Calgary, AB (October 16, 2023) – Cavalry FC Head Coach and General Manager Tommy Wheeldon Jr. has been nominated for the Canadian Premier League (CPL) Coach of the Year Award.

Wheeldon Jr.’s nomination follows a successful 2023 CPL Regular Season, claiming the CPL Shield – awarded to the winner of the regular season. Cavalry FC won the CPL regular season with 55 points accumulated, the most in CPL history over a 28-game season, while implementing a 13-point gap between them and runners-up, Forge FC. Having scored 46 goals and conceding 27, the club earned 16 wins, tying with Forge FC’s 2021 record. Cavalry FC had the least number of defeats throughout the season with only five, tying with Atlético Ottawa’s 2022 record for the least number of defeats in a 28-game season. The club went on an undefeated run in their last nine games of the season, which saw Wheeldon Jr. claim the CPL Manager of the Month Award in both August and September.

Voting for all the CPL’s annual awards will this year be based on performances during the regular season, not including Canadian Championship, Concacaf or CPL Finals playoff action.

The winner of the Coach of the Year award will receive a unique piece of Inuit soapstone art, conceptualized by artist Palaya Qiatsuq. The Owl statue symbolizes wisdom, guidance, and knowledge, while its heightened vision gives it the ability to see what others cannot. The Coach of the Year requires similar attributes to earn the honour.

The 2023 CPL Awards ceremony will be broadcast live on the dedicated soccer channel OneSoccer, available as a linear channel on Optik TV (Ch. 980), the pay-TV service operated by Telus, one of Canada’s “big three” telecoms companies, as well as on streaming service fuboTV Canada. OneSoccer is also offered as an affordable streaming service through the OneSoccer.ca website, via Roku, Chromecast, and Apple TV devices and with the OneSoccer app for iOS and Android devices.

Cavalry FC will play their final 2023 home match on ATCO Field at Spruce Meadows on October 21 at 2:00p.m. MT. as they host Pacific FC in the Canadian Premier League Playoffs semi-final. The winner will advance to the CPL Final against Forge FC at Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton, ON on October 28.