We may not know what sort of shenanigans the off-season will hold in Vancouver, Edmonton, Toronto and Montreal.
But we now know that when the 2014 Voyageurs Cup rolls around, Nicki Paterson will almost surely be a part of it.
Paterson, a 28-year-old Scottish midfielder, was announced on Wednesday as the first player signing for Ottawa Fury FC, who will begin play in the NASL (and the Voyageurs Cup) next year. Marc Dos Santos -- the former Impact head coach who will lead the Fury into their first NASL campaign -- lured Paterson to Ottawa after Paterson had spent the last three seasons with the USL's Charleston Battery.
[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
"We're thrilled to have a player of his ability join us for our inaugural season," Dos Santos said in a news release. "We believe that he has the exact profile and attitude this club needs, and we're certain that he'll be a fan favourite and leader in our community."
With Ottawa's new stadium at Lansdowne Park passing an important milestone in late September*, and a head coach and first player now in place, the reality is beginning to sink in concerning the arrival of Canada's fifth professional side.
The 2014 Voyageurs Cup will see #4-seeded FC Edmonton take on #5-seeded Ottawa Fury in a play-in, to determine who'll meet the #1-seeded Montreal Impact in one semifinal. The other semifinal will feature the #2-seeded Vancouver Whitecaps and #3 seeded Toronto FC.
* The Ottawa Fury will play at Keith Harris Stadium at Carleton University during the 2014 NASL spring season, while the stadium at Lansdowne Park (which they'll share with the CFL's Ottawa Redblacks**) is being finished. Lansdowne will become the Fury's full-time home starting in the NASL fall season.
** No, I'm not going to capitalize that ridiculous word.
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