The Canadian Premier League (CPL) today announced the results of the 2024 CPL-U SPORTS Draft presented by Degree, which saw the league’s eight member clubs select a total of 16 Canadian student athletes out of 12 universities from coast to coast over two rounds of action.

All eight CPL clubs each selected two players during a live broadcast of the draft proceedings, which was hosted by OneSoccer’s Adam Jenkins and aired on Thursday afternoon on OneSoccer, CBC Sports and the Canadian Premier League’s YouTube channels. 

The two-round draft was open to any U SPORTS underclassmen with one to four years of U SPORTS eligibility remaining, provided they are in good standing with their school’s athletic program and educational institution and are planning to return to school the following year. Clubs selected from a record draft pool of 203 student athletes.

RELATED: 2024 CPL-U SPORTS Draft: Team-by-team breakdown of all 16 picks

The selection order of both rounds was determined by a combination of the 2023 regular season standings and playoff results. Picks one through three are allocated to the teams that finished eighth, seventh and sixth, respectively, in the regular season standings, while picks four through eight are issued in order of playoff elimination, with 2023 CPL Playoff Champion Forge FC selecting last. The draft order was altered prior to Thursday’s draft, when Cavalry FC traded its 15th overall pick and future considerations to Vancouver FC in exchange for the 10th overall pick.

Valour FC selected forward Owen Sheppard out of Cape Breton University (CBU), winner of the 2023 U SPORTS Men’s Soccer Championship, with the first overall pick on Thursday afternoon. Sheppard was one of three members of the Capers’ 2023 squad to be selected in this year’s draft, adding to CBU’s record for all-time selections in the CPL-U SPORTS Draft with 15 overall.

Once selected, players may be invited to preseason training with their prospective club, where they can compete for a roster spot for the 2024 CPL season.

The complete 2024 CPL-U SPORTS Draft results are as follows:

Round 1

1. Valour FC: Owen Sheppard | Cape Breton University | Forward | St. John’s, Nfld.
2. Vancouver FC: Luke Norman | University of British Columbia | Midfielder | Vancouver, B.C.
3. Atlético Ottawa: Luca Piccioli | Carleton University | Midfielder | Ottawa, Ont.
4. York United FC: Christian Zeppieri | York University | Central Midfielder | Maple, Ont.
5. Halifax Wanderers FC: Daniel Clarke | Cape Breton University | Goalkeeper | Toronto, Ont.
6. Pacific FC: Michael Maslanka | University of Toronto | Forward | Mississauga, Ont.
7. Cavalry FC: Caden Rogozinski | Mount Royal University | Defender | Calgary, Alta.
8. Forge FC: Mouhamed Ndiaye | Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières | Midfielder | Trois-Rivières, Que.

Round 2

1. Valour FC: Frank Facchineri | University of Windsor | Defender | Windsor, Ont.
2. Cavalry FC: Rodane Cato | University of Alberta | Midfielder | Edmonton, Alta.
3. Atlético Ottawa: Samuel Laplante | Université du Québec à Trois Rivières | Defender | Saint-Julie, Que.
4. York United FC: Jason Hartill | Cape Breton University | Midfielder | Carleton Place, Ont.
5. Halifax Wanderers FC: Max Bodurtha | St. Francis Xavier University | Defender | Halifax, N.S.
6. Pacific FC: Ibrahem Saadi | Western University | Defender | London, Ont.
7. Vancouver FC: Thomas Powell | Trinity Western University | Midfielder | Coquitlam, B.C.
8. Forge FC: Amadou Koné | Carleton University | Midfielder | Ottawa, Ont.

The CPL-U SPORTS Draft plays a key role in the men’s player development pathway in Canada, serving as a critical link between the Canadian university and professional games since its inaugural iteration in 2018. The draft provides a unique opportunity for student athletes to earn professional experience while maintaining their eligibility to return to U SPORTS competition. 

Previous CPL-U SPORTS Draft picks include former Cavalry FC defender Joel Waterman, who was named to Canada Soccer’s Men’s National Team for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, as well as former Cavalry midfielder Victor Loturi, who is now representing Ross Country in the Scottish Premiership; Eryk Kobza, a member of the CPL’s reigning regular season-winning squad Cavalry; and Aboubacar Sissoko, a member of the reigning CPL champion Forge FC squad.