CEBL to Celebrate 500th Game in League History as Undefeated Alliance Face Toughest Test Yet

June 10, 2025
Myles Dichter

(Preview: Week 6)

Time flies when you’re having fun, eh?


It feels like not so long ago that the Canadian Elite Basketball League burst onto the scene in 2019 as a trailblazer in the country.


For the first time, there was a Canada Basketball- and FIBA-affiliated place for Canadians to play professional basketball — right at home.


On Wednesday, the CEBL will witness its 500th game (including playoffs) when the ball is tipped as the Winnipeg Sea Bears host the Montreal Alliance.


It’s a fitting matchup between two teams who did not exist in Year 1 but have come to represent the league’s rapid growth and will have hosted consecutive Championship Weekends, with Niagara emerging victorious in Montreal last year and Winnipeg set to welcome the CEBL world to the Canada Life Centre this year.


And there will even be a throughline to Game No. 1: Alex Campbell, who scored 19 points for the Saskatchewan Rattlers in that league-opening 99-97 loss to the River Lions, is set to suit up for the Sea Bears.


Campbell is the only player in league history to reach the 100-game barrier.


Now, he’ll be part of No. 500, too.


Undefeated Alliance look to keep rolling


On the topic of Montreal, the CEBL’s lone Quebec-based team is also its lone franchise without a loss on its ledger this season.


Yes, the Alliance have only played four games — the Vancouver Bandits opened their season 5-0 and now sit 7-1 — but even still, their dominance is hard to ignore.


In those games, Montreal has outscored its opponents by 85 points, with each win coming by at least 20.


The Alliance are allowing the fewest points against per game in the league at 77, with Vancouver second at 81.5. And only the Bandits (100.4) score more points per game than the Alliance’s 98.3 per contest.


As luck would have it, those two powerhouses will collide on Saturday in B.C. Montreal may not be undefeated by then — it has the game in Winnipeg two nights prior — but either way, the game promises to be a doozy.


Is it too early to say championship preview?


Harris to face former team


Jalen Harris has changed sides in the Battle of the Prairies.


The former Toronto Raptors guard recently signed with the Sea Bears after spending last season with the Rattlers.


Just four games into his Winnipeg career, he’ll meet his former team at home on Sunday.


Harris, who also played two seasons with the Scarborough Shooting Stars, is off to a strong start with the Sea Bears, averaging 19.5 points, 4.5 assists and four rebounds per contest.


Winnipeg scuffled to a 1-5 start to its season but is coming off a dramatic win over the Shooting Stars — in which Harris foiled his other former team with the Target Score game-winner — and can freely build toward Championship Weekend at home.


Weekly schedule (nine games)


Game #36 -- Tuesday, June 10 - OTT at EDM – 7 p.m. MT / 9 p.m. ET – Edmonton EXPO Centre (CEBL+, TSN+)


Game #37 – Wednesday, June 11 – MTL at WPG – 7 p.m. CDT / 8 p.m. ET – Canada Life Centre (Game+, CEBL+, TSN+)


Game #38 – Friday, June 13 – EDM at NRL – 7 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. MT – Meridian Centre (CEBL+, TSN+, NLSE)


Game #39 – Friday, June 13 – SSS at SSK – 7:30 p.m. CST / 9:30 p.m. ET – SaskTel Centre (Game+, CEBL+, TSN+)


Game #40 – Saturday, June 14 – EDM at BHB – 7:30 p.m. ET / 5:30 p.m. MT – CAA Centre (Game+, CEBL+, TSN+)


Game #41 – Saturday, June 14 – MTL at VAN – 7 p.m. PT / 10 p.m. ET – Langley Events Centre (CEBL+, TSN+)


Game #42 – Sunday, June 15 – NRL at OTT – 2 p.m. ET – The Arena at TD Place (TSN, CEBL+, TSN+, NLSE)


Game #43 – Sunday, June 15 – SSK at WPG – 2 p.m. CDT / 1 p.m. CST / 3 p.m. ET – Canada Life Centre (CEBL+, TSN+)


Game #44 – Sunday, June 15 – SSS at CGY – 2 p.m. MT / 4 p.m. ET – WinSport Event Centre (CEBL+, TSN+)


For the full 2025 CEBL schedule, please visit cebl.ca/games.

August 4, 2026
Le chef de file sportif canadien offrira une couverture nationale complète du 6 au 16 août de la course au championnat de la LECB
August 4, 2026
Canada's Sports Leader to deliver comprehensive national coverage August 6 - 16 ofthe race to the CEBL Championship
August 4, 2026
The Winnipeg Sea Bears announced August 4, 2026, that they've signed forward Ben Stevens ahead of the team's upcoming playoff run. The signing was completed before the CEBL's August 3 transaction deadline, and Stevens is playoff eligible with Winnipeg, having appeared in enough games with the Montréal Alliance during the 2026 regular season to qualify under league rules. Stevens arrives with four seasons of professional experience across seven leagues in seven countries, including stints in Germany, the Czech Republic, North Macedonia, Azerbaijan, Australia, Mongolia, and Canada. His most prolific professional stretch came with the South West Slammers in Australia's NBL1, where he averaged 18.0 points and 12.4 rebounds across 19 games in 2023. For his career, Stevens has averaged 10.1 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 25.0 minutes across 128 professional games. Stevens shared his excitement about joining the club: "I'm incredibly excited to be joining the Winnipeg Sea Bears for the playoffs! I'm grateful for the opportunity and can't wait to get to work with this group. I'm looking forward to making a strong playoff push, competing at a high level, and doing whatever I can to help the team win. Let's get after it!" A graduate of Wilfrid Laurier University with a degree in Environmental Studies, Stevens finished his 2022-23 graduate season averaging 10.3 points and 9.1 rebounds per game. The Halifax native is also the founder of Big Ben's Basketball Camps, which delivered skills programming to 30 youth athletes across two summers. ###
August 3, 2026
La ligue lance un nouveau format de séries éliminatoires qui se termine par la première finale de l'histoire de la LECB qui se tiendra sur plusieurs matchs
August 3, 2026
League debuts new playoff format, capped by the first multi-game CEBL Finals series in history
August 2, 2026
Tomorrow's Canadian Elite Basketball League game in Vancouver between the Winnipeg Sea Bears and the Vancouver Bandits has been moved from 12:30 p.m. PT / 3:30 p.m. ET to 2:00 p.m. PT / 5:00 p.m. ET due to travel disruptions. The League will provide updates as necessary.
July 29, 2026
C'est la dernière semaine de la saison de la LECB et il reste encore beaucoup à décider, en commençant par les places pour les séries éliminatoires jusqu’au classement des têtes de série. Commençons sans plus attendre... Conférence de l'Est Nous savons (nous savions depuis longtemps, en réalité) que les Shooting Stars de Scarborough entreront en séries éliminatoires en tant que la meilleure équipe de l'Est et qu'ils sont l'équipe à battre. Les Shooting Stars n'ont pas lâché prise depuis qu'ils se sont taillés au premier rang. D’ailleurs, ils ont remporté une série de trois victoires lors de leur dernière paire de matchs. L'objectif est maintenant de maintenir les bons moments tout au long du mois d'août. Quand est-il du reste de la conférence? Eh bien, bonne chance pour faire le tri dans tout ça. Oui... encore à ce jour. Les Honey Badgers de Brampton et les River Lions de Niagara, deux fois champions en titre, occupent une position favorable, chacun ayant remporter 10 victoires. La première équipe a encore trois matchs à jouer tandis que la seconde en a deux. Brampton, cependant, devra faire face à une tâche de taille en accueillant une équipe désespérée de Montréal avant de terminer la saison avec des matchs aller-retour contre les Shooting Stars. Ce ne sera pas facile non plus pour Niagara, qui se dirige vers l'ouest pour clore la saison sur la route contre le Mamba de Saskatoon et le Surge de Calgary. Mais les deux équipes peuvent compter sur leur pédigrée avec Sean East II, finaliste du joueur le plus utile en 2025, parmi les Honey Badgers, tandis que les River Lions comptent sur le double récipiendaire du titre de joueur le plus utile dans les finales, Khalil Ahmad, qui a été le joueur du match lors de leur récente victoire contre les BlackJacks d'Ottawa. La pression est forte pour les joueurs de la capitale nationale, qui sont à égalité avec l'Alliance de Montréal à 9-13 au bas de la conférence. L'Alliance termine sa saison régulière avec des matchs contre les Bandits de Vancouver et les Honey Badgers avant même que les BlackJacks ne reviennent sur le terrain. Ottawa saura ce qu'il faut faire lorsqu'elle visitera les Sea Bears de Winnipeg et les Stingers d'Edmonton pour clore sa saison. Bien sûr, si Ottawa et Montréal l'emportent, la pression sera exercée sur Niagara et Brampton. L'Est, comme c'est le cas depuis la plus grande partie du mois, demeure un fouillis. Conférence de l'Ouest Les choses sont un peu plus simples dans l'Ouest. Les Stingers d'Edmonton ont rendu les choses intéressantes, mais leur victoire 100-89 contre le Surge de Calgary dimanche leur a assuré la dernière place de la conférence en séries éliminatoires. Ils ont ainsi arrêté la renaissance en fin de saison de leur rival albertain et les ont empêchés d'atteindre les séries éliminatoires. Edmonton se joindra à Vancouver, Winnipeg et Saskatoon pour les séries éliminatoires, mais qui joue qui doit encore être décidé. Au sommet, les Bandits (14-8) détiennent une avance d'un match sur les Sea Bears (13-7). Encerclez dimanche dans votre calendrier, car les deux forces de l'Ouest se rencontreront en Colombie-Britannique pour leur finale de saison ce jour-là dans un affrontement qui pourrait déterminer le déroulement des séries éliminatoires. Si les choses s'alignent correctement, cela pourrait créer une atmosphère de type pseudo-éliminatoire au Langley Event Centre. Pendant ce temps, deux jours plus tôt, le Mamba et les Stingers s'affronteront dans une compétition qui pourrait avoir des répercussions sur la troisième place dans la capitale albertaine. En fin de compte, ils seront tous deux des underdogs sur la route contre les Bandits ou les Sea Bears. Mais s'ils ont une préférence d’adversaire, c'est là qu'ils pourraient aider à changer leurs destins. Finalement, Calgary a été réduit au rôle de saboteur, car l’équipe pourrait mettre fin à l'année des River Lions si elle inflige une défaite aux troupes de l'entraîneur Kimbal Mackenzie lors de leur dernier match. Ce serait une sacrée façon de terminer la campagne pour une équipe de Calgary qui a eu une énergie positive pendant la majeure partie de l'été, mais qui n'a tout simplement pas pu réparer les dégâts qu'elle a causés au début de la saison. Tout cela s'ajoute à ce qui devrait être une fin effrénée. Horaire hebdomadaire (11 matchs) Match #110 — Le mardi 28 juillet — VAN à MTL — 19 h 30 (HE)/16 h 30 (HP) — L’Auditorium de Verdun (CBC Gem, YouTube, RDS, CEBL+) Match #111 — Le mercredi 29 juillet — NRL à SSK — 19 h 30 (HNC)/21 h 30 (HE) — SaskTel Centre (CBC Gem, YouTube, CEBL+) Match #112 — Le jeudi 30 juillet — MTL à BHB — 19 h 30 (HE) – CAA Centre (CBC Gem, YouTube, CEBL+) Match #113 — Le vendredi 31 juillet — OTT à WPG — 19 h (HAC) / 20 h (HE) — Canada Life Centre (CBC Gem, YouTube, CEBL+) Match #114 — Le vendredi 31 juillet — SSK à EDM — 19 h (HNC)/(HR)/21 h (HE) — Edmonton EXPO Centre (CBC Gem, YouTube, CEBL+) Match #115 — Le vendredi 31 juillet — NRL à CGY — 19 h 30 (HR) / 21 h 30 (HE) – WinSport Event Centre (CBC Gem, YouTube, CEBL+) Match #116 — Le samedi 1er août — SSS à BHB — 19 h (HE) – CAA Centre (CBC Gem, YouTube, CEBL+) Match #117 — Le dimanche 2 août — WPG à VAN — 12 h 30 (HP)/14 h 30 (HAC)/15 h 30 (HE) — Envision Financial Court au Langley Events Centre (CBC, CBC Gem, YouTube, CEBL+) Match #118 — Le dimanche 2 août — OTT à EDM — 16 h (HR) / 18 h (HE) — Edmonton EXPO Centre (CBC Gem, YouTube, CEBL+) Match #119 — Le lundi 3 août — BHB à SSS — 16 h (HE) — Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre (CBC Gem, YouTube, CEBL+) Match #120 — Le lundi 3 août — CGY à SSK — 16 h (HNC)/(HR)/18 h (HE) — Merlis Belsher Place (CBC Gem, YouTube, CEBL+) Pour le calendrier complet de la LECB 2026, veuillez consulter cebl.ca/games .
July 28, 2026
It’s the final week of the CEBL season, and much is yet to be decided, from playoff spots to seeding. Let’s get right into it… Eastern Conference We know (we have known for quite a while now, really) that the Scarborough Shooting Stars will enter the post-season as the top team in the East, and is the squad to beat. The Shooting Stars haven’t let up since clinching that No. 1 spot, and carry a three-game winning streak into their final pair of contests. The goal now is to keep the good times rolling through August. As for the rest of the conference? Well, good luck sorting through all that. Yes…still. The Brampton Honey Badgers and two-time defending champion Niagara River Lions are in the catbird seats, each sitting on 10 wins. The former still has three games to play while the latter has two. Brampton, however, will face a tall task hosting a desperate Montreal squad before a season-ending home-and-home with the Shooting Stars. It won’t be easy for Niagara either, which heads west for a closing set on the road against the Saskatoon Mamba and Calgary Surge. But both teams can rely on pedigree, with 2025 MVP runner-up Sean East II showing out for the Honey Badgers while the River Lions count on two-time Finals MVP Khalil Ahmad, who was player of the game in their recent win over the Ottawa BlackJacks. The pressure is on for those players in the nation’s capital, who are tied with the Montreal Alliance at 9-13 at the bottom of the conference. The Alliance close out their regular season with games against the Vancouver Bandits and Honey Badgers before the BlackJacks even return to the court. Ottawa will know what is required when it visits the Winnipeg Sea Bears and Edmonton Stingers to close out its season. Of course, if both Ottawa and Montreal win out, then the pressure is on Niagara and Brampton. The East, as it has been for the better part of a month, remains a jumble. Western Conference Things are a little more straightforward in the West. The Edmonton Stingers made things interesting, but their 100-89 win over the Calgary Surge on Sunday assured them of the conference’s final playoff spot and prevented their Alberta rival’s late-season renaissance from reaching the post-season. Edmonton will join Vancouver, Winnipeg and Saskatoon in the playoffs, but who plays whom must still be decided. At the top, the Bandits (14-8) hold a one-game lead over the Sea Bears (13-7). Circle Sunday on your calendar, because the two West forces will meet in B.C. for their season finales on that day in a clash that could determine the course of the playoffs. If things line up correctly, it could make for a pseudo-playoff-type atmosphere at Langley Event Centre. Meanwhile, just two days earlier, the Mamba and Stingers will collide in a contest that could have implications on third place in the Alberta capital. Ultimately, they will both be underdogs on the road against the Bandits or Sea Bears. But if they happen to have a preference of opponent, this is where they could help alter the destinies. Calgary, finally, has been reduced to the role of spoiler, where it can potentially end the River Lions’ year if it hands coach Kimbal Mackenzie’s troops a loss in their final game. It would be quite the way to end the campaign for a Calgary team that’s had good vibes for most of the summer, but just couldn’t undo the damage it wrought at the beginning of the season. It all adds up to what should be a wild closing stretch. Weekly schedule (11 games) Game #110 – Tuesday, July 28 – VAN at MTL – 7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. PT – Verdun Audiotrium (CBC Gem, YouTube, RDS, CEBL+) Game #111 – Wednesday, July 29 – NRL at SSK – 7:30 p.m. CST / 9:30 p.m. ET – SaskTel Centre (CBC Gem, YouTube, CEBL+) Game #112 – Thursday, July 30 – MTL at BHB – 7:30 p.m. ET – CAA Centre (CBC Gem, YouTube, CEBL+) Game #113 – Friday, July 31 – OTT at WPG – 7 p.m. CDT / 8 p.m. ET – Canada Life Centre (CBC Gem, YouTube, CEBL+) Game #114 – Friday, July 31 – SSK at EDM – 7 p.m. CST/MT / 9 p.m. ET – Edmonton EXPO Centre (CBC Gem, YouTube, CEBL+) Game #115 – Friday, July 31 – NRL at CGY – 7:30 p.m. MT / 9:30 p.m. ET – WinSport Event Centre (CBC Gem, YouTube, CEBL+) Game #116 – Saturday, Aug. 1 – SSS at BHB – 7 p.m. ET – CAA Centre (CBC Gem, YouTube, CEBL+) Game #117 – Sunday, Aug. 2 – WPG at VAN – 12:30 p.m. PT / 2:30 p.m. CDT / 3:30 p.m. ET – Envision Financial Court at Langley Events Centre (CBC, CBC Gem, YouTube, CEBL+) Game #118 – Sunday, Aug. 2 – OTT at EDM – 4 p.m. MT / 6 p.m. ET – Edmonton EXPO Centre (CBC Gem, YouTube, CEBL+) Game #119 – Monday, Aug. 3 – BHB at SSS – 4 p.m. ET – Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre (CBC Gem, YouTube, CEBL+) Game #120 – Monday, Aug. 3 – CGY at SSK – 4 p.m. CST/MT / 6 p.m. ET – Merlis Belsher Place (CBC Gem, YouTube, CEBL+) For the full 2026 CEBL schedule, please visit cebl.ca/games .
July 27, 2026
ISO CLEAAR protein drink and the CEBL will celebrate active living with fans nationwide
July 24, 2026
The Vancouver Bandits announced Friday that the club has signed former NBA draft selection and decorated overseas champion Stephen Zimmerman for the remainder of the 2026 Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) season. A 7-foot centre hailing from Las Vegas, Nev., Zimmerman was selected 41st overall by the Orlando Magic in the 2016 NBA Draft and appeared in 19 games as a rookie. With the signing, Zimmerman becomes the first-ever NBA draft selection to sign with the Bandits. “Zimmerman brings additional size to our team and experience from the highest levels of the game around the world,” said Bandits general manager Kyle Julius. “His signing is part of our strategic plan to ensure we have a strong roster to compete in the CEBL playoffs.” A veteran of 10 professional seasons, Zimmerman most recently played for Gigantes de San Francisco in the Dominican Republic during the 2025-26 season where he helped lead the club to a Dominican LNB championship. He also earned championships in the Czech Republic, guiding ERA Nymburk to both a Czech Cup and Czech NBL title in 2021. His journeyman career overseas includes previous stops in Germany, Poland, Australia, Japan, Puerto Rico, Taiwan, Malaysia and China. In addition, Zimmerman played parts of four NBA G League seasons with the Orlando Magic’s affiliate (Erie Bayhawks, now Osceola Magic) in 2016-17, the Los Angeles Lakers’ affiliate (South Bay Lakers) in 2017-18, the New York Knicks’ affiliate (Westchester Knicks) in 2018-19, and San Antonio Spurs’ affiliate (Austin Spurs) in 2022-23. Internationally, Zimmerman represents the United States. He competed for his country at the senior level at the 2022 FIBA AmeriCup and 2019 FIBA World Cup Qualifiers, and won a gold medal at the 2014 FIBA Americas U18 Championship in 2014. Before playing professionally, Zimmerman played one season of NCAA DI basketball for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). As a freshman, he started 24 of 26 games played and averaged 26.2 minutes, 10.5 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 2.0 blocked shots per game while shooting .477 per cent from the field.