TORONTO – Statistical standouts or observational instinct? Hands-on training sessions or highlight packages? Regardless of the method employed, the Canadian Premier League’s head coaches have some homework to do ahead of the CPL-U SPORTS Draft.

There’s no right or wrong way, of course: Whatever method each coach chooses to implement in researching university-level talent ahead of the upcoming draft on Nov. 12, one constant theme resonates – the opportunity being afforded to university-level soccer players across Canada is both unprecedented and a net-benefit to the sport in the country.

But Cavalry FC’s Tommy Wheeldon Jr. and HFX Wanderers FC boss Stephen Hart have two different takes on how that process will go with their respective clubs.

The two have worked side-by-side along with the rest of their peers during the #GotGame Open Trials, getting a first-hand look at undiscovered talent from coast-to-coast. But, as Wheeldon Jr. explained to CanPL.ca, the trials are a good way for those players to get spotted “based on their ability” – not necessarily with any tangible background information.

That’s not the case with these U SPORTS athletes.

“(Having those stats) is really important,” Wheeldon Jr. told CanPL.ca.

“What the CPL-U SPORTS Draft allows us to do is that we actually see them in-season. You’ve got live games and highlight packages you can put together, you have these players performing, and what’s good about that is that statistics are taken – who’s scoring goals, who’s playing a lot of minutes? You can look at them through season stats before making an opinion on who you’d be interested in.”

Wheeldon Jr. went on to state that he’s a fan of the U SPORTS system, having worked with many a university talent during his time with the Calgary Foothills in the PDL. He called the university system’s stats tools a “great platform to see who were the top performers,” adding that U SPORTS gives his team a “really good opportunity to grow Canadian players within the Canadian system.”

Hart, however, prefers to keep things old school, phoning up university coaches and getting an informed view of their abilities and character, while making sure to see players in action both in-game and on the training field. The U SPORTS National Championship in November is an opportunity for the Halifax coach to do exactly that.

“To be honest, I don’t really look so much about the statistics of a player,” Hart told CanPL.ca. “I like to really see the player on my own. The big thing for me is how well the player trains, and that’s always a difficult thing to assess.

“But, at times, you do look at certain things statistically,” Hart added. “If it’s a midfielder, the quality of their passes, their passing range, and of course, if it’s a defender, their range of motion and movement. You look at things like that, but for me, when I know I already like a player, I like to find out a lot about their training habits.”

Wheeldon Jr. agreed. Even if he does find himself buried in highlight tape, stats sheets and coaching reports, the Calgary boss is also drafting for personality first and foremost.

“Talent catches the eye but character defines how long you stay within a team,” Wheeldon Jr. said. “It’s the person behind the player that really makes a difference in the locker room, in the community and on the pitch.

“There’s only 11 players on your squad that you can start, so the ones that are in and out of the side, are they going to be a germ infecting your environment or are they going to be a vitamin that improves your group? That’s what I’ll be looking for.”