Former BC, UConn stars help Forge FC in new Canadian Premier League

Kyle Bekker was a two-time All-ACC First Team honoree while at Boston College. (Forge FC)

Kyle Bekker heard about the possibilities behind the scenes as the Canadian Premier League took shape last year.

The formation of the seven-team league accelerated over the course of last year ahead of its debut in the spring. The idea intrigued former Boston College midfielder Bekker, 28, as he pondered his next step.

Bekker’s former academy coach at Sigma FC, Bobby Smyrniotis, kept him in the loop about his potential role in Hamilton. He planned to bring several former Sigma players into the fold with the new team there and he wanted Bekker — a former MLS midfielder with Toronto FC, FC Dallas and Montreal Impact and a USL and NASL standout over the past two seasons — to join the project.