Domestic Footy: the First NSL Signings
The NSL is just about 130 days away from kickoff! Nearly two years after the initial launch of Project 8, with only two confirmed teams in Calgary and Vancouver, the league now has six teams, a name, and, over the past month, 15 inaugural players. That number will grow to around 150 (estimating a roster size of 25) by the spring. It’s all starting to feel very real now.
Calgary and AFC Toronto have made the most moves, announcing seven and five players, respectively. Montreal has announced two, while the Tides signed the biggest name so far. Ottawa and Vancouver have yet to unveil their first player. Let’s take a look at these players and what the first signings tell us about the state of the Canadian player pool and the caliber of players the league is attracting in its first year.
Competing on the Global Marketplace
The global women’s soccer market keeps growing. The progress over the past decade has been stunning. For example, UEFA recently pledged a $1 billion investment over six years to help grow all levels of the women’s game across Europe, aiming to nearly double the number of professionals from 3,000 to 5,000.
While the NSL may feel a decade late to the party, its ambitious goals have positioned it to compete in the global market. Diana Matheson’s experiences in women’s football, especially during the early years of the pro game, has shaped the league’s focus on salary standards and player welfare.
So far, players have joined the NSL from leagues such as the NWSL, Premier League, A-League, Eredivisie, Icelandic First Division, WE League (Japan), League of Ireland, and the NCAA. According to Ottawa coach Katrine Pedersen, the NSL’s minimum salary of $50,000 CAD already surpasses many European leagues, where female players often need secondary jobs to supplement their income. For comparison, the A-League’s minimum salary is under $23,000 CAD, while the median global salary hovers around $20,000 CAD. Additionally, the NSL offers guarantees in mental health and fertility support, making it competitive with all but the top 5% of clubs.
Keep an eye on more movement from the NCAA as graduating athletes wrap up their college careers this Fall. They’ll have more freedom to choose than ever before between the NSL, NWSL, Liga MX, and the USL Super League in North America alone. Elite players like Jade Rose, who recently posted her goodbye to Harvard, have many suitors in Europe who are willing to upwards of $100,000 for players of her quality.
Local Legends Answer the Call
The league’s first signing, Jade Kovacevic, was a perfect choice, in my opinion. Her career illustrates why the NSL needs to exist in the first place. While some may have wanted a flashier signing with more name recognition, insiders can appreciate why she was a fitting choice. Not many players continue playing at a high level past their mid-20s in Canada, as life tends to take priority over football at that stage. Kovacevic found herself at the same crossroads a couple of years ago when she first met AFC Toronto Sporting Director Billy Wilson. At the time, they discussed a coaching role with North Toronto, but the NSL announcement gave her the impetus to strap the boots back on and give it one last go. Having excelled at all levels in the domestic game, including youth, collegiate, and semi-pro soccer, the 30-year-old battled back from back-to-back injuries in 2022 and 2023 to score 16 goals in 16 games for the Nitros in 2024, further cementing her place as the best goal scorer in League 1 history (over 170 total).
Due to how the international transfer windows align, it was always likely that locally-based players would get the first shot at roster spots, as the first signings were expected to roll out this fall. Canadian pros abroad are still tied up in their 2024/2025 contracts.
Kovacevic was the first local legend to sign, but she certainly wasn’t the only one. Goalkeeper Gabrielle Lambert, announced by the Montreal Roses the same day, was a U Sports standout for UQTR before moving to Europe to pursue a professional career. She even played another semester for the Patriotes this Fall, earning a 2nd Team RSEQ All-Star nomination.
Speaking of U Sports, AFC Toronto midfielder Cloey Uddenberg was named Rookie of the Year in 2019 and went on to compete for top NCAA programs Southern Alabama and Purdue. Her work ethic and determination to follow an unconventional path to success impressed many. The 2023 League 1 Midfielder of the Year is already familiar with teammates Kovacevic and Pais, having played against them in League 1 over the past half-decade.
Leah Pais is another example of a player who worked hard to earn success despite being overlooked by the national team during her youth career. Her path from Albany to Pitt to Florida State and becoming a National Champion in 2023 has given her unshakeable confidence and ability to persevere which will allow her to succeed in the NSL.
The Wild’s first player and ambassador is a local legend who took her talents to the international stage. Farkhunda Muhtaj’s stellar U Sports career with the York Lions launched her national team career with Afghanistan, and she has since become a globally recognized activist for women and children.
The Wild’s third and fourth signings also made their mark on domestic soccer. Calgary-born duo Grace Stordy and Sarah Keilty-Dilling have been part of Calgary Foothills’ successful UWS squad for the last several years. Another Calgary native, Caileigh Boeckx, is the most recent hometown player to sign for the Wild.
Expect to see more of the same in the new year, as we did in the early days of the CPL. Many NSL rosters will comprise players who came up through League 1 or U Sports programs. They’ll have the chance to make history and show that they can compete with seasoned professionals.
Teams Opt for Experience and International Pedigree
The inaugural players skew older, with an average age of 28, meaning teams are opting for experience when building their core squads. Only two players lack professional experience, while six players boast nearly 290 international appearances between them for Canada, New Zealand, France, the Philippines, Afghanistan, and Saint Kitts and Nevis.
Erin McLeod is the only player with Canadian senior national team experience. She needs no introduction. Her Wikipedia page is as long as all the other players’ combined. Two decades wowing Canadian fans, from the 2002 U19 World Cup to the 2021 Olympic Gold Medal, her 15-year pro career with clubs in the States, Germany, Sweden, Iceland, and, finally, Canada. The incoming Halifax Tides goalkeeper rediscovered her love for playing while acting as a player-coach for Stjarnan over the last two years. She’ll likely be one of the only, if not the only, CanWNT legends in the NSL next season, considering Desi Scott and Christine Sinclair retired, Sophie Schmidt renewed her contract with Houston, though Allysha Chapman could stil join her.
Beyond McLeod, the most experienced on the international stage is Calgary Wild’s center-back Meikayla Moore. The 28-year-old from Christchurch, New Zealand, has represented her nation 65 times at the senior level and has been called up for three Olympics (2016, 2021, 2024) and two World Cups (2015, 2019). Her professional career has taken her from Germany to England, then Scotland, and now Calgary. She’ll bring her wealth of experience to the Wild’s defensive line.
Perhaps the coolest story belongs to Jaclyn Sawicki. Choosing to stay close to home to play for the UVic Vikes rather than going to the States, the Coquitlam, BC native excelled at the U Sports level, earning a chance to play for the Canadian FISU team, the Canadian U20 National Team, and the Vancouver Whitecaps residency program. After her collegiate career, she spent a season in Japan and two in the Swedish second division before returning to Canada in 2019. She was playing recreationally in local BC leagues when she received a phone call that changed her career trajectory. The coach of the Philippines National Team invited her to trial with the team for the 2021 Southeast Asian Games. She got herself in shape to chase the opportunity of a lifetime, signing with A-League club Western United in 2022. She made the team and became a key component of its historic run to the 2023 World Cup in Australia. Thirty caps later, and nearly a decade after graduating from the University of Victoria, Jaclyn is returning home to play in the NSL.
Expect another wave of transfers starting in January as the transfer windows open and clubs make moves. For example, Allysha Chapman’s contract is up with Houston, Rylee Foster’s short-term deal with Everton ends, and Emma Regan’s departure from Koge is imminent—she’s teased joining “an exciting new project” in North America. Veteran pros like Shannon Woeller, Lisa Pechersky, and Tanya Boychuk in Sweden and other Northern European nations are entering their off-season, while tier 1 players like Victoria Pickett, Amanda West, and Kayza Massey may start looking for opportunities to become star players at home.