Meet Team Canada: The Maple Leaf Is Coming to Set Dallas on Fire!
Meet Team Canada: The Maple Leaf Is Coming to Set Dallas on Fire!
A captain who was once his country’s No. 1, an NCAA finalist, the first pick in Canadian league history, and a hometown hero playing in his own backyard. Canada arrives at the MLP Nations Cup presented by DoorDash hungry for glory, and they’re not asking for permission!
Think Canada only dominates on ice? Think again!
This team was forged through endless winters, late-night indoor courts, thousands of miles on the road and sacrifices no one ever saw. These are players who left home, crossed the border and bet everything on a paddle.
Now that story has its reward: the red and white jersey, the maple leaf on their chest and an entire country pushing behind them.
And the draw? It put them face to face with the giant. Team USA. On its home turf. Even better!
The Roster
Captain: Steve Deakin
Victoria DiMuzio
Layne Sleeth
Angie Walker
Blaine Hovenier
Armaan Jiwa Mawji
Ryan Torresin
Steve Deakin: The Captain Who Never Gave Up
This story deserves a standing ovation.
Deakin picked up his first racquet at age 5, taught by his dad, and didn’t stop until he’d won 11 Canadian national tennis titles. He held an ATP ranking and captained his country on the Senior World Team.
In 2017, an injury forced him out of tennis. End of story, right? Not even close! Deakin traded his racquet for a paddle, turned pro in 2019 and started conquering all over again:
Five-time Canadian National Champion!
Recognized as Canada’s No. 1 ranked player
No. 1 in men’s and mixed doubles on the Humana PPA Senior Pro Tour
Mentor to a new generation through clinics and camps across Canada
Now he takes on the biggest mission of his career: moving the pieces from the bench, choosing the pairings and deciding who carries the weight of the DreamBreaker. If anyone knows how to get back up and win, it’s him.
Victoria Dimuzio: The Toronto Rocket!
Want to see a meteoric rise? Here it is.
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In 2024, Victoria was named the top Canadian woman in the Canadian National Pickleball League (CNPL) with the Southwestern Ontario Brewers. In the blink of an eye she signed with the PPA Tour, went full-time, broke into the DUPR world top 25 and was selected No. 11 overall in the MLP draft by the Atlanta Bouncers.
From provincial courts in Ontario to the world’s elite in record time! And she’s only getting started.
Layne Sleeth: Nerves Of Steel!
Some players shrink in finals. Not Layne. Layne plays them.
The Markham, Ontario native reached the 2023 NCAA singles championship final with Oklahoma and lifted ITF titles in Cancún and Guadalajara. In pickleball, she had to go through surgery… and came back stronger!
When Sunday’s single elimination arrives and the pressure hits, Canada will want Layne on the court.
Angie Walker: Number One In History!
Some records get broken. Others can never be taken away. Angie was the first overall pick in the first-ever Canadian National Pickleball League draft. The very first! Forever.
The North Vancouver native grew up with a racquet in hand alongside her sister Alex, also a pro. Together they played college tennis, coached, and in 2020 fell in love with pickleball. They packed their bags, moved to Arizona and went all in. “It paid off,” Angie said. And how!
Blaine Hovenier: The Hometown Hero!
Heads up, Dallas! One of your own is on the court.
Blaine lives in Dallas, and Brookhaven will be his territory. He’s 26, played tennis at UCLA and SMU, and won conference titles with both: the Pac-12 in 2019 and the American Conference in 2023.
He made a splash in MLP in 2024 with the Los Angeles Mad Drops, picking up wins alongside Hunter Johnson and Catherine Parenteau. Then came mixed doubles bronze at the PPA Finals with Cailyn Campbell. Power, speed and a whole crowd chanting his name. Pure danger!
Armaan Jiwa Mawji: He’s On Fire!
Nobody arrives in Dallas hotter than him.
In August, DUPR named him the month’s Top Pro Singles Riser. Why? Because he won the singles title at the PPA Seattle Challenger and took bronze at the PPA Vancouver 250 in front of his home fans.
DUPR says he’s “knocking on the door of the Top 50.” We say in Dallas he’s kicking it down.
Ryan Torresin: Win The First Game And It’s Over!
This stat is scary: when the Oakville, Ontario native wins the first game, his record is 26 wins and just 3 losses.
He turned pro in 2025 and has already earned a reputation for never letting go. Once Torresin smells blood, it’s over. In a tournament where every point is a battle, that killer instinct could be Canada’s secret weapon.
Group A: The Gauntlet!
There’s no tougher group than this one. Canada will have to leave everything on the court against:
Team USA, the host and big favorite
Team Europe – West, with the talent and experience of the old continent
Team Asia Domestic, one of the fastest-growing regions in world pickleball
Canada vs. USA? It’s the North American classic! Neighbors on the map, rivals in everything. Beating the giant on its own turf would be a feat talked about for generations, and these six Canadians believe they can do it.
The Details
Dates: October 30 – November 1
Venue: Brookhaven Country Club, Farmers Branch (Dallas), Texas
Format: group play Friday and Saturday; single elimination Sunday
The MLP Nations Cup presented by DoorDash kicks off the Opendoor Pickleball World Championships, running through November 8
A captain who rose from injury to become king again. Six warriors who traded racquets for paddles. And an entire country already cheering.
Canada is coming to Dallas to prove that pickleball definitely tastes better with maple syrup.
Let’s Go, Canada!
Meet Team Canada: The Maple Leaf Is Coming to Set Dallas on Fire!
A captain who was once his country’s No. 1, an NCAA finalist, the first pick in Canadian league history, and a hometown hero playing in his own backyard. Canada arrives at the MLP Nations Cup presented by DoorDash hungry for glory, and they’re not asking for permission!
Think Canada only dominates on ice? Think again!
This team was forged through endless winters, late-night indoor courts, thousands of miles on the road and sacrifices no one ever saw. These are players who left home, crossed the border and bet everything on a paddle.
Now that story has its reward: the red and white jersey, the maple leaf on their chest and an entire country pushing behind them.
And the draw? It put them face to face with the giant. Team USA. On its home turf. Even better!
The Roster
Captain: Steve Deakin
Victoria DiMuzio
Layne Sleeth
Angie Walker
Blaine Hovenier
Armaan Jiwa Mawji
Ryan Torresin
Steve Deakin: The Captain Who Never Gave Up
This story deserves a standing ovation.
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Deakin picked up his first racquet at age 5, taught by his dad, and didn’t stop until he’d won 11 Canadian national tennis titles. He held an ATP ranking and captained his country on the Senior World Team.
In 2017, an injury forced him out of tennis. End of story, right? Not even close! Deakin traded his racquet for a paddle, turned pro in 2019 and started conquering all over again:
Five-time Canadian National Champion!
Recognized as Canada’s No. 1 ranked player
No. 1 in men’s and mixed doubles on the Humana PPA Senior Pro Tour
Mentor to a new generation through clinics and camps across Canada
Now he takes on the biggest mission of his career: moving the pieces from the bench, choosing the pairings and deciding who carries the weight of the DreamBreaker. If anyone knows how to get back up and win, it’s him.
Victoria Dimuzio: The Toronto Rocket!
Want to see a meteoric rise? Here it is.
LOVE PICKLEBALL?
Get Dink Authority Magazine updates, new editions, pro stories and event alerts.
We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe anytime.
In 2024, Victoria was named the top Canadian woman in the Canadian National Pickleball League (CNPL) with the Southwestern Ontario Brewers. In the blink of an eye she signed with the PPA Tour, went full-time, broke into the DUPR world top 25 and was selected No. 11 overall in the MLP draft by the Atlanta Bouncers.
From provincial courts in Ontario to the world’s elite in record time! And she’s only getting started.
Layne Sleeth: Nerves Of Steel!
Some players shrink in finals. Not Layne. Layne plays them.
The Markham, Ontario native reached the 2023 NCAA singles championship final with Oklahoma and lifted ITF titles in Cancún and Guadalajara. In pickleball, she had to go through surgery… and came back stronger!
When Sunday’s single elimination arrives and the pressure hits, Canada will want Layne on the court.
Angie Walker: Number One In History!
Some records get broken. Others can never be taken away. Angie was the first overall pick in the first-ever Canadian National Pickleball League draft. The very first! Forever.
The North Vancouver native grew up with a racquet in hand alongside her sister Alex, also a pro. Together they played college tennis, coached, and in 2020 fell in love with pickleball. They packed their bags, moved to Arizona and went all in. “It paid off,” Angie said. And how!
Blaine Hovenier: The Hometown Hero!
Heads up, Dallas! One of your own is on the court.
Blaine lives in Dallas, and Brookhaven will be his territory. He’s 26, played tennis at UCLA and SMU, and won conference titles with both: the Pac-12 in 2019 and the American Conference in 2023.
He made a splash in MLP in 2024 with the Los Angeles Mad Drops, picking up wins alongside Hunter Johnson and Catherine Parenteau. Then came mixed doubles bronze at the PPA Finals with Cailyn Campbell. Power, speed and a whole crowd chanting his name. Pure danger!
Armaan Jiwa Mawji: He’s On Fire!
Nobody arrives in Dallas hotter than him.
In August, DUPR named him the month’s Top Pro Singles Riser. Why? Because he won the singles title at the PPA Seattle Challenger and took bronze at the PPA Vancouver 250 in front of his home fans.
DUPR says he’s “knocking on the door of the Top 50.” We say in Dallas he’s kicking it down.
Ryan Torresin: Win The First Game And It’s Over!
This stat is scary: when the Oakville, Ontario native wins the first game, his record is 26 wins and just 3 losses.
He turned pro in 2025 and has already earned a reputation for never letting go. Once Torresin smells blood, it’s over. In a tournament where every point is a battle, that killer instinct could be Canada’s secret weapon.
Group A: The Gauntlet!
There’s no tougher group than this one. Canada will have to leave everything on the court against:
Team USA, the host and big favorite
Team Europe – West, with the talent and experience of the old continent
Team Asia Domestic, one of the fastest-growing regions in world pickleball
Canada vs. USA? It’s the North American classic! Neighbors on the map, rivals in everything. Beating the giant on its own turf would be a feat talked about for generations, and these six Canadians believe they can do it.
The Details
Dates: October 30 – November 1
Venue: Brookhaven Country Club, Farmers Branch (Dallas), Texas
Format: group play Friday and Saturday; single elimination Sunday
The MLP Nations Cup presented by DoorDash kicks off the Opendoor Pickleball World Championships, running through November 8
A captain who rose from injury to become king again. Six warriors who traded racquets for paddles. And an entire country already cheering.
Canada is coming to Dallas to prove that pickleball definitely tastes better with maple syrup.
