MONTREAL – CF Montréal announced Thursday that Canadian central defender Joel Waterman signed a new two-season contract for 2023 and 2024, with an option year in 2025.
“We are very happy to reward Joel with this new contract,” said CF Montréal Vice-President and Chief Sporting Officer Olivier Renard. “Since his arrival with us, he has done nothing but progress. We hope this new deal will help him reach further milestones in his development.”
“I’m really excited to be signing a new deal with the Club who believed in me from the beginning. I have enjoyed the last three years here and will continue to do so,” mentioned Joel Waterman. “As for my role, it’s the same as what I set out coming into the league and that is to improve every day, both personally and with the team. Thank you to the Club, the city and most importantly the fans for embracing me. I’m excited for the future.”
Waterman, 27, has logged a total of 5,255 minutes since joining in 2020. Carving out a spot in 2022 as a locked-in starter and defensive pillar, the centre-back set several personal records last season, including minutes played (2,673), starts (30), games played (30), completed passes (1,934), interceptions (36), as well as offensively with three goals and four assists.
Waterman earned starts in both matches of CF Montréal’s 2022 MLS Cup playoff run, logging a total of 161 minutes against Orlando City SC and New York City FC. He ended the playoffs with an 87% pass completion percentage and led the team with five interceptions.
In his second year with the Club in 2021, Waterman helped Montreal lift its fifth Canadian Championship, playing all 90 minutes in a 1-0 win over Toronto FC.
He also appeared in three of the Club's four games in the 2020 Concacaf Champions League against Deportivo Saprissa and CD Olimpia. In the 2022 edition of the tournament, he featured in both legs of the Round of 16 tie against Santos Laguna and played the first leg of the quarterfinals against Cruz Azul.
Internationally, the Langley, B.C. native collected his first two caps with the Canadian men’s national team last November, playing a total of 109 minutes in a pair of exhibition games against Bahrain and Japan in preparation for Canada’s World Cup participation. He was also selected in John Herdman's final squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Transaction: Defender Joel Waterman has signed a new two-season contract for 2023 and 2024, with an option year in 2025.
Joel Waterman will be available to answer questions from the media this Thursday during the media availability scheduled after training at Olympic Stadium.
