The Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) announced Friday that veteran Montreal sports executive, Annie Larouche, has been named director, Montreal operations. The CEBL recently disclosed that an expansion franchise will be added to the seven-team league in time for the 2022 season. A formal announcement of the franchise is expected later in the year after the requisite paperwork with the city is completed.
A native of Montreal, Larouche has been involved in professional sports for nearly 30 years. For the past 25 years, she has served the Montreal Alouettes as executive director of the Alouettes Foundation and director of community relations, cheerleading team and Alumni Association. During her time with the Alouettes, she also served in key roles in public and community relations, communications, and marketing. Many of her community outreach programs focused on encouraging young people to lead healthy active lives, and be committed to their education. Larouche also had the opportunity to plan major events such as Grey Cup Week festivities, fundraising galas, and CFL halftime performances.
“Annie Larouche brings a wealth of pro sports experience, thorough knowledge of the Montreal market, and an outstanding record of achievement to our expansion planning process for Montreal,” said CEBL Commissioner and CEO Mike Morreale . “The CEBL has established and sustained exceptional growth during the past three years, and adding Quebec as our fifth province with an eighth team in Montreal is an important next step. Annie will be our point person in Montreal as we work on strengthening the foundation with government and community leaders for a future club.”
Larouche’s experience has included staff roles with the Montreal Machine, the sole Canadian team in the World League of American Football, the Montreal Dragons of the National Basketball League, the Montreal Roadrunners of the Roller Hockey International league, the Le Mission de St-Jean hockey club, and the L’Express lacrosse team. She also collaborated through the years with the Montreal Rocket hockey club, Interbox, and the National Hockey League.
Larouche has also covered college football for RDS and has been an analyst for cheerleading competitions and Legends Football League games.
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About the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL)
A league created by Canadians for Canadians, the CEBL has the highest percentage of Canadian players of any professional league in the country, with 80 percent of its 2020 rosters being Canadians. Players come from the NBA G League, top international leagues, the Canadian National team program, and top NCAA and U SPORTS programs. It uses FIBA (International Basketball Federation) rules, and player and referee standards set by its partner, Canada Basketball. The CEBL became the first professional basketball league in the world to use the Elam Ending in FIBA competition when it incorporated the innovative conclusion into all of its games during the 2020 CEBL Summer Series .
More information about the CEBL may be found at CEBL.ca, as well as on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube (@cebleague).
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