Rain is beginning to give way to sunshine, pollen counts are rising and Target Score Time is around the corner. Indeed, spring has sprung and a new CEBL season — the eighth in history — is set to begin Saturday, May 9, back where it all began in the league’s inaugural season on CBC TV and CBC Gem. Some things have changed. For example, Championship Weekend is no more, replaced instead by playoff tilts set at the higher seed’s venue and a three-game CEBL Finals. And so this CEBL title will be the hardest-earned yet as the Niagara River Lions go for a three-peat while the other nine franchises look to dethrone Khalil Ahmad and company. Here’s a capsule look at each team ahead of tip-off: EASTERN CONFERENCE Niagara River Lions Head coach: Kimbal Mackenzie; Last season: 14-10, won CEBL championship It’s same, same but different in St. Catharines, Ont., where two-time Finals MVP Ahmad returns looking to help the River Lions become the first team to win three straight championships. Other parts of that title DNA also remain intact, including dependable big man Elijah Lufile and forward Nathan Cayo. However, there is one massive change in Niagara this season: champion coach Victor Raso has moved into an advisory role with the club, while longtime point guard and captain Mackenzie has taken over the sidelines as head coach. The pieces are in place for a smooth transition — but how it all fits together is the big question. Ottawa BlackJacks Head coach: Justin Mazzulla; Last season: 12-12, eliminated in Eastern Conference Semifinal Speaking of championship DNA, the BlackJacks brought in Justin Mazzulla — whose brother Joe led the Boston Celtics to an NBA title just two years ago — as head coach, looking to impart some of that intensity his family is known for. Familiar faces like Canadians Justin Jackson and Tyrrel Tate will suit up for Mazzulla while G Leaguers Matthew Cleveland and Drew Cisse — the latter of whom played under Mazzulla with the Delaware Blue Coats —aim to provide a fresh spark as Ottawa seeks its first-ever Finals appearance. Scarborough Shooting Stars Last season: 11-13, eliminated in Eastern Conference Final The Shooting Stars will look to follow up their run to the Eastern Conference Final last season with a more consistent effort this time around. Champions in 2023, Scarborough hasn’t quite rediscovered that mojo since as it’s cycled through coaches and players alike. But with Tyrell Vernon, a former Shooting Stars assistant, returning as head coach and Canadian NCAAer Kellen Tynes coming aboard for his first run at the CEBL, things seem headed in a positive direction. Montreal Alliance Head coach: Jermaine Small; Last season: 9-15, eliminated in Eastern Conference Play-In The Alliance underwent a full revamp last season, headlined by the addition of the two-time champion coach Small. It all seemed to be working smoothly as Montreal won its first four games in blowout fashion; however, the Quebec squad managed just five wins the rest of the way. Small is back for another go this season alongside star player and Montreal native Quincy Guerrier, who averaged 16.2 points and 7.3 rebounds across 21 games last season. The 26-year-old is also coming off his second season with Raptors 905, where he scored 9.9 points per game while earning consistent minutes off the bench. Brampton Honey Badgers Head coach: Alex Cerda; Last season: 5-19, missed playoffs These aren’t your same old Honey Badgers who won just 11 games in the past two seasons. No, Brampton will look completely different this season, starting with the fierce backcourt duo of Sean East II and Jameer Nelson Jr., who spent last season as rivals in the Battle of Alberta with the Stingers and Surge, respectively. East II was MVP runner-up and a first-team All-CEBLer in 2025, scoring 22.8 points per game as a league rookie while knocking down 41.9 per cent of his three-point attempts. Nelson Jr. won defensive player of the year honours, snagging three steals per game to go with 19.4 points. Add another former Stinger in Keon Ambrose-Hylton, veterans like Prince Oduro and Danilo Djuricic and rookie Canadian Matthew Moncrieffe and this Brampton team appears like a force to be reckoned with. WESTERN CONFERENCE Vancouver Bandits Head coach: Kyle Julius; Last season: 19-5, eliminated in Western Conference Semifinal You know the Bandits are going to come out with a vengeance this season after their shocking playoff elimination at the hand of the Surge last season. And while MVP Mitch Creek’s return is in question, the roster still looks strong. Returning is the guard-forward combo of Shamar Givance and reigning Canadian player of the year Tyrese Samuel, who will provide stability and upside for Kyle Julius’s troops. Some extra experience will come in the form of Tevian Jones, a 17.8-point-per-game scorer over 33 career CEBL contests. Vancouver will also have first-year player Mychal Mulder, a Windsor, Ont., sharpshooter with 84 games of NBA experience. Despite constantly being in contention, Vancouver is still seeking its first-ever title. Calgary Surge Head coach: Perry Huang; Last season: 17-7, lost in CEBL Championship Final Feeling the momentum from its run to the Championship Final last season, Calgary brought back Surge staple Rugzy Miller-Moore and shifty guard Evan Gilyard II to cement its backcourt for rookie head coach Perry Huang, who won two WNBA titles while coaching the likes of Sue Bird and Breanna Stewart a Seattle Storm assistant. Canadian centre Javonte Brown is also back for a second stint with the Surge while Calgarians Brandon Muntu and Caelum Swanton-Rodger, a seven-footer, will get their first shots with the local club. Like Vancouver, Calgary has twice lost in the CEBL Championship Final and is still looking for its first championship. Edmonton Stingers Head coach: Jordan Baker; Last season: 15-9, eliminated in Western Conference Play-In The Stingers had a tough draw last season, having to go through the play-in despite owning the league’s third-best record. But with the new playoff format, that won’t be a problem. And even having lost East II and Ambrose-Hylton to Brampton, the Stingers will enjoy some continuity with the likes of veterans Nick Hornsby and Mason Bourcier back in the fold. Head coach and president Jordan Baker was a key part of the Stingers’ back-to-back titles in 2020 and 2021 — now, he’s hoping to lead his hometown team back to the promised land. Winnipeg Sea Bears Head coach: Mike Raimbault; Last season: 11-13, eliminated in Western Conference Final The Sea Bears answered fans’ call for change after a disappointing season as Championship Weekend hosts, tapping the University of Winnipeg’s Raimbault to lead their charges. Raimbault will have some talent to work with, too, in the form of former MVPs Xavier Moon and Teddy Allen, who are both making their CEBL returns. Moon, considered by some the greatest player in league history, last played in 2021, the last of his three consecutive MVP seasons with the Stingers before joining the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers. He’s averaged 20.9 points per game in his career, but he’ll have to share the ball with Allen, the 2023 MVP who’s back with Winnipeg after a year away. At 25 points per game, Allen sits third in CEBL history and first among those with more than 32 games played. Saskatoon Mamba Head coach: Isaiah Fox; Last season: 7-17, missed playoffs The first-ever CEBL champions have yet to bring home another title — and so they’re shaking things up, with the Rattlers nickname now a thing of the past, making way for the Saskatoon Mamba. Leading the first edition of the Mamba are returnees Jaden Bediako and Devonte Bandoo alongside first-year Canadian guard Jamal Fuller, who put up 16.1 points per game for Long Island University last season. The refreshed Mamba will face a difficult slate through the Western Conference, including two tough games right out of the gates against Vancouver and Winnipeg. ###