FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1. WHAT IS THE CANADIAN ELITE BASKETBALL LEAGUE (CEBL)?
The Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) is Canada’s professional basketball league, with 10 member clubs across six provinces. Blending global innovation with local connection, the league is redefining how the game is played and experienced while rooting its teams deeply in communities coast to coast. With a fan base of 4.1 million Canadians – up 57 per cent since 2022 – the CEBL has cultivated Canada’s youngest basketball audience, with more than half of its fans aged 34 or younger. Its rapid growth reflects its ability to connect authentically with a new generation of basketball fans while expanding the sport’s cultural footprint nationwide.
In 2025, the CEBL featured 17 players with NBA experience, and nearly 70 per cent of its athletes were Canadian – the highest proportion of domestic talent in any professional sports league in the country. To date, nearly 40 players have signed NBA contracts following CEBL seasons, which run from May through August. Visit
CEBL.ca or follow @cebleague on social media.
2. WHEN WAS THE CEBL ESTABLISHED?
The CEBL’s inaugural season was in 2019, but the league was officially established October 25, 2017 when the concept was registered as a national league running during the spring and summer months with FIBA rules. On May 2, 2018, the original six teams were announced (Edmonton Stingers, Fraser Valley Bandits, Guelph Nighthawks, Hamilton Honey Badgers, Niagara River Lions and Saskatchewan Rattlers) with a 20-game regular season schedule starting in 2019.
3. WHO ARE THE CEBL’S PARTNERS?
The CEBL’s official founding partners are:.
For a full list of current CEBL partners or to enquire about CEBL partnership opportunities, please visit
cebl.ca/partnerships.
4. HOW MANY TEAMS ARE CURRENTLY IN THE CEBL?
The CEBL currently has 10 teams in numerous major sports markets across Canada. There are five teams in the Eastern Conference (Brampton Honey Badgers,
Montreal Alliance,
Niagara River Lions,
Ottawa BlackJacks and
Scarborough Shooting Stars) and five teams in the Western Conference (Calgary Surge,
Edmonton Stingers,
SSK Professional Basketball Club,
Vancouver Bandits and
Winnipeg Sea Bears).
5. HOW MANY GAMES ARE IN A CEBL SEASON AND WHEN ARE THEY PLAYED?
In 2026, each team will play a 24-game regular season schedule and up to five playoff games, preceded by an eight-day training camp period. 120 total regular season games are played in a CEBL season and up to nine playoff games. The season runs from May to August.
In 2025, the CEBL expanded its regular season from 20 games to a 24-game format.
For the CEBL’s full schedule, please visit cebl.ca/schedule.
6. WHAT IS THE CEBL’S PLAYOFF FORMAT?
Historic New Playoff Format Debuts in 2026
The 2026 Canadian Elite Basketball League Playoffs will begin with single-elimination Conference Semifinals on Thursday, August 6, where the 1st seed faces the 4th seed and the 2nd seed faces the 3rd seed in each conference. Winners will advance to the Conference Finals on Saturday, August 8, also single elimination, with higher seeds hosting each round.
The CEBL Finals will be a best-of-three series from August 12–16, marking the first multi-game playoff series in league history:
- Game 1 – August 12
- Game 2 – August 15
- Game 3 (if necessary) – August 16
The lower seed team will host Game 1, while the higher seed will host Games 2 and 3 (if necessary), replacing the previous single-elimination Championship Weekend host team model.
For full details on the new Canadian Elite Basketball League's full in-market playoff model, visit cebl.ca/playoffs.
7. WHAT IS THE CEBL’S PLAYOFF TIE-BREAKING PROCEDURE?
When two (2) or more CEBL clubs are tied in the final conference standings at the conclusion of the regular season schedule, preferential ranking for playoff purposes shall be determined based on the following priorities and shall be awarded to the CEBL club which:
- Has won the greater number of games played against the other tied CEBL Club; or
- Has scored the higher net aggregate of points (i.e., points scored for less points scored against) in games played against the other tied CEBL Club; or
- Has scored the higher net quotient of points (i.e., points scored for divided by points scored against) in games played against the other tied CEBL Club; or
- Has scored the higher net aggregate of points in games played against all CEBL Clubs; or
- Has scored the higher net quotient of points in games played against all CEBL Clubs; or
- Has won a coin toss against the other tied CEBL Club.
In the event of a tie involving three (3) or more teams, the above tie-breaking criteria are applied one after another until all tied teams have been ranked. This means if the criteria from 1. above determines Team X as the higher seed and there is still a tie between teams Y and Z, then the ranking of the remaining teams will be determined by the criteria in 2. or 3. and so on, if necessary.
8. WHAT IS CHAMPIONSHIP WEEKEND?
From 2019 to 2025, CEBL Championship Weekend was an annual league celebration event featuring four finalists, including the host team, competing to win the league championship trophy. The event consisted of two Conference Final games and the CEBL Championship Game, along with the CEBL Awards, a concert lineup showcasing top musical performers, minor basketball events and an array of activities designed to engage a cross-section of the local community.
Host cities of Championship Weekend included:
- Saskatoon (2019)
- Edmonton (2021)
- Ottawa (2022)
- Vancouver (2023)
- Montreal (2024)
- Winnipeg (2025)
In 2026, the CEBL moved to an in-market CEBL playoff format with a best-of-three CEBL Finals. For full details on the new Canadian Elite Basketball League's full in-market playoff model, visit
cebl.ca/playoffs.
“Championship Weekend played a key role in building the foundation of our league and grew into Canada’s largest annual celebration of professional basketball. While we’re proud of what it became, moving to an in-market model allows us to deepen connections with our local communities and create new traditions that reflect the growth and maturity of the league,” said CEBL President Tyler Mazereeuw in January 2025.
9. WHAT IS TARGET SCORE?
Target Score Explained:
- The first time the game clock is stopped with 4:00 minutes or less in the 4th quarter of each game, timed play will end and a Target Score will be set, equal to the leading team's score plus nine (+9). EXAMPLE: At the stoppage, if the game's score is 77-71 then the Target Score after adding 9 points is 86
- The first team to reach the Target Score wins the game
- The shot clock will remain intact and used for the entire duration of the 4th quarter of the game as it normally would be
- The Target Score will be displayed in plain sight on each end of the court and on the broadcast
Intent of Target Score:
- Eliminate/reduce deliberate fouling by the trailing defense
- Eliminate/reduce stalling by the leading offense
- Eliminate/reduce rushed/sloppy possessions by the trailing offense
- Provide greater hope for late comebacks
- Provide more memorable game-ending moments
- Eliminate late-game clock controversies and reviews
10. HOW CAN I WATCH THE GAMES?
Fans can livestream all CEBL regular season, playoff and Championship Weekend games on CEBL+ powered by BetVictor, TSN+ and the CEBL Mobile app for iOS and Android devices. All games are also available on CEBL+ on demand.
In 2024, more than 50 CEBL games will be broadcast live nationally on
TSN and
Game+, with an additional eight games in French on
RDS. Next Level Sports & Entertainment – The U.S. Home for CEBL, will pick up 40 CEBL games for its U.S. audience, while international streaming service,
Courtside1891, will carry 27 games for subscribers outside of North America.
HOW TO WATCH ON CEBL+ FOR FREE:
NEW SUBSCRIBERS
- Head to plus.CEBL.ca
- Hit "SUBSCRIBE" on the top-right corner
- Select the CEBL+ Free Plan and hit "Join Us" or Select any preferred plan
- Follow the instructions to create your CEBL+ account
- Wait for confirmation and hit "login" to enjoy live and on-demand content
EXISTING SUBSCRIBERS
- Head to plus.CEBL.ca
- Hit "WATCH LIVE" to watch your preferred game or hit the "person" icon on the top-right corner of your screen
- Follow "login" instructions when prompted
- Enjoy live games and on-demand content
HOW TO WATCH ON CEBL MOBILE FOR FREE:
- Download CEBL Mobile app on iOS and Android devices
- Hit "WATCH" at the bottom of the screen
- Select the game you want to watch "live"
- Login or register using the instructions provided
- Enjoy Live and on-demand content
HOW TO WATCH GAMES ON CHROMECAST OR GOOGLE TV:
- Open up CEBL Mobile
- Head to the Watch tab at the bottom of the screen
- Click on the live game or video you want to watch
- Click on the Cast button in the top right-hand corner
- Select the TV/device you'd like to cast to
HOW TO WATCH GAMES AND VIDEOS ON APPLE TV FROM AN iOS DEVICE:
- Open up CEBL Mobile
- Head to the Watch tab at the bottom of the screen
- Click on the video you want to watch
- Click on the Airplay button inside the video
- Select the TV you'd like to cast to
12. HOW CAN I BUY TICKETS?
Tickets for every team are available on each team’s website. Please visit cebl.ca/tickets for direct links for each team’s ticketing information.
13. HOW CAN I BUY MERCHANDISE?
Merchandise information for every team is available on each team’s website. Please visit cebl.ca/shop for direct links to each team’s online store.
14. WHERE DO CEBL PLAYERS COME FROM?
The CEBL boasts the highest percentage of Canadian players of any pro league in the country with nearly 70 per cent of its rosters being Canadian and a record 17 players with NBA 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.
15. HOW MANY PLAYERS ARE ON CEBL ROSTERS?
There can be a maximum of 14 total players on a CEBL roster with each team’s active rosters consisting of a maximum of 12 players and a minimum of 10 players.
There is a maximum of five import players on an active roster and a maximum of six import players overall on a team’s 14-man roster.
There must always be two Canadians out of the five players on the floor at all times.
16. DOES THE CEBL HAVE AN ENTRY DRAFT?
The ‘CEBL Draft’ serves as the league’s annual entry draft for eligible Canadian U SPORTS and Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) student-athletes. Every Canadian post-secondary student-athlete playing in Canada has an equal opportunity to be drafted into the league.
Held annually in the spring, the draft consists of three rounds and 30 players selected in total with each club making three selections (one in each round) of either returning or graduating Canadian post-secondary players. The priority of selection in round one is in the reverse order of how each team finished the previous regular season, and the following rounds revert to a ‘snake format’ in reverse order of the previous round.
The CEBL Draft presents a coveted opportunity for top Canadian post-secondary players to get a chance to experience professional basketball by practicing and playing alongside veteran pro basketball players from the NBA, NBA G League, Canadian National team, and top international leagues.
Both players that are returning developmental players (recognized Canadians with experience as a student-athlete with remaining eligibility) and those that have exhausted their academic eligibility are eligible to be drafted. CEBL teams are incentivized to have developmental players on their active roster as up to a maximum of three will not count against a club’s per game active roster salary cap.
All developmental players will become free agents at the conclusion of the CEBL season and can maintain eligibility to be selected in following year's CEBL Draft and/or sign with a CEBL club and re-enter the league as a developmental player.
The 2025 CEBL Draft took place in April and for the first time, the selections were unveiled live on CEBL+ (plus.cebl.ca) via the ‘2025 CEBL Draft Reveal Show’. The full replay of the show can be watched on CEBL+ Video-on-Demand.
CEBL Draft Results Year-by-Year:
17. HOW CAN I TRACK PLAYER TRANSACTIONS?
Every player transaction is logged on CEBL.ca at cebl.ca/transactions. You can also frequently visit CEBL.ca and follow @cebleague on Instagram, Twitter & Facebook for up-to-date news on team rosters and player signings.
18. HAVE ANY CEBL PLAYERS GRADUATED OR GONE BACK TO PLAY IN THE NBA?
Nearly 40 players have signed NBA contracts following a CEBL season, and numerous CEBL players attend NBA G League training camps every year.
19. WHICH TEAM HAS WON THE MOST CEBL CHAMPIONSHIPS?
The Edmonton Stingers (2020, 2021) and Niagara River Lions (2024, 2025) have each won two CEBL Championships.
The full list of CEBL champions is as follows:
2019 – Saskatchewan Rattlers
2020 – Edmonton Stingers
2021 – Edmonton Stingers
2022 – Hamilton Honey Badgers
2023 – Scarborough Shooting Stars
2024 – Niagara River Lions
2025 - Niagara River Lions
20. HOW CAN I TRY OUT FOR THE CEBL?
The CEBL doesn't hold open tryouts, but players and/or agents can visit cebl.ca/playerprofiles to submit eligibility and connect directly with coaches and general managers across the league.
21. WHERE CAN I LEARN MORE OR HAVE OTHER QUESTIONS ANSWERED?
For more information or to connect with someone at the CEBL’s head office, please visit cebl.ca/cebl-leadership-team.