Welcome back to the wsoccer.ca newsletter!! Olivia Smith continues to dazzle, the NSL Season 2 schedule is here, the long-anticipated new contract between the CSA and rebranded CSB has been signed, and the latest CanWNT roster dropped! All that and the winter transfer season has been never-ending, so let’s take a deeper dive into some of the off-season movement to begin and end with National team news. And as always, feel free to support my work by buying me a coffee.

Gotta love transfer season, right? I first started tracking Canadian pros about 5 years ago, and since then, the game has grown exponentially. Initially, I was tracking about 85 pros, and that number has increased to around 220. This is not a math show, but that’s up 165%! Over 60 players were on the move this window. Beyond the impact of the NSL, which is home to ~90 Canadians, it’s been cool to see more and more players sign long-term contracts and garner significant transfer fees. This Winter was especially NWSL-heavy, with fewer players heading to familiar European destinations such as Scandinavian leagues or France. That said, here are the player moves that have me most excited, in no particular order.

Emma Regan was no doubt one of the CanWNTs breakout stars in 2025. She locked down the vacant CDM position, proving to be a good fit beside more offensive players like Fleming, Grosso, and Awujo in Stoney’s preferred double pivot midfield set-up. Her move to Denver from Toronto for a reported fee north of $640k CAD was the first big-money NSL to Top-5 League move but certainly won’t be the last, *cough cough* looking at you Kaylee Hunter. It also represents a needed step-up for the midfielder from North Van. While it was cool to see her thrive in the NSL during her national team ascent, she needs to prove herself in more competitive environments to truly cement her spot ahead of the 2027 World Cup and the 2028 Olympics. The move to Colorado is a massive opportunity and she’ll likely get her fair chance to start games in her preferred position. She’ll also play alongside Canadian teammate Janine Sonis (more on her later) and have the chance to link up with USWNT captain Lindsay Heaps starting later this summer once she arrives from Lyonnes. There’s a lot to like about this move and the risk vs reward calculations are heavily skewed in Regan’s favour, so let’s see what comes of it. 

Nobody saw this one coming — and that's exactly what makes it so fun. Antoine hit her stride in Sweden following a standout collegiate career with Vanderbilt. The former CanYNT captain from Vaughan, ON was starting every game and playing well with Norrkoping this season. Described as a modern CB, Antoine still had more than a year left on her contract, therefore Roma paid an undisclosed fee for her services. She’s being carefully integrated with Roma and is yet to make her first appearance, but she is certainly one to keep an eye on especially with Zadorsky turning 34 this year and facing an uncertain future for club (contract expires this summer). A number of young defenders are battling for a spot on the national team for the 2027 World Cup and beyond, and if Antoine develops into a starting CB for Roma, she’s sure to be in the mix.

Colorado native Janine Sonis returns home for Denver’s inaugural NWSL season. The headlines just write themselves, don’t they? Entering the last few years of her on-pitch career, Sonis will savour this opportunity to consistently play in front of friends and family for the first time in her career. Listed as a defender and deployed as a right back in recent friendlies vs Utah and San Diego, she will likely captain the team until fellow Coloradan Lindsay Heaps arrives in July. The positional change is one to keep an eye on, as we may see her a little further back with the national team as well. She first began playing the position with Manchester City under coach Nick Cushing, who (maybe not so) coincidentally is now leading the Summit in their first season. Sonis looks to be enjoying life on and off the pitch and preparing for retirement at the same time, as she recently started a coffee company called 90 Brew with her husband, Ethan. Fun fact!

I'll admit, this one caught me off guard. Moving from a relatively small club in Le Havre will do that, but this move throws her firmly into the CanWNT conversation as long as she gains meaningful minutes for the Spirit. A left-footed defender, she can be deployed centrally or as a fullback in either a back three or back four. She joins fellow Quebec City native Gabby Carle in Washington and will have the chance to develop under coach Adrian Gonzalez, who values possession and intentional build-up play in his defenders. 23yo Tse is still a raw talent but has a high ceiling and all the classic qualities you’d want in a CB - physicality, speed, tackles, interceptions, clearances, and hard to beat on the dribble. I’m curious to see how long it will take the former SMU and CanYNT standout to get accustomed to life in the NWSL, and whether she impresses enough for the club to trigger their option for 2027. Watch this space.

While a lot of players left the Damallsvenskan, for predictable reasons related to resourcing, one of the most promising Canadian NCAA grads quietly traded South Florida for Kristanstads, a city of 40,000 people about an hour north-east of Malmo. Keen readers may remember that KDFF is where Ev Viens and Gabby Carle had their breakout campaigns only a few years ago. Sider-Echenberg, a midfielder from Ottawa with CanW20 experience, hopes to follow in their footsteps this Spring, having signed a 2-year contract with the club. The USF and Ottawa U alumnus is a creative 8 or 10, and despite her size, has been a high-impact player everywhere she’s played. Including a brief stint with aforementioned Le Havre in the Premiere Ligue where she scored 2 goals in 7 appearances as a 19-year-old. I like this move because the talented 22-yo is challenging herself in a setting that will allow for regular minutes while keeping her options open for a move to a bigger European club. Another midfielder to keep an eye on.

Don’t count dual-national Carly Wickenheiser out. After six seasons in Sweden, she moves back home to the States for the first time since graduating from Texas Tech. The St Louis native signed a two-year deal with the North Carolina Courage, which should be enough to keep her in the CanWNT picture as long as she gets playing time. The defensive midfielder is the only other natural 6 in our current player pool, with Emma Regan ahead of her. She hasn’t been called back into the NT since last Spring, but she’s clearly looking to change that with this move. Related to Canadian legend Hayley Wickenheiser, her competitive spirit shows each time she steps on the pitch. Her play style most closely resembles that of Desi Scott, although she still has room for improvement in her passing game; her technical skills and tactical awareness have already come leaps and bounds. At 28, she’ll be one of the more experienced midfielders in North Carolina’s squad alongside Ashley Sanchez and Dani Weatherholt and is a direct replacement for Denise O’Sullivan, who departed this offseason. It’ll be interesting to see how new coach Mak Lind, who coached Wickenheiser with Hacken, sets up the midfield, which has traditionally been a cornerstone of NC’s game. 

Lastly, in a surprise move, Kailen Sheridan joined the NC Courage this offseason. Why San Diego would let her go, we’ll never understand. Nevertheless, Sheridan packed up her young family and moved back to the East Coast. It was a smart pickup by NC, who had lost Casey Murphy to expansion side Boston and needed a replacement. The Courage will look to the veteran CanWNT goalkeeper to keep more balls out of the net after conceding 39 times in 2025 and narrowly missing the playoffs. She’ll be a key piece as the NC backline is very much up in the air with plenty of new faces and a new coach who will need time to implement his preferred style of play. If Sheridan can rescue a few games, especially early in the season, with the shot-stopping ability we know she has, the team has the talent to outscore most opponents once they’re rolling. Sheridan’s place with the NT is safe, but a big year in the NWSL would solidify her spot as a starter and be a satisfying way to stick it to San Diego.

You hate to do St. Georges, Allen, and Prince a disservice, but I did not have them in my top 7. Don’t mistake their exclusion for not appreciating the moves. While it’s hard to know where to place the Legacy among aspiring expansion clubs before the ball is kicked, their project is intriguing. The move is great for different reasons for each player. 

Nichelle Prince has the most to lose because it feels like she is one mediocre season away from no longer playing on the national team. That being said, this move could also build her confidence back up. A 5+ goal season would match her best from back in 2022 with Houston. It’s not clear which role Prince will play, but she has the ability to play across the front line or even as a false 9. Her leadership and NWSL experience will be crucial for a new team that is awaiting its head coach, Filipa Patao, who arrives in July from Benfica.

21-year-old Amanda Allen will don the number 7 for Boston. The highly touted winger is poised to have a breakout campaign in her return to the NWSL after two years on loan. Last but not least, Bianca St Georges is listed as a defender, which means we’ll likely see her play in a more defensive role, truthfully, probably a better fit for her skillset. Both have a lot to prove this year — and there's no better way to earn a national team call-up than performing consistently in the NWSL.

There’s your sneaky top 10.

And here’s the full list of international transfers. 

* indicates a new contract

We finally got our first real national team news of the year, and Casey Stoney's most controversial roster reveal yet didn't disappoint. But the bigger story might have happened off the pitch — more on that below.

The impressions don’t lie. CanWNT fans were very active on socials last week when the first roster of the year was revealed. It’s only natural, given several controversial decisions by coach Stoney, that fans were buzzing. First and foremost, selecting only 24 players despite having 26 spots, and then still not selecting veterans Lawrence and Leon, sent a clear message. I understand why they were left at home, but it does feel a little arbitrary. Have others, like Huitema and Prince, done more for club or country to warrant selection? Are they training really well in camp or did they just have the fortune of being slightly younger? 

It’s hard to explain, but fans and media operate on limited information. Our head coach is satisfied with the players she has in front of her this camp and can only evaluate so many of them at a time. Still, I would have LOVED to see a couple of extra players called in, especially midfielders like Small, Briggs, or Chang, to replace Florianne Jourde, who did not make the cut. I know many of you are on the Nikki Small hype train with me; we ride at dawn.

We love the inclusion of Chukwu, Hunter, and Courtnall, as well as Ottawa Rapid duo DB Pridham and Melissa Dagenais. There’s no hiding from it - no goals scored since June, only 4 big chances created despite 43 shots across the last 5 games, it’s dire. We need fresh ideas and energy up top, and this window gives us that opportunity. Why not give a front line of Chukwu, Hunter, and DB Pridham a go? It can’t get much worse. I’m hopeful that our highly talented young players get decent spells, potentially even starts. We NEED to see DB Pridham, so hopefully she has her passport situation sorted and starts at least one game. I’m also very curious to see how Cloe Lacasse fares in her first match back since the Olympic quarter-final(!).

Unfortunately, Olivia Smith’s participation is unlikely at the time of writing as Stoney is still waiting for an update from Arsenal. Smith went down hard following a collision in the FA Cup match last weekend. Terrible timing for the young star who has been tearing it up with Arsenal much earlier than most had projected. She’s even developing her positional versatility - filling in for Russo at the #9 position for the Gunners in recent weeks.

Speaking of injuries, D’Angelo, Buchanan, Riviere, and Zadorsky were listed as unavailable due to injury. Both Riviere’s and D’Angelo’s statuses are unclear. In the best news ever, Kadeisha Buchanan made her return to the pitch after 459 days off. Shelina is steadily working away at her comeback, which seems to be a matter of weeks vs months, as she is already on the grass training with a ball. In their absence, 23yo Brooklyn Courtnall looks set to make her debut as one of only two other CBs in the squad. 

It'll be interesting to see how this window goes given that only 6 of our players are currently in-season. If you’re looking for a detailed form guide, check out Mitchell Tierney’s piece on OneSoccer.

Who the hell is Canadian Sports Media and Entertainment? The, perhaps unfairly, much-maligned (guilty!) organization formerly known as Canadian Soccer Business (CSB), that’s who. Despite having a worse acronym, this rebranded and realigned edition of the corporation that brought us the CPL launches into a new era with a freshly signed deal with Canada Soccer. This deal redistributes revenues more fairly, fixing the incentive systems between the organizations to serve all of Canadian football better. In short, it’s no longer one of the worst deals in sports. Hooray! If you want a more in-depth read of what the new contract means, I recommend Joshua Kloke’s article on the Athletic, and the entire document is also available to read. To recap the key points, the fixed rate payment by CMSA to CSA is gone and has been replaced by a revenue-sharing model backed by two guaranteed minimum payments of $19.5 Million. The contract runs through 2037 and mandates 3-year “look-in” windows, allowing both parties to reassess if needed.   

The worst part about the previous deal was that it used revenues from the women’s national team program to fund a men’s league, while CSB continuously delayed acting on their responsibility to create a women’s league. I mean, it was so bad that Sincy, Quinn, Sophie Schmidt, and Janine Sonis had to testify in front of a parliamentary committee just under three years ago. CSME CEO James Johnson and Kevin Blue both assured Footy Prime’s Amy Walsh that the women’s program and the NSL would benefit from the new arrangement. That being said, neither gave much detail on how “support” is defined or operationalized under this agreement. I believe both leaders when they say that they’re committed to the women’s game in Canada. From my understanding, it will be Canada Soccer’s job to equitably distribute funds, which is where I would have loved to see more detail. CSME’s responsibility is to adequately promote and platform the CanWNT and to build its network of women’s and U20 leagues operating across the country, understanding the importance of growing the pathway to the National team that ultimately drives their revenue. While there’s no clarity on what’ll happen with OneSoccer and NT distribution, Johnson did commit to equal coverage for the WNT heading into their World Cup year after the summer. He also mentioned OneSoccer’s recent acquisition of Canadian NWSL distribution rights as proof of CSME’s commitment.

All in all, it’s great to see leaders working toward shared goals not only in words but also in actions. Perhaps most importantly, this deal likely clears the final hurdle standing between the player associations and a new collective bargaining agreement with the federation. Onwards and upwards!!

Canada is officially taking part in the FIFA Series™ 2026! If you don’t know what this is, don’t worry, neither did I. According to the website, the goal is to “facilitate meaningful international friendly matches between national teams from different confederations that would not normally compete against one another, thereby supporting football development both on and off the pitch”. I’ll give them Zambia and maybe South Korea, but we’ve played against Brazil 7 times in the last 5 years. The Brazilians are hospitable people, but they have also started to get annoyed with how much of us they’ve seen recently. Nevertheless, the games are set. Tune in on April 11th vs Zambia, April 14th vs South Korea, April 18th vs Brazil.

That leaves only the June and October windows to be scheduled. Casey Stones does not anticipate hosting any home games in June as Canada hosts the men’s World Cup, meaning that we’ll likely only have two games on home soil this year.

Last but not least, our U17 squad played three games in Spain this month to prepare for the CONCACAF WC Qualifier tournament taking place in March. The result vs Andorra wasn’t published, but the Baby Reds initially tied Finland 1:1 and then defeated them 3:1 a few days later. 

It’s a new cycle for the U17s. Only four returning players from last year’s World Cup were selected. As a reminder the format was recently changed so that the tournament is held annually, thus players could be competing on the World Stage multiple times before graduating to the U20s. The roster drew criticism from those watching closely, as American-based players made up over 20% of the squad, which doesn’t feel like a good sign for our development system. We’ll see if that trend continues.

The CanW17s were drawn into Group A alongside El Salvador, Dominican Republic, and Nicaragua. It’s a winnable group and winning the group guarantees a spot in the World Cup in Morocco in the fall. Good luck Baby Reds!