left-back, spent last season on a CPL-U SPORTS contract with York United FC, where he made two league appearances with the club after he was drafted out of CBU in the 2024 CPL-U Sports Draft. He was previously signed to an academy contract with Toronto FC II, representing the squad in MLS Next Pro, and has featured for Team Ontario’s Under-16 and Under-18 teams.

“It feels great to have the opportunity to play in the area that I grew up in,” said Hartill. “Being able to say that I’m a part of the professional team in the city where I started is something that I’m proud of. I would say my playing style is someone with a high work rate who is comfortable on the ball and likes to connect passes to move up the pitch.”

Current 2025 Atlético Ottawa Roster as of April 4:

Goalkeepers: Nathan Ingham (CAN), Tristan Crampton (CAN)

Defenders: Noah Abatneh (CAN), Loïc Cloutier (CAN), Joaquim Coulanges (CAN), Amer Didić (CAN), Jonathan Grant (CAN), Brett Levis (CAN), Tyr Walker (CAN), Iker Moreno (MEX), Sergei Kozlovskiy (CAN), Jason Hartill (CAN)

Midfielders: Gabriel Antinoro (CAN), Manny Aparicio (CAN), Juan ‘Coque’ Castro (MEX), Aboubacar Sissoko (CAN), Noah Verhoeven (CAN), Alberto Zapater (ESP), Kevin Ortega (MEX)

Forwards: Monty Patterson (NZL), David Rodríguez (MEX), Kevin Santos (POR), Sam Salter (CAN), Ballou Tabla (CAN)