2025 CPL–U Sports Draft

2025 CPL–U Sports Draft
General information
Sport	Soccer
Date(s)	December 5, 2024
Time	5:00 PM ET
Network(s)	CBC Gem and cbcsports.ca OneSoccer YouTube
Overview
16 total selections in 2 rounds
League	Canadian Premier League
Teams	8
First selection	Jevontae Layne, Valour FC

The 2025 CPL–U Sports Draft was the seventh annual CPL–U Sports Draft. Canadian Premier League (CPL) teams selected 16 eligible U Sports soccer players to be invited to their respective preseason camps with the opportunity to earn development contracts for the 2025 Canadian Premier League season.

Format

Players could be selected if they had one to four years of U Sports eligibility remaining, were in good academic standing, were planning to return to school the following year, and completed the CPL's draft declaration form. Players who were selected can sign a full professional contract or a U Sports development contract, which allows them to return to university for the following season, without losing their eligibility.^[1]

Players interested in being selected were required to declare for the draft by November 21 at 5:00 pm ET.^[2] On November 29, the CPL released the full list of 184 players available for selection in the draft.^[3]

Each CPL team made two selections in the draft with selections made in the reverse order of the previous season's standings, including playoffs and final standings.^[4]

Broadcasting

On November 28, the CPL confirmed the draft order and announced that the draft would be broadcast on CBC Gem, cbcsports.ca, OneSoccer, and YouTube on December 5, 2024 at 5:00 pm ET.^[5]

Player selection

^*	Denotes player who has signed a professional contract for the 2025 season
^^	Denotes player who has signed a developmental contract for the 2025 season

The following players were selected:^[6][7][8]

Round 1

Pick #	CPL team	Player	Position	Nationality	University	Last team/academy
1	Valour FC	Jevontae Layne^^	FW	Canada	Toronto Metropolitan University	Simcoe County Rovers (L1O)
2	Vancouver FC	Henri Godbout^^	FW	USA	University of British Columbia	Altitude FC (L1BC)
3	HFX Wanderers FC	Matthew Paiva	DF	Canada	McMaster University	Scrosoppi FC (L1O)
4	Pacific FC	Niklas Hallam	FW	Canada	University of Toronto
5	York United FC	Luca Accettola^^	MF	Canada	York University	Toronto FC II (MLSNP)
6	Atlético Ottawa	Jason Hartill^^	MF	Canada	Cape Breton University	York United (CPL)
7	Forge FC	Paul Ekwueme	MF	Canada	McMaster University	Alliance United (L1O)
8	Cavalry FC	Harvey Hughes	FW	England	Cape Breton University

Round 2

Pick #	CPL team	Player	Position	Nationality	University	Last team/academy
9	Valour FC	Ibrahim Chami	DF	Lebanon	McGill University	AS Blainville (L1Q)
10	Vancouver FC	Mehdi Essoussi^^	MF	Canada	University of Toronto	Alliance United (L1O)
11	HFX Wanderers FC	Joven Mann^^	MF	Canada	University of British Columbia	Burnaby FC (L1BC)
12	Pacific FC	Fin Tugwell^^	DF	Canada	University of Victoria
13	York United FC	Matthew Fischer	FW	Canada	York University
14	Atlético Ottawa	Adam N’Goran	DF	Canada	Carleton University	Ottawa South United (L1Q)
15	Forge FC	Maxime Filion^^	FW	Canada	Université de Montréal	Ottawa South United (L1Q)
16	Cavalry FC	Owen Antoniuk^^	FW	Canada	University of Calgary	Calgary Foothills FC (L1A)

Selection statistics

Draftees by nationality

Rank	Country	Selections
1	Canada	13
2	England	1
2	Lebanon	1
2	United States	1

References

1. "U Sports Draft FAQ". Canadian Premier League. Archived from the original on November 16, 2024. Retrieved November 16, 2024.
2. "CPL Draft Declaration". Canadian Premier League. Archived from the original on November 17, 2024. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
3. "2025 CPL–U Sports Draft: Full Prospect List". Canadian Premier League. November 29, 2024. Archived from the original on November 29, 2024. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
4. "Canadian Premier League Announces 2025 CPL-U Sports Draft Presented By Degree" (Press release). U Sports. October 18, 2024. Retrieved October 25, 2024.
5. "2025 CPL-U Sports Draft Order Confirmed, To Air Free On OneSoccer YouTube and CBC Sports Digital Platforms" (Press release). Toronto, ON: Canadian Premier League. November 28, 2024. Archived from the original on November 28, 2024. Retrieved November 28, 2024.
6. "CPL, U SPORTS unveil 2025 Draft class". Canadian Premier League. December 5, 2024.
7. Jacques, John (December 6, 2024). "2025 CPL-U Sports Draft Roundup". Northern Tribune. Archived from the original on December 6, 2024. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
8. Hewitt, Thomas (December 6, 2024). "CPL-U Sports Draft: Valour takes Jevontae Layne first overall as exciting, young crop emerges". Canadian Soccer Daily. Archived from the original on December 6, 2024. Retrieved December 6, 2024.