Change is a constant during the Canadian Premier League off-season.
As clubs look to retool or, in the case of newcomers FC Supra, build from the ground up, many of them have a lot of new faces ahead of the 2026 season.
One position, in particular, will look remarkably different across the league: between the sticks.
At least six of the league's eight clubs will have a new starting goalkeeper this season. The league's 2025 Golden Glove winner, Jassem Koleilat, departed Forge. The award's other two nominees, Marco Carducci (now Halifax Wanderers) and CPL champion Nathan Ingham (now Cavalry FC), have new homes within the CPL.
Halifax's Rayane Yesli, meanwhile, moved to Olympique Akbou in Algeria and Pacific added Eleias Himaras, who will compete for the starting job with Sean Melvin.
FC Supra du Québec, evidently, will feature a new goalkeeper — Joakim Milli — in its inaugural season as well.
What is certain is that four of eight teams enter this season with goalkeepers who have played a combined eight CPL matches (seven of those owing to Inter Toronto's Ivan Pavela alone). Last season, only Inter Toronto entered the campaign without a keeper with at least 14 games of CPL experience.
It comes following a year where CPL clubs combined for a league-record 336 goals scored, or exactly three per match. The fallout of that is that the vast majority of clubs are looking to improve significantly on their defensive records from 2025, and that now starts with the last line.
This year, lines across the league will look a lot different in general as the CPL trials the 'daylight' offside rule. How exactly that rule changes the approach of goalkeeping remains to be seen, but traditional functions of the position, like strong communication and organizing a backline. There is also, of course, the potential for more clear-cut chances for attackers who are able to create greater separation from defenders.
For goalkeepers who are new to their respective clubs, or the league in general, that creates some unique challenges as they adapt to not only new teammates, but also tendencies under the new parameters set out by 'daylight' offside.
The CPL can already be a tough league for goalkeepers to initially adapt to, since the league's inaugural season, when everyone was new, only three of 18 Golden Glove nominees have been in their debut year in the league. Only one winner, Jonathan Sirois in 2001, did so in his first CPL season.
It all comes following a year where CPL clubs combined for a league-record 336 goals scored, or exactly three per match. The vast majority of clubs are looking to improve significantly on their defensive records from 2025, and that now starts with the last line.
Fans in Ottawa and Hamilton have gotten an early glimpse of what their new goalkeepers might look like in Concacaf Champions Cup action. Forge's Dimirty Bertaud, in particular, made an incredible first impression with seven saves in a clean sheet against Tigres.
But goalkeeping will be a significant story to watch this season across the CPL, as old faces show up in new places, and new stars emerge in a crucial position.