CF Montreal Buys Pacific Shotstopper Emil Gazdov

Pacific’s long-term investment in the development of Canadian goalkeeper Emil Gazdov has paid off with a club-record deal, beating out the side’s previous record move of Alejandro Diaz to Sogndal Fotball.

MLS side CF Montreal has purchased the 21-year-old Pacific goalkeeper on a two-year deal with club options for 2027 and 2028. The transfer is reported to be a club record, though the fee was not disclosed by either party.

Flashback: Gazdov: Pacific Is The ‘Perfect Place’ For The Young Number One Goalkeeper To Grow

The North Vancouver native moves to MLS fresh from a CPL season that saw him grasp hold of the Golden Glove award. Having been the de facto Tridents starting goalkeeper over the last two seasons, he represented the club some forty-nine times, collecting fifteen clean sheets through 4,160 minutes of action.

“We are happy to sign this young player to complete our trio of Canadian goalkeepers,” says CF Montreal President and CEO Gabriel Gervais. “Emil is a mature player who has progressed well since his debut. He is an imposing goalkeeper with a lot of potential. We are looking forward to having him in Montreal.”

The Quebec-based club is amassing a growing number players who cut their teeth in Canada’s top flight, with Jonathan Sirois and Joel Waterman proving to be successful long-term prospects and Victor Loturi arriving this year.

Gazdov had been a long term project for Pacific, who signed him as a sixteen-year-old in 2020 before sending him on a two-year long developmental loan with FC Nurnberg.

“Identifying and developing young Canadian players is part of our club identity,” says PFC head coach James Merriman. “I’m proud of Emil I believe he completely deserved this opportunity and is more than ready to take on the next challenge. He has consistently grown as a professional, he’s matured in his work and has all the tools to become a top goalkeeper for our country.”

It wouldn’t be until the summer of 2022 when Gazdov made his professional debut against Valour after riding the bench behind Callum Irving, breaking through with a starting role in 2023 onwards and earning a Best Canadian U-21 Player nomination last year in addition to his aforementioned Golden Glove win.

In particularly, his growth in commanding the box was firmly on display as he made large gains between 2023 and 2024 – something that CF Montreal has evidently noticed.

“I would like to thank everyone involved with Pacific, including my teammates, coaches, the staff and our fans, for the support over the past five years,” says Gazdov himself, who first arrived to Pacific in large part to Mark Village.

The young goalkeeper isn’t the first Pacific player to earn an MLS move, with defender Lukas MacNaughton signing with Toronto FC following the club’s playoff championship win in 2021.

“I joined the club as a 16-year-old kid with no experience in the professional game. I leave with a solid foundation and extensive professional experience for my age, which I would not have gained without Pacific and the CPL. I’m excited for this next chapter in my career, but I will never forget the role this club played in getting me here.” 

The 2025 Pacific FC roster still has Van Isle native Sean Melvin on the books, though he has yet to firmly grasp a starting role in Canada’s top flight – and who will be his new competition for such a spot remains to be seen, though rumours have surfaced that Whitecaps prospect Max Anchor could be loaned in from the mainland.

Header Image Photo Credit: Jojo Yanjiao Qian