TORONTO — A look at the seven Canadian Premier League clubs:
Pacific FC (Langford, B.C.)
Owners: Dean Shillington and former Canadian internationals Josh Simpson and Rob Friend.
Coach: Michael Silberbauer.
Stadium: Westhills Stadium, artificial turf. Capacity 6,000.
Player to watch: Vancouver striker Marcus Haber, a six-foot-three target man, spent the last nine years with Scotland's Falkirk, Dundee FC and St Johnstone and England's West Bromwich Albion, Exeter, Stevenage, Notts County and Crewe Alexandra.
FC Edmonton
Owners: Tom and Dave Fath.
Coach: Jeff Paulus.
Stadium: Clarke Field, artificial turf. Capacity 5,148.
Player to watch: Midfielder-forward Randy Edwini-Bonsu returns home after eight years in Europe, mostly in Germany. He has 10 caps for Canada.
Cavalry FC
Owner: Linda Southern-Heathcott, a former Olympian and current president and CEO of Spruce Meadows.
Coach: Tommy Wheeldon Jr.
Stadium: Meadows on the Green Stadium, grass. Capacity 6,000.
Player to watch: Defender-midfielder Nik Ledgerwood. The 34-year-old from Lethbridge, Alta., is the eminence grise of the team. And he has 50 Canada caps and a dozen years playing primarily in Germany to back it up.
Valour FC (Winnipeg)
Owner: Winnipeg Football Club, which runs the CFL Blue Bombers.
Coach: Rob Gale.
Stadium: Investors Group Field, artificial turf. Capacity just under 7,000 for soccer.
Player to watch: Centre back Skylar Thomas. A former Toronto FC first-round draft choice, the six-foot-three native of Pickering, Ont., is reunited with former Syracuse University teammate Jordan Murrell in Winnipeg. Thomas and Murrell are Valour FC co-captains.
Forge FC (Hamilton)
Owner: Bob Young, technology entrepreneur and Hamilton Tiger-Cats owner.
Coach: Bobby Smyrniotis.
Stadium: Tim Hortons Field, artificial grass. Capacity 10,016 for soccer, although full stadium capacity is 23,218 plus tickets in the end zones. The full stadium will be open for the CPL opener on Saturday
Player to watch: Midfielder Kyle Bekker, a former Toronto FC first-round draft choice, captains Forge FC. After stints with Toronto, FC Dallas and Montreal, the native of Oakville, Ont., won an NASL championship under current Vancouver Whitecaps coach Marc Dos Santos in San Francisco before joining the USL's North Carolina FC.
York 9 FC (Toronto)
Owners: Carlo Baldassarra, Mike Baldassarra, Preben Ganzhorn and former Canadian international Jim Brennan.
Coach: Jim Brennan.
Stadium: York Lions Stadium, grass. Capacity 8,000 (including 2,000 GA/standing).
Player to watch: Ryan Telfer. The versatile 25-year-old from Mississauga, Ont., has been loaned out by Toronto FC, which used him 18 times last season. Telfer has speed, power and can play anywhere from wingback to forward.
HFX Wanderers (Halifax)
Owner: Derek Martin, president of Sports & Entertainment Atlantic.
Coach: Stephen Hart, former Canada and Trinidad & Tobago national team coach.
Stadium: Wanderers Ground, grass, Capacity 6,200.
Player to watch: Elton John. The Trinidad & Tobago veteran has already brought the club worldwide attention for his name alone.
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Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press
