This past week was arguably the busiest of the off-season yet across the Canadian Premier League.

All eight Canadian Premier League clubs made roster announcements this week, with some significant signings and sales. The first kit reveal of the 2025 campaign also took place as the champs kicked things off in style.

Take a few more sips of your coffee, because there is a lot of information ahead as we dive into the top stories from this past week across the league:

RELATED: CPL Off-Season Roster Tracker: Who’s in and who’s out for 2025?

York United announce return of Altobelli, sign young dual-nationals Bergman and Bibishkov

Following the departure of Brian Wright to Forge earlier in the off-season, York United have their new number nine. Julian Altobelli returns to the Nine Stripes, originally signing with the club in 2020.

Since leaving York following that season, and no appearances, Altobelli has been a mainstay with Toronto FC II, making 92 appearances and scoring 21 times. That included an incredibly prolific 2024 campaign, where he scored 11 times and added four assists. The 22-year-old from Toronto will be hoping to carry over that form into a strong season in the CPL this year.

York also added a pair of young dual-nationals to their ranks, beginning on Monday with the signing of 20-year-old central defender Alexander Bergman. An Estonian youth international who also holds Canadian citizenship, Bergman has spent multiple seasons in Estonia, most recently with Nõmme United in the second flight.

On Wednesday, the Nine Stripes announced the signing of 17-year-old Marsel Bibishkov. The Bulgarian youth international attacker was most recently a member of the Juventus U-17 side in Italy.

Halifax Wanderers’ French connection continues with Baï, Bahamboula signings

Following a season where the Halifax Wanderers led the Canadian Premier League in expected goals by a significant margin, with 45.99, but scored just 37 of those, the club made some big additions in attack this past week.

On Monday, the Wanderers signed 28-year-old attacker Yohan Baï to their frontline. The winger most recently played in Bulgaria, and also has multiple seasons of experience in his native France.

Then on Wednesday, the club announced a deal with Congolese international winger Jason Bahamboula. The 23-year-old joins the Wanderers after a season in the Latvian top flight with Valmiera FC — with whom he scored six goals and added three assists. He also has experience in France and Portugal.

Later in the week, Halifax confirmed the re-signings of striker Ryan Telfer and defender Julian Dunn.

Vancouver FC make club record transfer of Grady McDonnell to Club Brugge

Having already made CPL history by becoming the league’s youngest-ever signing as a 15-year-old last year, Grady McDonnell made further history this past week.

The now 16-year-old Irish youth international midfielder joined Club Brugge in Belgium for the second-highest transfer fee in league history. He made 17 appearances for the Eagles this past season, picking up two assists.

It was another important moment not only for Vancouver FC, but also the Canadian Premier League as a whole which continues to prove its ability to develop domestic talent at the professional level.

Pacific FC add international talent to midfield with de Pauli, Browning Lagerfeldt signings

After bringing back key members of their 2021 championship team last week, Pacific FC spent the last few days further securing the middle of the park.

On Wednesday, the Tridents announced the signing of 25-year-old Brazilian midfielder Daniel de Pauli. The holding midfielder, who most recently played in Bulgaria’s top flight, also has experience in the Brazilian top division.

Then on Friday, they unveiled the addition of 26-year-old Lukas Browning Lagerfeldt, a Swedish-Irish dual national who most recently played in Sweden for Gefle IF.

Atlético Ottawa sign Noah Abatneh

Last week began with a big signing out of the nation’s capital, with Atlético Ottawa announcing 20-year-old Noah Abatneh as their latest addition.

Abatneh, who joins the club after two seasons with rivals York United — including being nominated for the league’s Best U-21 Canadian Player award in 2024 — is one of the CPL’s most exciting young players. The 20-year-old made 36 appearances for the Nine Stripes over the past two seasons.

In the nation’s capital, he will now get the opportunity to make what he hopes is the next step in his career, while under the mentorship of one of the CPL’s best central defenders — Amer Didić. An ambitious player, Atlético Ottawa’s portfolio of international connections was also part of what attracted him to the club.

Forge FC solidifying full-back positions with return of Rama, Jevremović signing

Following several departures across their backline this off-season, Forge FC brought in significant international reinforcements this past week ahead of their Concacaf Champions Cup tie with CF Monterrey this coming Wednesday.

On Tuesday, the club announced the return of Rezart Rama, as the 24-year-old full-back reunites with the Hamilton club following a season and a half with Egnatia in Albania.

Then, the club ended the week with the announcement of the signing of Marko Jevremović. The 28-year-old left-back brings significant experience from his native Serbia, for whom he earned a senior international cap in 2021. He most recently played for Athens Kallithea in Greece and has been with Forge down in Cancun for training camp.

Valour FC sign Canadian youth international Erik Pop

On Thursday, Valour added an exciting young striker to their attacking arsenal with the addition of 19-year-old Erik Pop. The Canadian youth international, who has also represented Romania at the youth level, heads to Winnipeg following the past two years spent in the Karlsruher SC system in Germany.

A tall and physically imposing striker with good instincts in front of goal, Pop has eight caps for Canada at the youth level, scoring once. He represented Canada at the 2023 U-17 World Cup.

Pop’s signing is also crucial for Valour when it comes to U-21 minutes, as none of the three players who made up the Winnipeg club’s required 2,000 minutes are back with the team for 2025. As a result, Valour will also need to add at least two more U-21 domestic players before the start of the season.

Cavalry FC release 2025 Primary kit

Compared to the league’s other clubs, it was a quieter week on the signing front for the 2024 CPL champs.

However, they did announce their preliminary squad for the 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup, which included development contracts for Neven Fewster, Josh Belbin and James McGlinchey. Cavalry also announced the mutual termination of forward Lowell Wright’s contract.

Where Cavalry did make a splash this past week was with the reveal of their 2025 primary kit. The ‘Alberta Wild Rose’ kit features the club’s iconic red sash, with seven stripes to celebrate the team’s seven seasons. The kit also features wild rose accents, and will be worn in the opening round of the 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup against Pumas this coming week.