Cavalry FC announced on Wednesday the acquisition of former HFX Wanderers FC midfielder Elliot Simmons, bringing on the experienced 22-year-old in a move that doesn't just strengthen Tommy Wheeldon Jr.'s midfield – it also declares to the rest of the CPL's young talents that Calgary is mining for gold. While Pacific FC continues to build strong ties to the Vancouver Island and Vancouver area, York9 FC orchestrates homecoming after homecoming, and FC Edmonton further promotes its academy prospects, it is Cavalry who has most loudly proclaimed their intent to house the finest young talents across the CPL, regardless of their roots. Other clubs have certainly been more active than the Cavs this off-season, but all of Wheeldon Jr.'s new Canadian additions – Simmons, former Pacific FC winger Jose Hernandez, and former FC Edmonton utility man Bruno Zebie – share some common traits. They're relatively young at 22, 19, and 24; they featured more than a dozen or so times for their former teams in 2019, in a number of positions, as bench options and as starters; they showed talented flashes of brilliance and demonstrated a high ceiling for potential growth; but, they could not carve out consistent starting spaces such that their futures weren't assured, and they were released from their team at year's end. RELATED READING: Ex-Wanderers midfielder Elliot Simmons joins Cavalry for 2020 It's year two in the Canadian Premier League, and everyone is rebuilding in some fashion. Edmonton and Pacific, to an extent; HFX, doubly so. Each of these teams are looking to bring in players to reinforce certain positions – or re-invent them entirely – and may not be able to place as high a priority on players who, perhaps, don't fit their system or style of play, or just aren't the right fit for the season ahead. Yet, in the free and open player market, Cavalry finds not what others desperately need, but instead, what they could one day have – and, in doing so, they can acquire young, talented players with high ceilings who can be afforded another shot at developing their games to become future starters, too. That, more than anything, is a luxury only "big clubs" can afford to give. So, more than winning the Spring and Fall, or upsetting the Vancouver Whitecaps in the Canadian Championship, the additions of Hernandez, Zebie, and Simmons serve as Cavalry's "big club" statement. Adding this trio sends a powerful message to the rest of the CPL that Cavalry has enough talent in spots 1 through 15, as well as the kind of team culture and talent level for elite competition, that they can afford to unearth gold further down the line than most. Cavalry has enough in the tank to plan years in advance, where other clubs in the league are still focused on getting their present situation right. Wheeldon Jr.'s side remains unchallenged by all but Forge FC of Hamilton in this department – the luxury of having planning ahead. To that end, Wheeldon Jr. told CanPL.ca: "We saw huge potential and value in (Zebie, Simmons, and Hernandez), given they know the league and have the tools that fit our game model, so we brought them in. We think these players can make a difference over the next 2-3 seasons, not just the next 2-3 games. So, there is a development opportunity to that." Simmons certainly believes that, too, saying he felt like Cavalry was "the perfect CPL club" for him to continue his development. Perfect is a tough standard for anyone to reach, but well planned out? For sure.

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