Levis Lands CPL Return With Atletico Ottawa

Veteran Canadian full-back Brett Levis is heading back north of the border – no tariff.

The 31-year-old will ring familiar to fans of Canada’s top flight after having spent three seasons with Winnipeg’s Valour FC between 2020-2022. He racked up 45 appearances in that time, tallying three goals and three assists, one of which came in a game Ottleti fans won’t be keen to remember:

He then followed Moses Dyer to the USL Championship, joining FC Tulsa but finding minutes hard to come by. After carving out just nine appearances, he was traded to Detroit City FC (where CPL exports Morey Doner and Marcello Polisi just landed). He revved up more in the Motor City, racking up one goal and an assist in 17 games as the club secured a playoff spot.

Recently-promoted Atletico Ottawa General Manager JD Ulanowski revealed that Levis had been a top target for the club’s left-back needs following the retirement of Maxim Tissot.

“We wanted to bring in a player who not only has the technical quality to raise the level of the squad, but someone who would bring a strong voice and experience to the locker room,” says Ulanowski. “His versatility allows us to play in different ways and he’s a player that stands out when he’s on the ball.”

The left-back began his career with the Vancouver Whitecaps in 2013, where he was converted from a midfield role to a full-back with the Whitecaps 2, pushing a young Jordan Haynes out of the squad back then.

In a twist of fate, Haynes would go on to replace Levis in the Valour roster following his move stateside, though as of right now only Levis is rostered to a CPL side for the 2025 season.

“I couldn’t be more excited to be back in the CPL, especially with a team like Atletico Ottawa,” says Levis himself.

“The atmosphere was always amazing when I played at TD Place against Atletico, now I get to play for them in front of this growing, passionate Canadian soccer fanbase. I’m looking forward to competing for trophies in the country’s capital while continuing to grow soccer in Canada and help inspire the next generation of players.”

Brett’s contract with Atletico Ottawa will run for two seasons. As pointed out by Denton Froese, he won’t be the only Saskatchewan native with the side either, with ATO Director or Football Drew Beckie also hailing from the province.

There’s a decent amount of change in the nation’s capital when it comes to full-backs, with Kris Twardek moving to Valour in a move with undisclosed financial details.

Header Image Photo Credit: John Jacques