Canadian Elite Basketball League’s brightest stars to shine in the CEBL Clash in Québec City
Best of East vs. West at the Videotron Centre on August 26, 2023
Québec City, Thursday, June 8, 2023 — The Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) and Gestev, a subsidiary of Quebecor Sports and Entertainment Group, announced today that the Videotron Centre will host the CEBL Clash on Saturday, August 26. The game will be an East vs. West showdown between the league’s top players following the conclusion of the 2023 CEBL season. The CEBL features Canada’s top professional basketball teams, aside from the Toronto Raptors of the NBA.
Tickets go on presale to Videotron Centre newsletter subscribers at noon today and go on sale to the general public at noon on Friday, June 9, on gestev.com.
The teams representing each conference will include the best talent the league has to offer, among them NBA alumni such as Jalen Harris and Treveon Graham, members of the Canadian Senior Men’s National Team, NBA G Leaguers, players from top European pro leagues, and CEBL stars. The game will be broadcast live nationally on TSN, RDS.ca and CEBL+.
“Québec City is a Canadian hotbed for basketball talent, and we look forward to partnering with Gestev to bring the CEBL Clash to the city,” said Mike Morreale, Commissioner and Co-Founder of the CEBL. “It’s a fantastic opportunity to showcase our league’s biggest stars at a first-class facility like the Videotron Centre and to continue elevating the fast-growing Québécois basketball community.”
Since the CEBL’s inaugural season in 2019, the league has featured more than 40 Québec-born players, coaches and front office staff, and added its first Québec-based franchise in 2021 with the inception of the Montréal Alliance.
“We are delighted to welcome this professional league, which has enjoyed great success in Canada’s largest cities, including Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Toronto (Scarborough), Ottawa and Montréal,” says Martin Tremblay, Chief Operating Officer of Quebecor Sports and Entertainment Group. “Basketball is growing fast in Québec. There is definitely room in our market for this young and festive sport that brings people together and celebrates diversity. And this kind of event is a perfect fit with Gestev’s unrivalled expertise. With its focus on customer service, Gestev has been creating unique events for 30 years. The game will send a great message to young basketball players that there is a path to professional basketball in their own town.”
The League and Gestev have confirmed that they are in serious talks about bringing an expansion team to Québec City in 2024. It would play at the Videotron Centre. The CEBL Clash on August 26 will be a good opportunity to gauge public interest in pro basketball in Québec City.
About the CEBL
A league created by Canadians for Canadians with a mission to develop Canadian players, coaches, sports executives, and referees, the CEBL boasts the highest percentage of Canadian players of any pro league in the country with 71 percent of its 2022 rosters being Canadian. Players bring experience from the NBA, NBA G League, top international pro leagues, the Canadian National team program, and top NCAA programs as well as U SPORTS. Nine players have moved from the CEBL into the NBA following a CEBL season, and 28 CEBL players attended NBA G League training camps last October. The 2023 CEBL season tipped off May 24 with the Brampton Honey Badgers visiting the Ottawa BlackJacks in a game that was nationally televised on TSN. More information about the CEBL is available at CEBL.ca and @cebleague on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube.
About Gestev
Gestev is an event developer and organizer founded in 1992 that has made a name for itself in Québec and internationally. It produces, presents and promotes cultural and sporting events and brings local and international talent to audiences in its market. As a subsidiary of Quebecor Sports and Entertainment, which also includes the Videotron Centre, Baie de Beauport, Théâtre Capitole, Musicor, the Théâtre du Casino du Lac-Leamy and the Cabaret du Casino de Montréal, Gestev is able to present high-quality events enhanced by the convergence opportunities offered by the Quebecor group’s scope. Red Bull Crashed Ice, the Vélirium, the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup, Je Cours QC and the FIS Cross-Country World Cup are only a few of the major events produced by Gestev. Gestev also operates its own experiential marketing agency, with offices in Québec City and Montréal.
About the Videotron Centre
The Videotron Centre is a multipurpose arena that opened on September 12, 2015. Multiple configurations make it suitable for major music concerts and sporting events alike, with seating for more than 18,000 for games and more than 20,000 for concerts. The Videotron Centre is the home of the Québec Remparts of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) and can also host professional hockey games as it meets National Hockey League (NHL) standards.
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Gestev information
Marie-Michelle Gagné, Communications Director
