Canadian pickleball reached another milestone this summer when the first official Team Canada roster competed at Major League Pickleball’s (MLP) Mid-Season Tournament in Grand Rapids, Michigan, July 8–12.
And Ontario had plenty to be proud of.
Of only six athletes selected to represent Canada, two were Ontarians: Kyle Hermetz and Ryan Torresin, a strong indication of the calibre of players developing in our province.
They joined Rosie Johanson of British Columbia, Kim Layton of Alberta, Mackonner Dy of British Columbia and Jordann Vigna of Quebec on the inaugural national roster. The six players were selected following the Steve Deakin Pickleball MLP Combine in Calgary, where 32 invited Canadian athletes competed for spots on the team.
In Grand Rapids, Team Canada entered an exceptionally strong 24-team field featuring all 20 established Major League Pickleball teams, along with international and invitational teams. While Team Canada did not advance far in the tournament, the significance of the appearance went well beyond the results. It gave our athletes the opportunity to compete on one of the biggest stages in professional pickleball, experience the MLP format at the highest level and measure themselves against established professional teams.
This was Team Canada’s first MLP appearance. Hopefully, it was only the beginning.
Congratulations to the entire team. We look forward to seeing Canada back on the MLP stage next year.