Fans in the nation's capital can be forgiven for getting a little antsy in the past week or so, as they watched the seven other Canadian Premier League clubs building up their 2020 squads while Atlético Ottawa's remained blank. Now, though, the floodgates are open: Ben Fisk is Ottawa's first-ever player, and the supporting cast will soon follow. Before the deluge of announcements, though, it's worth taking a second to consider the significance of the name that the league's newest team has chosen to reveal first. RELATED READING: Ben Fisk as Atlético Ottawa’s 1st signing: ‘This is where my career needs to go’ Fisk is a known quantity in the CPL, after starring for Pacific FC in 2019. The 27-year-old winger from Vancouver made 26 appearances for the Tridents, including every single match of the Spring season. He wore the captain's armband a few times, and it wouldn't be a surprise if he does so in Ottawa as well. Six goals and four assists to his name in the CPL, Fisk was a big name in Year 1. He entered the league with experience all over Europe — most recently at Derry City in Ireland — as well as two years at FC Edmonton in the NASL and a pair of Canadian national team caps. From day one, he was a voice of leadership in the exceedingly young Pacific dressing room, able to set his example on the pitch more often than the injury-plagued Marcus Haber and Marcel de Jong. So, when he found himself out of contract at Pacific at the end of 2019, Fisk was immediately one of the league's most sought-after free agents. RELATED READING: CPL pre-season roster tracker: How each team is shaping up That Atlético Ottawa's first signing is a recognizable CPL star is a vote of confidence for the mould other clubs have followed. The international names will surely come, but — just like every other team in the league — Ottawa's first is a talented Canadian player. The optics of such a move are important. The first Atlético Ottawa could've been anyone, but it's a CPLer through-and-through. Last week, when he revealed he'd be leaving Pacific but remaining in the league, he hinted at his passion for the Canadian soccer project. "I wanted to continue helping to build [the league]," Fisk told CanPL.ca. "I really feel like I have a lot more to give, and I have another level to get to." With all the scouting resources and the prestige of the venerable Club Atlético de Madrid behind them, Ottawa is sure to make a few splashes this month with international signings, but they sent a message to the rest of the league by inking Fisk first: just as he is, so too is Atlético Ottawa committed to the CPL movement. The Ottawa area has an extremely vibrant youth soccer scene, and the club would like to harness that, as other CPL outfits have done in their markets. They're also happy to follow the trail blazed by the seven sides that came before them. What Atlético has done with signing Fisk has demonstrated that they won't be the league's odd one out in how they build their squad. They saw a proven CPL player, and they went out and got him. Fisk isn't an Ottawa native, of course, but regardless; the CPL's newest club will be led by a bona fide CPLer, and that's a good thing.

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