Niagara and Ottawa meet for postseason tune-up

As Year 7 of CEBL action gets underway, so does the race to Championship Weekend 2025. Not only a three-day celebration of basketball north of the border, but also a battleground to determine which team walks away with a title once the dust settles. This year, the festivities will be taking place in Winnipeg. Heading into just their third season as part of the CEBL — already known for raucous crowds and uber-committed fans — the Sea Bears were awarded the honour of hosting CW25 for the first time in franchise history. And make no mistake, the organization wants to make a statement when they welcome the competition to their home in August. “It’s going to be something special,” said head coach and general manager Mike Taylor. “I think the way it’s going to be here in Winnipeg will raise the level for the CEBL. All eyes will be on the City of Winnipeg, and I think Winnipeg will help elevate the expectations and standards of what Championship Weekend is going to be.” With so much enthusiasm even before the team’s season opener on Friday, excitement feels like the obvious emotion to associate with the Sea Bears’ upcoming campaign. And while that’s true, there will be one more, equally prevalent, feeling throughout the summer … grief. Amid the 2024 off-season, the franchise and local community were blindsided by the sudden loss of Chad Posthumus. The Sea Bears player and Winnipeg native suffered a brain aneurysm during a training session last November and later passed away following complications with corrective surgery. The 33-year-old was a stalwart of the CEBL, having played five seasons in the league with three different teams, the last two of which were with his hometown Sea Bears — a fact that Posthumus often pointed to with pride as his decade-long basketball journey spanning over 10 countries led him back to where it all began. But his legacy extends much further than simply being a part of Canada’s largest professional sports league. To the point that the CEBL’s story cannot be told without a full chapter on Posthumus. The 6-foot-10 centre was a member of the league’s inaugural champion Saskatchewan Rattlers in 2019, even starting alongside Championship Weekend MVP and eventual Sea Bears teammate Alex Campbell in their title-clinching win. Fast forward to 2021, he joined the Ottawa BlackJacks for their playoff run and in his team debut recorded the CEBL’s first-ever 20-20 game with 23 points and 20 rebounds in a quarterfinal victory. And when Winnipeg entered the fold as the league’s newest franchise in 2023, they wasted no time in making Posthumus the first player signing and captain in franchise history. From there, it didn’t take long for him to keep adding to the record books. In the Sea Bears' inaugural game, it was Posthumus who brought the Canada Life Centre to its feet as he scored Winnipeg’s first-ever Target Score winner. In true big man fashion, he corralled a missed shot and bounced it in off the glass before sprinting away in celebration. That moment was one of many that Taylor said came to mind when thinking about Posthumus’ legacy in Winnipeg. “He really helped establish the whole organization,” the Sea Bears bench boss explained as he prepared for his first season coaching the team without its captain by his side. “Chad was one of the key guys to maintaining our values and structure. He was one of those guys who never wavered … a strengthening force and glue for our team.” Most of Taylor’s other memories about the hometown hero were connected to his off-court antics, whether it was the smile Posthumus routinely greeted folks with during morning meetings or the big man’s laugh-inducing “quirky” stretches during practice. “Chad was just such a positive, bigger than life personality … there was nobody that loved Winnipeg and the Sea Bears more,” Taylor added. And that passion extended off the court as well, as Posthumus was well known for his work throughout his local community. His efforts were recognized in March as the Winnipeg native was awarded the King Charles III Coronation Medal, a national honour recognizing Canadians for significant contributions to their country, region or communities. Posthumus was a staunch representative of the Sea Bears throughout youth camps while often acting as a spokesperson for a variety of causes, such as Diabetes Canada , Buckets & Borders and others. That spirit of kindness was present no matter what Posthumus did, as Taylor credited the big man for consistently going out of his way to connect with coaches and players. Just ask Emmanuel Akot, who fondly thinks back to when the Sea Bears captain welcomed him to the team. “He was just selfless,” said the forward, who re-signed with his hometown ahead of the 2025 season. “I remember the first time I came back to Winnipeg, I hadn’t been back a while … he invited me to shoot around. That’s the type of teammate he was. It was never about him, it was about us.” When asked if any moments throughout training camp these last few weeks might’ve brought up memories of Posthumus, Akot was quick to mention how any instances of laughter or positivity were immediately associated with the captain’s impact. But that wasn’t his only answer. “Watching Kyler Filewich play,” was the forward’s follow-up, pointing to play-style similarities between the Sea Bears' first local signing and their most recent one. “He reminds me a lot of Chad.” Which might not simply be a coincidence, as Filewich said he often paid close attention to Posthumus whenever he returned to Winnipeg between NCAA campaigns and watched the Sea Bears play. And ahead of his first professional basketball season, the rookie wants to continue following in Posthumus’ footsteps. “Leading with my voice, providing physicality on both ends and on the glass, those are things I’ve taken from him and things he was really great at,” Filewich explained. “So, I’m just trying to contribute in that way as well.” An attitude his head coach fully supports, encouraging the team to “use Chad for what he was, a great Sea Bear, a great role model and example for what we want our players to be.” Which is why the 23-year-old won’t be the only one adopting Posthumus’ “all in” mentality as described by Taylor. Among the many ways the team will honour its captain — retiring his No. 33 during a pre-game ceremony on Friday and wearing “33 forever” patches throughout the season — they’ll also serve as a reminder of his legacy with their play on the court. “(We’re) dedicating this season to him,” Akot said. “Going out hard every practice, taking it seriously every game, because we all know how much he cared about the Sea Bears and basketball here in Winnipeg. “So to pay our respects to him, we’ll go hard every day, because I know that’s what he really wants.” And beyond effort levels, the Sea Bears are ready to mimic Posthumus’ selfless brand of basketball stylistically as well. “We feel like what’s going to take us to the next level, and bring post-season success, will be all about team play,” Taylor explained, noting how previous iterations of the team were driven primarily through top-end talent, giving credit to a pair of former Sea Bears and prolific scorers in Teddy Allen and Justin Wright-Foreman. “On both ends of the floor, (taking) steps to be more connected as a team. We’ve got good personalities … we’ve got some high IQ players and guys that will play great team basketball. Both Akot and Filewich echoed those sentiments while adding “versatile” and “unique” as descriptors for the 2025 Sea Bears. So as Winnipeg gets ready for a meaningful season, aiming to build the right habits ahead of its eventual bye to a Western Conference Final — perks of being host for Championship Weekend — and just two wins shy of a first title in franchise history, the team will have plenty on its mind. On one hand, they’ll be competing for a fanbase that has consistently rallied around them throughout their ebbs and flows. “We absolutely love Winnipeg,” Taylor said while proudly referencing the many times the Sea Bears have set attendance records, owning three of the top four single-game marks in CEBL history while boasting a league-best showing of 10,580 fans for a playoff contest. “We’ve gotten off to an exciting start the first two summers, and this season we want to do everything we can … to be a team fans love to watch, and hopefully they can see great team basketball and how we’ve evolved.” On the other hand, the Sea Bears will be playing for Posthumus’ legacy, as they have no doubt their captain will be on the path with them in lockstep. “I still believe that Chad is with us,” Taylor said. “He was all in for our team, all in for our organization, and we know that he would’ve been all in for this Championship Weekend.” So as the race toward a CEBL title gets underway, the Sea Bears will keep both of those motivations in mind while waiting for other teams to meet them at the finish line — all with hopes of accomplishing one goal, according to their head coach. “We want to put the ‘win’ back in Winnipeg.” - CEBL -

The Edmonton Stingers of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) announced Thursday that Kyle Varner has been added to the team’s active roster ahead of Friday’s game in Winnipeg. Varner, the 2024-25 Canada West Rookie of the Year with the University of Alberta Golden Bears, has been a practice player with the team since the start of training camp earlier this month. Varner, a 6’6” guard, completed his first season of U SPORTS basketball with the Golden Bears this past season, averaging 11.6 points and 5.3 rebounds per game in 27 games. He notched a career high of 22 points on January 24th of this year against the Manitoba Bisons. Prior to joining the Golden Bears, he was a member of Edmonton’s Western Canada Prep Academy. The Stingers narrowly lost their first game of the 2025 season 86-84 to the Calgary Surge on Sunday May 11th at the EXPO Centre. They will take on the Winnipeg Sea Bears at the Canada Life Centre Friday May 16th at 6:30 PM MT. ### 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 73% of its rosters being Canadian and more than 10 players with NBA game experience in 2025. Players also bring experience from the NBA G League, top international pro leagues, the Canadian National team program, NCAA programs, as well as U SPORTS and CCAA. More than 20 players have signed NBA contracts following a CEBL season, and numerous CEBL players attend NBA G League training camps every year. The CEBL season runs from May through August with games broadcast live on CEBL+ powered by Tonybet, TSN, TSN+, RDS , Game+ and Next Level Sports & Entertainment . More information about the CEBL is available at CEBL.ca and @cebleague on Instagram , Twitter , TikTok , LinkedIn , Facebook & YouTube .

After dipping our toes back into Canadian basketball with Sunday’s Battle of Alberta, the CEBL season is set to hit full swing. Five more games are scheduled for Week 2, including our first look at the reigning champion. The Niagara River Lions open play Friday when they host the Calgary Surge, and coach Victor Raso’s squad will look slightly different than it did when it won that championship-game thriller against the Vancouver Bandits. Gone is Target Score Time assassin Khalil Ahmad, who nailed the title-winning bucket for the River Lions. He could return to Niagara at some point this summer. In his place is Ahmed Hill, the CEBL’s all-time leading scorer who is still seeking his first title. The American guard spent the past two seasons with the Montreal Alliance and the previous pair as a Guelph Nighthawk. Now, he heads to Niagara, which after years of heartbreak finally broke through last season. Plenty of players remain in place from that championship team, including forwards Omari Moore and Nathan Cayo, Canadian guard Jahvon Blair and longtime River Lion Kimbal Mackenzie. Calgary will look to spoil Niagara’s homecoming by becoming the first team with two wins after its defeat of Edmonton in the season opener. Then, in the River Lions’ second game of the season against the Ottawa BlackJacks on Sunday, there’ll be a little extra at stake for returning forward Elijah Lufile, whose brother Meshack is set to suit up for Ottawa. The Lufile brothers are CEBL veterans with nearly 90 games between them dating to 2019, but their only three career matchups all came within a three-week span in July last year. Elijah’s River Lions had the upper hand each time – once when Meshack was in Scarborough and twice with Ottawa. Meshack will be looking to flip that script now alongside a BlackJacks squad including ex-Raptors 905er Deng Adel and longtime Brampton Honey Badger Zane Waterman. Meanwhile, former assistant and TMU men’s head coach David DeAveiro takes over on the bench for the BlackJacks as they seek their first-ever trip to the CEBL Finals. In other intriguing games around the league, the Alliance — who lost Hill — and the Honey Badgers — who saw Waterman leave — will meet Sunday with their reimagined squads. Brampton made waves by signing Quinndary Weatherspoon, who will become the first NBA champion to play in the CEBL after claiming the Larry O’Brien Trophy with the 2022 Golden State Warriors. Montreal has one familiar face in Alain Louis, who has played in every game of the franchise’s existence, but also added Raptors 905er Quincy Guerrier and Bulgaria pro league standout Anthony Walker. Creek flows back to Vancouver One of last season’s most colourful characters is back in a Bandits uniform. Australian big man Mitch Creek returned to Vancouver for his second CEBL season, and this time he’s set to play the full campaign. “The organization as a whole, they developed me so much so that I was like, I’d come back and play for free,” Creek said after a pre-season game. Not that he needed much work – Creek averaged 25.8 points, eight rebounds and 2.7 assists on 50 per cent shooting in six regular-season appearances with the Bandits last season. He also led Vancouver with 26 points in its loss to Niagara in the Finals. “Some of us might have to go to the casino and roll a few dice tonight and try to win back some of the emotions,” he said in the aftermath of the defeat. Well, he’s back now and ready to play whatever hand he’s dealt in Vancouver. Weekly schedule (five games) Game #2 - Thursday, May 15 - VAN at SSK – 7:30 p.m. MT / 6:30 p.m. PT / 9:30 p.m. ET – SaskTel Centre (CEBL+, TSN+) Game #3 – Friday, May 16 – CGY at NRL – 7 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. MT – Meridian Centre (Game+, CEBL+, TSN+) Game #4 – Friday, May 16 – EDM at WPG – 7:30 p.m. CT / 6:30 p.m. MT / 8:30 p.m. ET – Canada Life Centre (CEBL+, TSN+, NLSE) Game #5 – Sunday, May 18 – NRL at OTT – 3 p.m. ET – The Arena at TD Place (CEBL+, TSN+) Game #6 – Sunday, May 18 – BHB at MTL – 4 p.m. ET – Verdun Auditorium (RDS, CEBL+, TSN+, NLSE) For the full 2025 CEBL schedule, please visit cebl.ca/games . 

Après avoir replongé dans le basketball canadien avec la Bataille de l’Alberta dimanche, la saison 2025 de la LECB passe maintenant à la vitesse supérieure. Cinq matchs sont au programme cette semaine, dont celui très attendu des champions en titre. Les River Lions de Niagara lanceront leur saison ce vendredi en recevant le Surge de Calgary. L’alignement dirigé par l’entraîneur-chef Victor Raso aura un visage légèrement différent de celui qui a remporté le titre l’an dernier dans un match palpitant contre les Bandits de Vancouver. Le spécialiste du Target Score, Khalil Ahmad — auteur du panier décisif qui a offert le titre aux River Lions — n’est plus de l’effectif. Il pourrait toutefois revenir à Niagara plus tard cet été. Il est remplacé par Ahmed Hill, meilleur marqueur de l’histoire de la LECB, qui est toujours en quête de son premier championnat. Le garde américain a passé les deux dernières saisons avec l’Alliance de Montréal, après avoir évolué auparavant avec les Nighthawks de Guelph. Il rejoint aujourd’hui une formation de Niagara qui, après plusieurs années de frustration, a finalement brisé la glace l’an dernier. Plusieurs joueurs de cette équipe championne sont toujours présents : les ailiers Omari Moore et Nathan Cayo, le garde canadien Jahvon Blair et le vétéran Kimbal Mackenzie. Le Surge de Calgary tentera de gâcher la fête à domicile en devenant la première équipe à remporter deux victoires, après son triomphe contre Edmonton lors du match d’ouverture de la saison. Puis, lors du deuxième match des River Lions dimanche, il y aura une touche personnelle supplémentaire: Elijah Lufile, ailier de Niagara, retrouvera son frère Meshack Lufile, qui portera les couleurs des BlackJacks. Les frères Lufile sont des vétérans de la LECB, totalisant près de 90 matchs à eux deux depuis 2019. Fait intéressant : ils ne se sont affrontés que trois fois — en juillet dernier — alors que Meshack jouait d’abord à Scarborough, puis à Ottawa. Elijah et les River Lions ont eu le dessus à chaque fois. Meshack tentera maintenant de renverser la vapeur avec les BlackJacks, une équipe qui compte sur l’ancien des Raptors 905, Deng Adel, ainsi que sur Zane Waterman, un vétéran de longue date des Honey Badgers de Brampton. L’équipe est maintenant dirigée par David DeAveiro, ancien entraîneur adjoint des BlackJacks et entraîneur-chef à TMU, qui souhaite mener les BlackJacks à leur toute première finale de la LECB. Un autre duel à surveiller cette semaine aura lieu dimanche entre l’Alliance de Montréal, qui a perdu Ahmed Hill, et les Honey Badgers, désormais sans Zane Waterman. Ces deux équipes amorcent un nouveau chapitre avec de nouveaux effectifs. Brampton a fait sensation en recrutant Quinndary Weatherspoon, qui deviendra le premier champion de la NBA à jouer dans la LECB, après avoir remporté le trophée Larry O’Brien avec les Warriors de Golden State en 2022. Montréal pourra compter sur le fidèle Alain Louis, présent depuis la toute première rencontre du club. Il sera rejoint par Quincy Guerrier (Raptors 905) et Anthony Walker, une vedette en provenance de la ligue professionnelle de Bulgarie. Le retour de Mitch Creek à Vancouver L’un des personnages les plus colorés de la dernière saison est de retour avec les Bandits. L’Australien Mitch Creek effectue un retour à Vancouver pour sa deuxième saison dans la LECB, et cette fois, il est prêt pour une campagne complète. « L’organisation m’a tellement aidé à me développer que je serais revenu jouer gratuitement », a-t-il lancé après un match préparatoire. Mais Creek n’avait pas vraiment besoin d’aide : il a affiché une moyenne de 25,8 points, 8 rebonds et 2,7 passes décisives par match avec un taux de réussite de 50 % lors de ses six apparitions en saison régulière l’an dernier. Il a également mené Vancouver avec 26 points lors de la défaite en finale face à Niagara. « Certains d’entre nous vont devoir aller au casino et lancer les dés pour récupérer un peu de nos émotions », a-t-il déclaré en blaguant en parlant de la défaite en finale. Aujourd’hui, il est de retour — prêt à jouer la main qu’on lui a distribuée à Vancouver. Horaire de la semaine (5 matchs) Match #2 – Jeudi 15 mai : VAN à SSK – 19 h 30 (HR) / 18 h 30 (HP) / 21 h 30 (HE) – Centre SaskTel (CEBL+, TSN+) Match #3 – Vendredi 16 mai : CGY à NIA – 19 h (HE) / 17 h (HR) – Centre Meridian (Game+, CEBL+, TSN+) Match #4 – Vendredi 16 mai : EDM à WPG – 19 h 30 (HC) / 18 h 30 (HR) / 20 h 30 (HE) – Centre Canada Life (CEBL+, TSN+, NLSE) Match #5 – Dimanche 18 mai : NIA à OTT – 15 h (HE) – L’Arène de la Place (CEBL+, TSN+) Match #6 – Dimanche 18 mai : BHB à MTL – 16 h (HE) – Auditorium de Verdun (RDS, CEBL+, TSN+, NLSE) Pour consulter le calendrier complet de la saison 2025 de la LECB, visitez le site cebl.ca/fr-ca/games .

Canada’s Senior Men’s National Team Head Coach Nathaniel Mitchell has joined the club as a Coach and Player Development Consultant ahead of the 2025 campaign

Williams brings over three years of pro experience playing in the NBA, NBA Summer League and NBA G League most recently with the Westchester Knicks

The Edmonton Stingers of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) announced Sunday that they have signed Canadian forwards Fareed Shittu and Kevin Bercy to their 2025 roster. The two players are expected to join the team for their home opener today at 4:00 PM. Shittu, an Edmonton native, starts his first professional season with the Stingers after competing for the UBC Thunderbirds and the UNBC Timberwolves. This past season with the T-birds, the 6’6” forward averaged 11.8 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. Bercy, the 6’6” Kanata, ON, native, has 6 seasons of professional experience under his belt, playing in multiple divisions in Span. He also suited up for the Vancouver Bandits during the inaugural 2019 season, where he managed 7.1 points per game. The pair are expected to join the team at their season opener today at 4:00 PM as the Stingers host the Calgary Surge at the Edmonton EXPO Cemtre. Tickets are available for as low as $20 per seat and can be purchased online or by contacting the Stingers head office via email ( [email protected] ) or phone (1-87STINGERS).

The Battle of Alberta picked up right where it left off on Sunday. In the opening game of the 2025 CEBL season, the Calgary Surge beat the Edmonton Stingers 86-84 at the Edmonton EXPO Centre. For the Stingers, their season starts in the same bitter way that the last two seasons ended after they fell to the Surge in the Western Conference semifinals each time. Meanwhile, the Surge — boasting a largely new lineup, including Jameer Nelson Jr., who scored the game winner — still seem to have the upper hand on their provincial rival. “I thought the crowd was great. I thought that was a lot of adversity for us. And it’s a rivalry, so I feel like we’re gonna be tested, but that was definitely a tough test to start the season,” Nelson Jr. said after the game. The Stingers took a 10-point lead into the fourth quarter, but the Surge responded with an 11-1 run to tie things up. Edmonton and Calgary remained knotted at 77 apiece when the clock was stopped for Target Score Time. The Stingers again raced to an advantage, scoring the next five points. But the Surge battled back once more with a 7-0 run before the Stingers tied the game at 84, setting the stage for next-bucket-wins territory. That’s when Nelson Jr. put a speedy end to things, racing coast-to-coast for a layup to seal the win in his first-ever CEBL game. “I didn’t know I was gonna get that open. I got full speed, so there was no reason to stop,” Nelson Jr., who was named game MVP, told sideline reporter Sarah Ryan. Nelson Jr. led the Surge with 22 points on seven-for-12 shooting, adding five rebounds and four assists. The 23-year-old, who is the son of longtime Orlando Magic guard Jameer Nelson, completed his NCAA career with Texas Christian University in 2024 before playing 30 games with the G League’s Austin Spurs, where he scored 11.4 points per contest. He had three simple words on his first taste of the Battle of Alberta. “I love it,” he told Ryan. On the other side, Stingers coach Jordan Baker said his team fell just short in a hard-fought contest. “Up and down. Game of runs, we just ended up on the wrong end of one at the end,” he said. Meanwhile, Calgary Surge head coach Kaleb Canales got an early lesson in what makes the CEBL so unique in his first game. Canales entered his first season as the only bench boss in league history with NBA experience after leading the Portland Trail Blazers for 23 games in 2012. He credited his team’s toughness for the comeback. “Season openers, there’s gonna be jitters, there’s gonna be mistakes. But basketball’s an imperfect game. It just shows the level of toughness we’ve shown throughout camp,” Canales said. Greg Brown III impressed in his first CEBL action with 14 points, seven rebounds and four blocks, while Sean Miller-Moore and Gabe Osabuohien also contributed 14 points each for Calgary. For Edmonton, Sean East II led the way with a game-high 22 points, plus eight rebounds and eight assists. East II, 24, graduated from the University of Missouri in 2024 and went on to spend his first professional season split between the G League’s South Bay Lakers and Romania’s BC Athletic Constanta. The springy guard managed to get into just four total games, all in Europe. Still, he showed no rust in averaging 25.5 points per contest. That offensive flare continued with Edmonton. “He’s dynamic with the ball in his hands, he’s capable from inside and out, he creates for others. I gave him a challenge before the game to rebound the basketball and he had eight of them,” Baker said. East II said he enjoyed his first taste of CEBL basketball. “It was good energy. It’s a different type of game. It’s entertainment, but it’s a serious game, so you gotta stay locked in on getting the win,” East II said. Stingers guard Aaron Rhooms, a Toronto native who just completed his junior season with Toronto Metropolitan University, added nine points and five rebounds in the loss. Forward Keon Ambrose-Hylton posted a 15-point, 12-rebound double-double. A fast-paced first quarter ended with the teams tied at 23, but the Surge took a 45-44 advantage into halftime after ending the second quarter on a 9-0 run. Edmonton responded with a big third quarter to take a 66-58 lead into the final 10 minutes. The game marked No. 1 of what is set to be the biggest CEBL season ever as the schedule expands to 24 games per team. Calgary and Edmonton will meet twice more, including on June 19 during the first CEBL game ever in Red Deer, Alta. Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600563 Up next Both teams return to the court Friday as Calgary’s season-opening road trip continues with a stop in Niagara to face the River Lions, while Edmonton travels to Winnipeg to meet the Sea Bears. The next CEBL game is Thursday night when the Saskatchewan Rattlers host the Vancouver Bandits. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games . - CEBL -

Partner branding to appear on all league referee jerseys this summer