The Canadian Premier League announced on Thursday the nominees for this year’s Golden Glove award, honouring the best goalkeeper during the 2023 regular season.
Cavalry FC’s Marco Carducci, Forge FC’s Triston Henry and Valour FC’s Rayane Yesli make up the three-man ballot. The winner will be decided through voting by CPL club technical leadership and select media members representing local and national outlets who consistently covered the 2023 CPL regular season. The winner will be revealed at an in-person ceremony in Hamilton, Ont. on Thursday, Oct. 26 as part of the CPL Final weekend festivities.
Carducci, 27, played all 28 games for regular season winners Cavalry, who conceded the fewest goals of any CPL team this season at 27. A two-time Golden Glove winner in 2019 and 2022, who also earned a nomination in 2021, Carducci led the league in total passes among goalkeepers with 963 in 2023 and finished second in the league in shutouts with eight and 30 saves from outside of the box. Carducci finished within the top five among goalkeepers with 63 saves made, 211 recoveries and a save percentage of 70 per cent. Named Allstate CPL Goalkeeper for the Month of September, Carducci also earned a spot in the Gatorade CPL Team of the Week on two occasions, in week 12 and week 24.
Henry, 30, continued to be a cornerstone of Forge’s backline in 2023, putting up a league-high nine shutouts and helping the team post the second best defence in the CPL and the best defence on the road. His five inclusions in the Gatorade CPL Team of the Week were the most by any CPL goalkeeper in 2023, and he was the only netminder to twice be awarded Allstate Goalkeeper of the Month honours, in May and in July. Henry’s stellar season saw him finish among the league leaders for goalkeepers in many categories including 221 total recoveries, 87 per cent passing accuracy, and 24 saves from outside the box. This is Henry’s fourth nomination for Golden Glove, after earning nods in 2019, 2020 and 2021. He took home the award in 2020.
Yesli, 24, was a bright spot for Valour in 2023, showcasing his ability to be a dependable backstop for the Winnipeg outlet. His 81 saves were second among all CPL goalkeepers in 2023. Yesli finished the year tied for third among league netminders with 53 saves made in the box, 27 saves made outside the box and seven shutouts. He also finished among the league leaders in categories such as save percentage (69.57), total passes (565) and recoveries (212). He was included in the Gatorade CPL Team of the Week on three occasions, in weeks 10, 17 and 22, and won Allstate Goalkeeper of the Month for June 2023.
Voting for all the CPL’s annual awards will this year be based on performances during the regular season, not including Canadian Championship, Concacaf or playoff action.
The winner of the Golden Glove award will be awarded a unique piece of Inuit soapstone art, conceived by artist Kellipalik Etidloie. The Canadian Inuit Dog statue is awarded annually to the CPL goalkeeper voted best at his position because the Canadian Inuit Dog and goalkeepers are, similarly, protectors who play vital roles in guarding their communities.