Canadian Premier League Celebrates End-Of-Year Award Winners, Reveals North Star Cup

Hamilton, ON – The Canadian Premier League today announced the winners of the league’s end-of-year awards, honouring the top performers from the 2023 regular season, at an in-person ceremony in Hamilton, Ont. ahead of Saturday’s CPL Final at Tim Hortons Field.

Cavalry FC’s Daan Klomp led the pack with two wins on the night, named the CPL’s Player of the Year and Defender of the Year for 2023. He was one of three members of Cavalry FC’s regular season-winning team to have their name called on Thursday, with Ali Musse winning Players’ Player of the Year and head coach and general manager Tommy Wheeldon Jr. earning Coach of the Year honours.

Joining Klomp, Musse and Wheeldon Jr. in the winners’ circle was Valour FC’s Matteo de Brienne, named Best Canadian Under-21 Player, and Forge FC’s Triston Henry, who was honoured with the Golden Glove award for best CPL goalkeeper. Atlético Ottawa’s Ollie Bassett and Cavalry’s Myer Bevan were also celebrated at the event, after finishing the regular season as co-winners of the Golden Boot award, honouring the regular season’s top goalscorer or goalscorers, with 11 goals each.

As part of the ceremony, the CPL also revealed the league’s new North Star Cup, the replacement for the North Star Shield, which was previously awarded to the CPL’s champions from 2019 to 2022. The design of the Cup exemplifies the League’s commitment to bringing soccer to communities across Canada and serving as a guiding light for the sport in the country, as embodied by the North Star motif.

The design of the North Star Cup, made of sterling silver with gold leaf accents, sits on a foundation featuring a 13-sided base, representing Canada’s 10 provinces and three territories and making a direct connection to its sister trophy, the Canadian Premier League Shield, which was revealed last month ahead of Cavalry’s regular season win. The handles of the trophy feature a pointed polygonal diamond shape, a subtle nod to the iconic Canadian maple leaf. The Cup measures approximately 24 inches in height, weighs approximately 22 pounds and can hold a minimum of four pints.

It was crafted by ÉPICO Studios, led by Principal, Creative Director and Producer Richard Levy. Levy is an industry leader in innovative trophy creation who has contributed his expertise to some of the world’s most viewed soccer tournaments and projects, including designing the Copa América Centenario, Concacaf…