Canadian homegrown talent make their mark in Major League Soccer

Of the 121 Canadian players that have featured in the first
​25 seasons of Major League Soccer (MLS), more than half of them have featured
​in the league in the past four years. While the bulk of those players have
​featured with Canada’s three teams – Vancouver Whitecaps FC, Toronto FC and
​Montréal Impact – a growing number of MLS Domestics are making their mark with
​the US-based teams thanks to a Homegrown Player rule established in 2016 in
​cooperation between Canada Soccer and Major League Soccer.

The rule, which took effect at the start of the 2017 season,
​ensures that Canadian players who come through the Canadian player development system,
​either through an MLS academy (in Canada or USA) or a Canada Soccer approved
​youth club in the year prior to the year in which he turned 16, will be
​considered a domestic player upon signing his first professional contract with
​an MLS club.

“Canadian players continue to make their mark in Major League
​Soccer and we welcome the growing number of opportunities for our young players
​through the Homegrown Player rule for Canadians,” said Steven Reed, President,
​Canada Soccer. ​ “The connection between
​the increased playing opportunities for Canada’s top young talent can largely
​be attributed to the introduction of the 2017 rule and ultimately the expansion
​of our Canadian Men’s National Team Player pool which will lead us to success
​on the international stage as we prepare to co-host the FIFA World Cup 2026™.”

This past season, a record 10 Canadian players featured in
​at least one MLS match for seven different US-based MLS teams. Eight of those
​10 players featured in at least half the season and all 10 have a chance to
​feature in the upcoming MLS playoffs.

Sophomore Tajon Buchanan of the New England Revolution
​featured in all 23 regular-season matches in 2020 while last year’s leader
​Mark-Anthony Kaye of Los Angeles FC featured in 16 matches despite missing part
​of the season through injury.

Rookie fullback Alistair Johnston, who featured in 18
​matches for Nashville SC, earned the most minutes of all Canadians with
​US-based MLS teams (1,365 minutes). Minnesota United FC rookie goalkeeper Dayne
​St. Clair posted six shutouts, the most by a Canadian MLS goalkeeper since Pat
​Onstad in 2009.

Other Canadian players with US-based teams in 2020 were
​Kamal Miller of Orlando City SC and Jordan Hamilton of Columbus Crew, both MLS Domestics,
​as well as veterans Tesho Akindele of Orlando City SC, Jay Chapman of Inter Miami
​CF, Raheem Edwards of Minnesota United FC, and Dejan Jaković of Los Angeles FC.
​In 2020, Jaković became the eighth Canadian (and first centre back) to surpass
​10,000 MLS minutes (career, regular season).

In all, 39 Canadian players featured in at least one match
​during the 2020 MLS regular season, not counting another half dozen who dressed
​but did not feature. For the third year in a row, Canadian players featured in
​more than 400 matches and 24,000 minutes. Across the shortened 2020 season (23
​matches instead of 34), Canadian players were on pace to surpass records for
​combined matches and minutes set last year (431 matches and 24,898 minutes in
​2020 compared to 466 matches and 30,885 minutes in 2019).

The first round of the 2020 MLS Playoffs kick off 20
​November with the Play-In Round followed by the First Round from 21-24
​November. The Conference Semi-finals start 29 November followed by the
​Conference Finals on Sunday 6 December and the 2020 MLS Cup on Saturday 12
​December. Both Toronto FC and the Impact de Montréal qualified for the 2020 MLS
​Playoffs, with matches broadcast in Canada on TSN and TVA Sports.