The Canadian Premier League (CPL) announced on Wednesday the three nominees for the 2026 Defender of the Year award, presented by WeatherTech, recognizing the league’s top defensive performers and their contributions throughout the 2026 CPL Regular Season.
The winner will be determined through voting by technical leadership from all eight CPL clubs and select media members representing local and national outlets who consistently covered the 2026 CPL Regular Season. The winner will be announced at the 2026 CPL Awards ceremony on Thursday, Nov. 19.
Voting for the CPL’s Defender of the Year award is based on performances during the 2026 Regular Season, excluding the TELUS Canadian Championship, Concacaf Champions Cup and 2026 CPL Playoffs.
Klomp, 28, played a pivotal role in Cavalry’s CPL Shield-winning campaign, showcasing his defensive presence and ability to contribute in attack. Klomp ranked among the league’s top defensive performers with 97 clearances, 48 aerial duels won and 19 blocks. The Cavalry defender committed no errors leading to a shot across 2,414 minutes played, underscoring his reliability throughout the regular season. He led all CPL players, regardless of position, with 243 progressive carries and scored six goals. This is Klomp’s third career nomination for the Defender of the Year award. He previously won the award in 2023 and 2024.
The winner of the Defender of the Year award will receive a unique piece of Inuit soapstone art, conceived and carved by artist Ruben Komangapik. The Walrus statue was chosen to honour the CPL’s best defender because the animal is one of the ocean’s toughest creatures, feared even by polar bears and killer whales, like a tenacious defender who is a true guardian of the gates for his squad.