HALIFAX — HFX Wanderers coach Stephen Hart is looking for “something special” as he continues to work on assembling the soccer team that will be one of the founding members of the brand new Canadian Premier League.

Having already watched players at the League’s Open Trials in Halifax, Montreal and Hamilton, Hart is hoping to find some exciting prospects to fill key positions in his squad as the tryouts move to Toronto next week.

“The fullback positions are complex. I’m also looking for a variety of players who can play wide positions in an attacking sense,” Hart said.

HART EYEING TARGETS

The former Canadian men’s national team boss is relishing the challenge of building a team from the start.

“Getting the right balance is the tricky part,” Hart said, on having his first squad of players ready in time for the league’s inaugural season, scheduled to kick off in April.

While the majority of players in the league will be Canadian, the Wanderers head coach has already identified a couple of foreign players as targets to sign. He’s also not ruling out the possibility of young Canadian players winning contracts through the tryouts.

“A couple of players caught my eye,” Hart added.

Knowing the credentials of the other coaches across the league, Hart is confident fans across the country are going to be impressed by the level of play.

“A lot of people will be surprised at the standard,” he suggested, adding he believes the league is a huge step for the development of the game across the country.

Lead Coach for the Open Trials, Alex Bunbury, is convinced the competition in the CPL will ultimately improve the men’s national team.

“I think it will take us to another level,” Bunbury said. “It’s a Canadian league for Canadian players, and created by Canadians.”

While it’s too early for Bunbury to predict how many players could earn jobs through the tryouts, he believes fans from coast to coast have lots to be encouraged about.

“They can expect to see talented Canadian players because we have them,” he said.

‘The experience is going to be unbelievable’

FEELING THE BUZZ

Founder and President of the Wanderers, Derek Martin, is feeling a buzz around Halifax and the Maritime region.

“Haligonians and Nova Scotians want to be a part of the national conversation and it does feel like we’re growing into that kind of city,” he said.

Fans can also look forward to some memorable Gameday entertainment, Martin said, with the club’s 6,000 seat stadium in a prime downtown location.

“The location of the Wanderers grounds makes it ideal for people to meet up with friends at restaurants and bars downtown before or after the game,” Martin explained. “The experience is going to be unbelievable.”

…BY FEBRUARY

In attempting to create a special atmosphere inside the stadium, Coach Hart is planning to deliver a fast-paced brand of football that will inspire fans.

“I like the ball on the ground and I like to move quickly and I like it to be progressive,” he said.

The Open Trials continue to move across the country through the fall, with the final stop in Vancouver Island in early November.

That’s when the Wanderers coach will have a better sense of the players he wants to pick to wear the team’s colours.

Hart added he expects to have his final squad in place by February.