The 2024 CNPL Draft delivered surprises, steals, and strategic moves as teams rebuilt their rosters for the upcoming season.
First Overall: Lions Select Ernesto Fajardo
While it wasn't a huge surprise, considering his showing at the East qualifier, the Montreal Lions began the process of rebuilding their entire team with area native Ernesto Fajardo.
He was followed closely by the only other pick in the first round, veteran Jessica Kawamoto, who returned to the Northern Rollers, who also had to draft a whole team from the top down.
Fajardo, who is an accomplished player, competed in 20 games at the East qualifier, winning 13, including a respectable 6-3 mark in mixed doubles.
Biggest Surprise: Chris Alain Falls to Last Pick
Perhaps the biggest surprise of the draft was the last pick by champion Toronto United: "Mr. Irrelevant" Chris Alain. We say his nickname tongue-in-cheek of course, as we were probably as surprised as anyone else that he was still available with the eighth and last pick of the 6th round.
He was a warrior with the Smash, being Player of the Match once and logging a 13-11 game record in 12 total matches.
Top Draft Picks by Team
Montreal Lions — Complete Rebuild
- Ernesto Fajardo (1st Round, 1st overall)
- Luis-Charles Amyot (2nd Round, 3rd overall) — No. 1 player at the East Qualifier with an 18-2 record
- Anne-Sophie Courteau (3rd Round, 6th overall) — Just began playing pickleball in January
- Jade-Cassandra Laporte (4th Round, 11th overall) — Former tennis pro and area native
- Antoaneta Toskova (5th Round, 18th overall) — Bulgarian-born, Laval, QC native and former tennis player
- Mathieu Morneau (6th Round, 26th overall) — Former badminton player with 12-7 qualifier record
Northern Rollers — Kawamoto Returns
- Jessica Kawamoto (1st Round, 2nd overall) — Dynamic player returning to her 2023 team
- Ryan Torresin (2nd Round, 4th overall) — Former Division 1 golf and tennis standout, 14-4 qualifier record
- Casey Rodgers (3rd Round, 7th overall) — Former Vancouver Rush player, five Player of the Match awards
- Matt Stodola (4th Round, 12th overall) — Veteran from Prairie Pronghorns
- Tara Di Giuseppe (5th Round, 19th overall) — Toronto native with high DUPR rating
- Corey Osborne (6th Round, 27th overall) — Team manager and veteran leader
Southwestern Ontario Brewers
- Amanda Rosati (2nd Round, 5th overall) — Rochester, NY native new to Canadian scene
- Victoria DiMuzio (3rd Round, 8th overall) — Burlington, ON native
- Mikael Gaumond (4th Round, 14th overall) — Third-ranked from East qualifier
- Kyle Hermetz (5th Round, 21st overall) — Mississauga native, potential steal
- Reese George (6th Round, 29th overall) — Previously undrafted playoff performer
Prairie Pronghorns
- Emma Li (3rd Round, 9th overall) — 19-year-old former Northern Roller
- Jeff Elwood (4th Round, 15th overall) — 44-year-old veteran with three Player of the Match awards
- Michael McCaffrey (5th Round, 22nd overall) — West qualifier standout (11-9 record)
- Kaytlynn Soroka (6th Round, 30th overall) — Soon-to-be wife of veteran Brad Chapman
West Coast Wolverines
- Sabrina Lam (3rd Round, 10th overall) — Victoria, BC native
- Natalie Araya (4th Round, 17th overall) — Former D1 tennis star and national champion
- Sarah Dufour (5th Round, 24th overall) — Quebec standout
- Jonas Dahler (6th Round, 32nd overall) — Swiss veteran adding experience
Vancouver Rush
- Joe Willemsen (4th Round, 13th overall) — Joins returning star Brett Forsythe
- Sophia Racine (4th Round, 16th overall) — Former hockey player from Montreal
- Eugene Mak (5th Round, 23rd overall) — Potential sleeper pick with 14-2 qualifier record
- Ava Weeks (6th Round, 28th overall) — Top-ranked junior female player in Alberta
East Toronto Smash
- Nathan Choi (5th Round, 20th overall) — Talented player with competitive drive
- Daiho Ozawa (6th Round, 31st overall) — Former tennis standout, brother of CNPL veteran Atsuko
Toronto United — Defending Champions Add Depth
- Joanna Phang (5th Round, 25th overall) — Former tennis player from Waterloo with strong qualifier showing
- Chris Alain (6th Round, 33rd overall) — "Mr. Irrelevant" was an absolute steal for United
Looking Ahead
With rosters now set, teams head into the 2024 season with fresh lineups and high expectations. The combination of seasoned veterans and promising newcomers should make for an exciting campaign across all eight franchises.