The 2025 TELUS Canadian Championship is here, and with it comes a new opportunity for League1 Canada teams to make a statement as they face CPL, and potentially Major League Soccer, sides in the all-Canadian battle to lift the Voyageurs Cup.
Preliminary round action of this year’s competition runs from Tuesday, April 29 to Wednesday, May 7, and will see four matches contested between CPL and League1 Canada sides. A double-header on Tuesday pits League1 Ontario champions Scrosoppi FC against Atlético Ottawa, before League1 Alberta champions Edmonton Scottish take on Cavalry FC. The action continues the next week, when York United FC host Ligue1 Québec title holder FC Laval on Tuesday, May 6, and wraps up when Valour FC host League1 BC champions TSS Rovers on Wednesday, May 7.
Scoring a victory over a CPL side is well within the realm of possibilities for these League1 contenders, who will look to follow in the footsteps of the likes of TSS Rovers and CS St-Laurent. Each League1 club has claimed a victory over a CPL competitor in previous iterations of the TELUS Canadian Championship.
It will take more than just luck for a League1 side to pull off an upset over a CPL counterpart in the next week. All four teams will need to be firing on all cylinders to win, and will rely on their star players to lead their groups to victory.
Get to know eight League1 Canada players who could play significant roles for their clubs in the Preliminary Round of the 2025 TELUS Canadian Championship.
Chance Carter
Centre-back, Edmonton Scottish
Edmonton Scottish is a side that prides itself on defending as a group and Carter plays a key role in ensuring the squad operates as a unit on the field. The 23-year-old centre-back brings a calmness to the heart of Edmonton’s backline thanks to the significant experience he has gained in professional and semi-professional environments to date, as a product of the Vancouver Whitecaps academy and a former player with FC Edmonton. As the Scottish face off against one of the CPL’s winningest clubs, who boast a decorated strike force including the likes of reigning CPL Golden Boot winner Tobias Warschewski, Carter’s presence of mind may be critical to the League1 Alberta side’s success.
Michael Hennessy
Forward, TSS Rovers
Hennessy, 19, has a natural composure in front of net that poses a threat to any side, including Valour. It’s Hennessy’s inherent calmness when he’s in on goal that has helped him convert at every level he’s played at so far, including in League1 BC with the Rovers, at the Whitecaps academy and for Simon Fraser University. Hennessy possesses the capabilities to finish his chances with both feet, excels in his moment in front of goal and makes thoughtful choices when the ball is at his feet. If Valour want to avoid another Canadian Championship upset at the hand of TSS Rovers, Hennessy will be one for the likes of defenders Rocco Romeo and Gianfranco Facchineri to watch.
Tristan Marshall
Centreback, Scrosoppi FC
Marshall, 21, brings significant local and international experience to the Scrosoppi setup, as a League1 Ontario standout, a former member of the Toronto Metropolitan University Bold and a member of the Saint Vincent and the Grenadines national team who made his senior debut for his country at the age of 15. Marshall is a staunch defender with the aptitude to take on just about anyone in one one-on-one situations, thanks in part to his natural athleticism and pace.
Philip Masri
Forward, Edmonton Scottish
Edmonton Scottish is a team that likes to maintain possession and works to create several different attacking patterns moving forward. At the centre of many of those attacking patterns is striker Masri, 22, who not only scores goals for the club but excels as the team’s first line of defence. Masri combines explosive bursts of pace with a natural ability to hold up the ball. As a member of League1 Alberta’s BTB Academy in 2024, Masri scored four goals in eight games. He continued to produce for MacEwan University last fall, bagging six goals and becoming the first Griffins soccer player to earn U Sports honours after he was named to the U SPORTS All-Rookie Team.
Matthew Paiva
Defender, Scrosoppi FC
Paiva, 21, has recent history with the CPL, after he was drafted by the Halifax Wanderers with the third overall pick in the 2025 CPL-U SPORTS draft last year. His selection came after a strong year at both the League1 and U SPORTS levels. He won the League1 Ontario title with Scrosoppi FC and started 11 of 13 matches for the McMaster University Marauders, scoring two game-winning goals. Paiva is a player with high technical proficiency and an excellent passing range who can carry the ball out of the back with ease.
Quentin Paumier
Midfielder, FC Laval
Paumier, 27, offers a composed presence in the middle of the field for the reigning Ligue1 Québec champions. A native of Marseilles, France, Paumier spent time developing in the Olympique de Marseille system and went on to earn numerous team and individual accolades over his five seasons with the University of Montréal Carabins, where he was also named captain of the squad. He earned Ligue1 Québec’s Ballon d’argent award in 2024 as the second-best player in the league. As York United prepare to face FC Laval, they’ll need to prepare for Paumier, who will be responsible for dictating much of the play for his side.
Kian Proctor
Forward, TSS Rovers
Proctor is a jack of all trades who can represent the Rovers in all areas of the pitch, including up front, in the midfield or in the backline. Standing 6-foot-3, he is an important target in front of the net for the League1 BC side. Proctor couples his imposing physical stature with athleticism and sharp technical ability.
Obeng Tabi
Defender, FC Laval
Tabi, 24, brings unique experience to Laval’s match against the Nine Stripes. A former member of CS St-Laurent in Ligue1 Québec, Tabi started in defence for the side that beat Halifax Wanderers in the preliminary round of the 2024 TELUS Canadian Championship. He also has previous experience competing at a CPL level, having represented the Wanderers in 2022. Capable of playing as a fullback, wingback or centre-back on the left, Tabi has a knack for driving forward with speed and athleticism as well as for placing a long ball to great effect.