VANCOUVER, BC –
Vancouver Whitecaps FC complete their off-season training camp tomorrow, Wednesday, November 9, at Burnaby Lake West - Field #1 - with an intrasquad match at 10 a.m. PT. Following the match, the players will break for the remainder of the year and will return to Vancouver in mid-January for preseason training camp ahead of the 2012 campaign.
MLS DRAFT INFORMATION
Following the conclusion of the 2011 MLS Cup Final in Los Angeles, California, on Sunday, November 20, the MLS trade window will open prior to the MLS Expansion Draft on Wednesday, November 23. The draft will require Whitecaps FC to protect 11 players from their roster, with Generation adidas and homegrown players also automatically protected. Whitecaps FC will submit a list of protected players on Monday, November 21. All other players not protected will be available for selection by 2012 expansion side Montreal Impact. Once a player has been claimed from a team’s non-protected roster, that team is eliminated from the expansion draft and may not lose any further players. The expansion draft will be 10 rounds.
Before the conclusion of the calendar year, Whitecaps FC will also participate in the MLS Re-Entry Draft. The two-stage draft occurs on December 5 and 12 via conference call, with Vancouver holding the first overall pick in both stages. Teams will select players from an eligible list that functions as a traditional waiver draft for clubs to bring in new talent from fellow MLS clubs.
Entering 2012, Whitecaps FC technical staff will participate in the five-day MLS Combine in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in preparation for the 2012 MLS SuperDraft, which occurs on January 12 in Kansas City, Missouri. Vancouver have the second overall selection behind Montreal Impact in the two-round draft that features mostly NCAA collegiate players, but also younger up-and-coming prospects.
Only five days later, the ‘Caps will take part in the 2012 MLS Supplemental Draft, which occurs on January 17. This draft functions as a continuation from the MLS SuperDraft, and will take place via conference call, with Whitecaps FC also selecting in the second overall position of the four-round draft.
