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Canada Soccer has confirmed the 18 officials from the Men’s and Women’s Elite Development Program appointed for the inaugural edition of the Player-Development Program Championship.
Referee officials will be assigned across 50 competitive matches in the PDP U-17 Cup and PDP U-15 Cup from the 14 to 18 August at the Bill Gilhespy Soccer Complex in Edmonton, Alberta.
The inaugural Player-Development Program Championship will feature 18 Canada Soccer referees, consisting of eight men and 10 women from the Elite Development Referee Program. The Men’s and Women’s Elite Development Program is designed to train and support referees aspiring to officiate at the professional level. Alongside these 18 officials, an additional 20 referees will be appointed by Alberta Soccer and its Referee Development Committee.
“An invaluable aspect of a referee’s development is not only the work on the field, but also off-the-field interaction with colleagues and the leadership group,” said Isaac Raymond, Canada Soccer Referee Department Manager. “The PDP will provide a platform for referees to form long-lasting bonds with like-minded peers from across Canada, allowing them to share experiences, compare notes and measure themselves against referees on a similar pathway.”
Canada Soccer’s PDP Championship offers multiple opportunities for enhanced referee development that will occur in and around the competition. Canada Soccer will provide an environment to support on-field performance, education, training habits, fitness preparation and social interactions.
Canada Soccer has also appointed eight assessors, as well as Supervisor of Officials Dave O’Neill. Throughout 50 matches, some of Canada Soccer’s top assessors will evaluate each match and offer advice and support to the match officials.
Daily educational sessions led by Canada Soccer instructors will be held to expose the match officials to the latest training and education. These sessions will focus on best practices and points of emphasis in the modern game to ensure that match officials are aligned with Canada Soccer expectations.
Elite Development Program Referee / Arbitre
| Mazzen Black | Edmonton, AB |
| Thomas Noël | Sherbrooke, QC |
| Melvin Christopher | Toronto, ON |
| Nivin Raizada | Toronto, ON |
| Salma Flores-Desrochers | Montréal, QC |
| Allie Martin | Halifax, NS |
| Nava Rajabi | Toronto, ON |
| Angie Baldino | Toronto, ON |
| Brenna Zeltins | Winnipeg, MB |
| Shaelyn Holdaway | Calgary, AB |
Elite Development Program Assistant Referee / Arbitre Assistant
| Megan Opatril | Edmonton, AB |
| Audrey Zielinksi | Montréal, QC |
| Victoria Lafortune | Montréal, QC |
| O-Lin Metz | Vancouver, BC |
| Kurtis Nozack | Edmonton, AB |
| Reda Fazazi | Quebec City, QC |
| Anton Hadzhiyski | Montréal, QC |
| Chris Harrop | Vancouver, BC |
Elite Development Program Supervisor of Officials
| Stu Murray | Assessor | Edmonton, AB |
| Sheena Dickson | Assessor | Edmonton, AB |
| Laurie Hastings | Assessor | Calgary, AB |
| Rob Urquhart | Assessor | Calgary, AB |
| Jose Branco | Assessor | Vancouver, BC |
| Sébastien Dubé | Assessor | Montréal, QC |
| Alexis Vaughan | Assessor | Toronto, ON |
| Laurence Rodier | W Fitness Coach | Montréal, QC |
| Cam Blair | Assistant Referee Coach | Calgary, AB |
| Isaac Raymond | Manager of Referees | Toronto, ON |
The Player-Development Program Championship brings together high-level amateur youth soccer clubs with up to 28 different clubs participating in the first edition (six teams in each division of the PDP U-17 Cup; eight teams in each division of the PDP U-15 Cup). For the inaugural year of the competitions, teams will qualify through established PDP competitions in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and Québec.
The new Canada Soccer Player-Development Program Championship strengthens that connection between standards-based programs and showcases their quality of play. Inaugurated in 2024, the competition features clubs from the BC Soccer Premier League, the Alberta Player Development League, the Ontario Player-Development League, and the Québec Youth Soccer Premier League (Première Ligue de Soccer Juvénile du Québec).
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