Hamilton Forge FC players dominate CPL top player award nominations

Three of the five players nominated for the Canadian Premier League's Player of the Year award suit up for Hamilton's Forge FC.

Previous winners Kyle Bekker and Tristan Borges are among the finalists in 2024.

Bekker, who won in 2020 and was also a finalist in 2019 and '23, and Borges, the 2019 winner, are joined by Forge FC teammate Alessandro Hojabrpour and Cavalry FC's Tobias Warschewski and York United FC's Brian Wright as this year's finalists.

The winner, to be decided in a vote by the eight CPL clubs' technical leadership and select media, will be announced Thursday in Calgary as part of the festivities surrounding Saturday's championship game between Forge and Cavalry FC.

Cavalry defender Daan Klomp won the award last year. Other previous winners were Atletico Ottawa's Ollie Bassett (2022) and Halifax's Joao Morelli (2021).

At 34, Bekker excelled in his sixth season with Forge. The veteran midfielder tied for second in the league in assists with six and ranked sixth in total chances created with 36 in helping the Hamilton side finish atop the regular-season standings.

The 26-year-old Borges led all CPL players with 0.74 goal contributions per 90 minutes in 2024 and, like Bekker, recorded six assists. He also created the third-most chances among players in the league with 41.

Forge FC said in a press release on Monday that "Hojabrpour, 24, has been a top, if sometimes unsung, talent in an accomplished Forge team since his arrival at the club in January 2022. But it was in 2024 that he cemented himself as one of the most dominant players in the CPL." 

With a semifinal win over Ottawa on Saturday, Forge FC advanced to a sixth straight CPL final, where they'll play second-seeded Cavalry FC next Saturday, which will be live streamed at CBCSports.ca. 

The 2024 CPL Awards will be streamed live on CBC Gem and CBCSorts.ca on Nov. 7 at 8 p.m. ET  and will be hosted by CBC Sports' Andi Petrillo.

Cavalry advanced to the title game last Sunday with a 1-0 win over Forge in the qualifying semifinal. The final will be played at ATCO Field in Calgary.

Both Forge and Cavalry have qualified for the 2025 CONCACAF Champions Cup. 

• CBC Sports to broadcast 2024 Canadian Premier League championship final

Hamilton's Forge is looking for a fifth title — and third straight — in its sixth post-season appearance. Forge won the title in 2019, '20, '22 and '23 and was runner-up in 2021.