Mason Trafford will be wearing Ottawa Fury FC colours for at least the next two seasons.

The club announced it had extended the Canadian defender's contract through the 2017 season, meaning the club has now locked up three quarters of its back line, with Colin Falvey and Ryan Richter signed through 2016. Only centre back Rafael Alves has a deal expiring this year.

Trafford, who has played a key role in Fury's climb to first overall in the North American Soccer League, plans to stay in Ottawa for the summer, which will include getting married to fiance, Claudia Sarti.

Couple that with the success Trafford and Fury have been having this year and the decision was an easy one, even with the impending departure of head coach Marc Dos Santos, who will move on to Major League Soccer next year.

"It's hard not to have a good feeling (about Ottawa) with the season we've had," Trafford said Thursday. "I feel really good about Ottawa as a city and this club and the direction it's going in."

The British Columbia native said he trusts management to make the right decisions to keep the club trending in the right direction after Dos Santos leaves and with several key pieces, including captain Richie Ryan, already locked up, Trafford believes the chemistry will carry over.

"Our chemistry is in the culture of the club," he said. "I can't imagine playing for any other NASL team, that's for sure."

Trafford has played ever minute for Fury since a scoreless draw against Tampa Bay on May, after a tough start to the year that saw him spending most of his time on the bench after leading the club in minutes the year before. He made no secret of the fact he wasn't happy with his position but never let it impact his training, eventually getting a shot at left back that he hasn't given up since.

"I know there's only one way out of those situations and, trust me, it's not by being negative, it's not by crying, it's not by being a bad teammate, that's definitely not the way to go," Trafford said. "You put your head down, you work and you put the coach up against the wall and give him no other choice."

Dos Santos said Trafford's attitude and preparations gave him no choice but to use him, a decision that has paid huge dividends for the club.

"Mason always kept a fantastic mentality," said the coach. "He always told me, 'Marc, when I (get) my chance I'm not going to leave the field."

Twitter: @chrishofley