BlackJacks to Host Potential Playoff Game in Gatineau, Que.

August 7, 2025

The Ottawa BlackJacks of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL), Canada’s largest professional sports league, announced Wednesday that should the club clinch the second seed in the CEBL’s Eastern Conference, they will host the Eastern Conference Semifinal at Centre Slush Puppie in Gatineau, Quebec, on Saturday, Aug, 16, at 1 p.m. ET.

The move comes as The City of Ottawa hosts The Masters Indigenous Games 2025 (MIG) from Aug. 14-17, and the BlackJacks home court - The Arena at TD Place - is serving as a primary venue for the event. The CEBL’s Eastern Conference Play-In and Semifinal are scheduled for Aug. 14 and 16, respectively.

“The Indigenous Games are incredibly important because they create space for Indigenous athletes to share their strength, their stories, and their cultures in powerful and visible ways,” said Mark Wacyk, President of the BlackJacks. “We recognize that, and hosting a game at a state-of-the-art venue like Centre Slush Puppie offers a unique opportunity to share our exciting brand of basketball with our fans in Gatineau and the Outaouais region. We will look for this opportunity that has been presented to us as a gateway of development beyond the borders of Ottawa.”

Following their win over the Montreal Alliance on Wednesday night, the BlackJacks have secured at least third place in the CEBL’s Eastern Conference and remain in contention with the Scarborough Shooting Stars for second. The Alliance are locked into fourth place.

If the club finishes second, they will face the winner of Scarborough-Montreal on Aug. 16 in Gatineau. All BlackJacks season-seat members will receive a complimentary ticket to an equivalent seat at Centre Slush Puppie for the playoff game on Aug. 16, while members previously settled playoff tickets for 2025 can be added as a credit to all 2026 season-seat member packages. Tickets to the game will be available later this week and communicated to all fans in a timely manner.

If the BlackJacks finish third, they will face the Alliance in a Play-In game on Aug. 14 at Verdun Auditorium in Montreal. In that case, the BlackJacks will host a watch party for all fans at Jack Astor’s Bar & Grill in Lansdowne (425 Marché Way #101) ahead of the game at 7 p.m. at no additional cost. All 2025 season-seat members can receive a credit for previously settled playoff tickets this season which can be added as a credit towards all 2026 season-seat member packages. Fans can sign up for priority access to tickets for the potential playoff game at alliancemontreal.ca/en-ca/priority-access.

The Centre Slush Puppie is the home of the QMJHL’s Gatineau Olympiques and previously housed the OHL’s Ottawa 67s in the 2003 playoffs when they were displaced from The Arena at TD Place due to the World Men’s Curling Championships.

About the Ottawa BlackJacks

The first expansion franchise of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL), the Ottawa BlackJacks showcase the best of basketball and entertainment in the nation’s capital. The Ottawa front office brings NBA, NBA G League, national team, NCAA and major international pro league experience to the franchise. Led by General Manager James Derouin and Head Coach Dave DeAveiro, Ottawa plays its home games out of the world-class Arena at TD Place in Lansdowne Park. For more information, visit theblackjacks.ca.

About Centre Slush Puppie

Centre Slush Puppie is a state-of-the-art multidisciplinary arena located in Gatineau, Québec. Operated by Vision Multisports Outaouais (VMSO), the facility features a 4,080-seat main arena (expandable with standing-room), plus three community ice sheets designed to support both elite-level events and grassroots activity. The Centre hosts the Gatineau Olympiques of the QMJHL, concerts, trade shows, community programs, and wellness initiatives, and serves as a cultural hub bridging sport, health, youth engagement, and entertainment in the Outaouais region.

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The Vancouver Bandits, BC’s professional basketball team in the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL), are committed to making a positive impact through basketball and growing the game across British Columbia, and this dedication was highlighted this past week in Kelowna and the Okanagan area. Coming off the recent announcement of Kelowna HOOPFEST, a brand-new basketball festival featuring a CEBL neutral-site home game in partnership with the City of Kelowna, Bandits head coach Kyle Julius spent time at five Okanagan-area secondary schools and both of Kelowna’s post-secondary men’s basketball teams, as part of the Vancouver Bandits third-annual Bandits School Tour. Julius and Bandits staff visited Mount Boucherie Secondary School, Immaculata Regional High School, Okanagan Mission Secondary, Rutland Secondary School and Kelowna Secondary, as well as the men’s basketball teams at UBC Okanagan and Okanagan College, providing dedicated and tailored practices along with motivational talks and training materials. Launched in 2023, the Bandits School Tour is supported by the Bandits Community Foundation, Preston Chevrolet and Envision Financial and offers a unique opportunity for student-athletes and volunteer coaches to learn directly from BC’s only professional basketball coach. “What stood out most during our visit was the impact basketball can have when it is rooted in mentorship and connection; it is clear how vibrant the basketball and business ecosystem is in the Okanagan,” said Bandits team president Dylan Kular. “We are thankful to the Okanagan and Kelowna communities for welcoming us so openly, and this is only the beginning. We are committed to being present and intentional in the lead-up to Kelowna HOOPFEST from June 5th to 7th.” In addition to the Bandits School Tour, Julius and members of Bandits staff had the opportunity to connect with various Okanagan business, media and community leaders, including attending the 51st annual Western Canada Tournament at Kelowna Secondary and a Kelowna Rockets hockey game. ###