Montreal Impact sign David Choiniere as Homegrown, waive Maxim Tissot

The Montreal Impact liked what they saw in one of their most talented prospects, and made him an unprecedented offer.

The Impact announced on Tuesday that midfielder David Choinière has signed an MLS Homegrown Player contract, becoming the first Impact player to make the jump from USL affiliate FC Montreal. The 19-year-old Choinière has appeared in 12 games for the third-division outfit this year.

"We are very happy to sign David to a homegrown contract," said Impact technical director Adam Braz in a statement released by the club. "He is a promising young player who has gone through every step in our system and has shown that he has the right characteristics and the mentality needed to get to the first team. We look forward to helping him continue to grow as a player and as a person, and we hope that he will make a positive contribution to the team moving forward."

Choinière, a native of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, made his first-team debut with the Impact on June 8 against Toronto FC in the Amway Canadian Championship semifinal. He joined Montreal's academy in 2011 at the Under-16 level after playing with Celtix du Haut-Richelieu.

"I'm really happy to sign my first MLS contract," said Choinière in the statement. "This has been a dream of mine since I was a kid. I joined the academy aged 14, and my coaches and teammates have helped me progress every day."

The Impact made another move on Tuesday, waiving Homegrown defender Maxim Tissot in order to make space for Choinière.

"We had to make this decision to free up a spot on our roster, allowing us to sign another player," Braz said. "We want to thank Maxim for his services to the first team in recent MLS seasons. We wish him all the best going forward." 

Tissot appeared in 44 games, including 22 starts, and played 2,161 minutes in four MLS seasons between 2013 and 2016. He recorded five goals and one assist in league play.