Calgary Surge Announce Tyrell Vernon as New Head Coach for the 2024 Season

April 18, 2024

Tyrell Vernon will be the next head coach of the Calgary Surge and lead the team for the 2024 season, the team announced Thursday. 


Vernon just wrapped his third season as head coach of the St. Francis Xavier X Men basketball program. He joined the X-Men and X-Women coaching staff as an associate coach in April 2019. He then succeeded long-time head coach (and Surge Senior Advisor) Steve Konchalski, as the head coach of the X-Men basketball program at the completion of the 2020-21 season. Vernon was named the 2023 Atlantic University Sport (AUS) Coach of the Year and led the X Men to the AUS Championship title and a U SPORTS silver medal. 


“Tyrell is one of the most elite young coaches in our country,” said Surge Senior Advisor Steve Konchalski. “He has won at every level (including the Ontario Scholastic Basketball Association, U SPORTS, and the Canadian Elite Basketball League) and we are fortunate that he has chosen the Surge to be a part of his coaching journey. I am confident we can continue to grow together.” 


The Hamilton, Ontario native is no stranger to the CEBL. He served as assistant coach for the Scarborough Shooting Stars for the 2022 and 2023 seasons. He played a critical role in the Shooting Stars’ success with the team making Championship Final appearances in both years and winning the CEBL Championship in 2023 over the Calgary Surge. Vernon has also served as the head coach of the boys basketball team at TRC Academy, a prep school in Brantford, Ontario. During his tenure, the team realized many successes including winning back-to-back OSBA championships in 2018 and 2019. He was named 2019 OSBA Coach of the Year. 


“We are thrilled about the addition of Tyrell Vernon to the Calgary Surge. Tyrell is a rising star in the Canadian basketball scene and is known for his infectious positive energy and strong connections within the community,” said Surge General Manager Shane James. “With his extensive knowledge of the game, Tyrell has achieved remarkable success in his coaching career at St. FX University. We have full confidence that he will bring that same level of success to the professional level and could not be more excited to have him on board.”


Prior to his coaching career, Vernon played with the X-Men for two seasons in 2011-12 and 2012-13, having been a key part of the team that won a U SPORTS bronze medal in 2012. He went on to play with the Mississauga Power of the National Basketball League of Canada (NBL) and then earned the 2013 North of the Border Basketball League (NBBL) most valuable player and a championship with Team 905. 


“I am honoured and excited for this opportunity with the Calgary Surge,” said Surge Head Coach Tyrell Vernon. “I am looking forward to working with everyone in the organization and connecting with the Calgary community.” 


Fans can now purchase their tickets to the highly anticipated 2024 Season Opener at the Scotiabank Saddledome on May 21 at www.calgarysurge.ca/surge2thedome. 



About the Calgary Surge

The Calgary Surge tipped off their inaugural season at WinSport Event Centre in May 2023, after originating the Guelph Nighthawks, one of the founding members of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL). From day one, the Surge have been committed to being the Home Team for Calgary and a space where everyone is welcome.


The Calgary Surge are active members of the community and have participated in a few hundred events (and counting) around the city that connect the team with diverse communities through sport and entertainment. In their inaugural season, the Surge finished 1st overall in the Western Conference

and were crowned Western Conference Champions in the playoffs. For more information, visit www.calgarysurge.ca.



About the Canadian Elite Basketball League

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 2023 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. Fourteen 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. More information about the CEBL is available at CEBL.ca and @cebleague on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook & YouTube.

‘To Learn and to Serve’: Why BlackJacks Coach Mazzulla Chose the CEBL

August 5, 2026
Justin Mazzulla has had no shortage of coaching role models in his life. His dad, Daniel Mazzulla Jr., coached boys and girls high-school teams growing up in Johnston, R.I. His brother, Joe Mazzulla, won the 2024 NBA title as coach of the Boston Celtics. Justin also played for multiple coaches in his career on the court, which spanned NCAA stops at George Washington and Vermont before moving onto the sidelines as a video co-ordinator with the Utah Jazz. Yet despite the bevy of potential idols, it’s a legendary hockey coach from whom Mazzulla takes inspiration. “I like Herb Brooks' coaching style,” Mazzulla said. “It's a great movie, obviously, with the end, but I just like the team and the journey of the team.” Mazzulla is referring to the movie Miracle, which depicts the Brooks-led 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team’s underdog triumph over the Soviet Union in Salt Lake City. He said he watches the film often as motivation. Now in his first head-coaching stint as leader of the Ottawa BlackJacks, it wouldn’t be classified as miraculous if Mazzulla got his hands on the championship trophy next month. But the BlackJacks do sit in the middle of a dogged Eastern Conference playoff race as the season enters its final games, and it would be considered an upset of sorts for any team other than the conference-leading Scarborough Shooting Stars to represent the East in the Finals. Mazzulla said his team isn’t paying close attention to the standings. “Whether we have a solidified spot in first or second or third or fourth, we're still competing for the playoffs and then pushing towards the championship. So managing expectations in that journey is super important,” he said. When Mazzulla was hired by the BlackJacks in January, he became the youngest head coach in CEBL history at 27 years, 26 days at the time of his appointment. It’s a role the December baby said he has envisioned and manifested for his whole life, taking over the bench of a professional basketball team. The end game, if all goes to plan, is to be an NBA head coach. “But I think right now, just my ultimate goal is to help others be the best version of themselves and to learn from everybody. To learn and to serve,” Mazzulla said. Even though he played, Mazzulla always knew his ultimate destiny in basketball would be on the sidelines. After finishing his NCAA career, he took on a role as a graduate assistant at the University of Rhode Island before joining the Jazz as assistant video co-ordinator and their G League squad as assistant coach. “I always just wanted to be a coach. I think as a player, I was a player's coach. I'm a coach's son. So it kind of was helping people be the best version of themselves and I tried it on the court and it always stuck and I always wanted to do it,” he said. For Mazzulla, then, it made sense to spend a summer in Canada’s capital, where he could take the reins for the first time in a league full of players who are just trying to be better. That’s his why, after all. In Ottawa, he specifically mentioned helping U Sports player Justin Ndjock-Tadjore understand and grow into his role while challenging star guard Javonte Smart to become more of a vocal leader. “Everyone has a skill and everyone has something to bring to the table. The best part is helping that person find that skill or that talent and helping the person see it all come together with a team and taking one person, helping them see the best version of themselves and applying it from a holistic standpoint,” Mazzulla said. “So kind of like doing a puzzle, just trying to help someone see the beauty in there and what they have and then putting it in to see a bigger picture.” Still, as a rookie coach, he reached out to brother Joe for some advice before taking over the BlackJacks. While the Celtics boss didn’t offer him all the solutions, he did provide a different kind of guidance. “In terms of timeout usage, game management, substitution patterns, offensive execution patterns — instead of him speaking his philosophy, he more was like, ‘If you find this situation, you could maybe try and go about it this way, but it always doesn't mean it leads to something that you may like,’” Justin said. Besides, Joe has never coached in the CEBL, which is a whole different animal than the NBA when considering the FIBA rules, Canadian lineups and Target Score Time. Justin said the latter has been his biggest adjustment: “the importance of executing and how you can get your team to in crucial moments work together to get the best shot and not fall in love with hunting nine points.” He said his offensive tactics with the clock off have evolved drastically from the beginning of the season. It’s all part of the learning experience. “You build relationships with tons of different people and you just gain different experiences and see different things each and every game,” he said. And perhaps, if things go to plan for the BlackJacks the next few weeks, he’ll have his own ‘Miracle on Hardwood.’

Canadian Elite Basketball League Statement

August 5, 2026
Following the League's review of the on-court altercation that occurred during the August 3, 2026 game between the Scarborough Shooting Stars and the Brampton Honey Badgers, the League has issued fines to both teams and the following disciplinary decisions for the players involved:  Roddy Peters Jr. (Brampton Honey Badgers): Two-game suspension and fine Tegra Izay (Brampton Honey Badgers): One-game suspension and fine Myles Powell (Scarborough Shooting Stars): Fine Javan Johnson (Scarborough Shooting Stars): One-game suspension and fine Frank Mitchell (Scarborough Shooting Stars): One-game suspension and fine Terquavion Smith (Scarborough Shooting Stars): Two-game suspension and fine All disciplinary decisions are effective immediately. ###

Canadian Elite Basketball League Statement On The Passing Of Jamie Burns

August 4, 2026
The Canadian Elite Basketball League is deeply saddened by the passing of Jamie Burns, Chair of our Board of Directors and Co-Owner and Managing Partner on the Edmonton Stingers. Jamie helped shape our league from its earliest days, guiding with vision and care. That vision was rooted in decades of experience including helping bring the NBA to Canada and launching the Toronto Raptors, serving as a director of Canada Basketball, and building one of Edmonton's most respected business careers. He believed in the power of sport to bring people together, strengthen communities, and create opportunities for others. We are committed to carrying that belief forward in his honour. On behalf of all of our teams, employees and many partners, we extend our deepest condolences to Jamie's family, friends, and the Edmonton Stingers organization. We share in your grief and we are grateful for the privilege of having worked alongside and being able to call Jamie Burns our friend. -00-

Tsn Fait Équipe Avec La Ligue Élite Canadienne De Basketball Pour Les Séries Éliminatoires 2026

August 4, 2026
Le chef de file sportif canadien offrira une couverture nationale complète du 6 au 16 août de la course au championnat de la LECB

TSN Teams Up With Canadian Elite Basketball League For 2026 Playoffs

August 4, 2026
Canada's Sports Leader to deliver comprehensive national coverage August 6 - 16 ofthe race to the CEBL Championship

Winnipeg Sea Bears Sign Forward Ben Stevens for 2026 Playoff Run

August 4, 2026
The Winnipeg Sea Bears announced August 4, 2026, that they've signed forward Ben Stevens ahead of the team's upcoming playoff run. The signing was completed before the CEBL's August 3 transaction deadline, and Stevens is playoff eligible with Winnipeg, having appeared in enough games with the Montréal Alliance during the 2026 regular season to qualify under league rules. Stevens arrives with four seasons of professional experience across seven leagues in seven countries, including stints in Germany, the Czech Republic, North Macedonia, Azerbaijan, Australia, Mongolia, and Canada. His most prolific professional stretch came with the South West Slammers in Australia's NBL1, where he averaged 18.0 points and 12.4 rebounds across 19 games in 2023. For his career, Stevens has averaged 10.1 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 25.0 minutes across 128 professional games. Stevens shared his excitement about joining the club: "I'm incredibly excited to be joining the Winnipeg Sea Bears for the playoffs! I'm grateful for the opportunity and can't wait to get to work with this group. I'm looking forward to making a strong playoff push, competing at a high level, and doing whatever I can to help the team win. Let's get after it!" A graduate of Wilfrid Laurier University with a degree in Environmental Studies, Stevens finished his 2022-23 graduate season averaging 10.3 points and 9.1 rebounds per game. The Halifax native is also the founder of Big Ben's Basketball Camps, which delivered skills programming to 30 youth athletes across two summers. ###

Les Séries Éliminatoires De La LECB 2026 Commencent Jeudi

August 3, 2026
La ligue lance un nouveau format de séries éliminatoires qui se termine par la première finale de l'histoire de la LECB qui se tiendra sur plusieurs matchs

2026 CEBL Playoffs Set To Begin Thursday

August 3, 2026
League debuts new playoff format, capped by the first multi-game CEBL Finals series in history

CEBL Statement - Game Start Delay Notice - Sunday, August 2

August 2, 2026
Tomorrow's Canadian Elite Basketball League game in Vancouver between the Winnipeg Sea Bears and the Vancouver Bandits has been moved from 12:30 p.m. PT / 3:30 p.m. ET to 2:00 p.m. PT / 5:00 p.m. ET due to travel disruptions. The League will provide updates as necessary.

Aperçu hebdomadaire de la LECB : Les enjeux de la dernière semaine de la saison régulière

July 29, 2026
C'est la dernière semaine de la saison de la LECB et il reste encore beaucoup à décider, en commençant par les places pour les séries éliminatoires jusqu’au classement des têtes de série. Commençons sans plus attendre... Conférence de l'Est Nous savons (nous savions depuis longtemps, en réalité) que les Shooting Stars de Scarborough entreront en séries éliminatoires en tant que la meilleure équipe de l'Est et qu'ils sont l'équipe à battre. Les Shooting Stars n'ont pas lâché prise depuis qu'ils se sont taillés au premier rang. D’ailleurs, ils ont remporté une série de trois victoires lors de leur dernière paire de matchs. L'objectif est maintenant de maintenir les bons moments tout au long du mois d'août. Quand est-il du reste de la conférence? Eh bien, bonne chance pour faire le tri dans tout ça. Oui... encore à ce jour. Les Honey Badgers de Brampton et les River Lions de Niagara, deux fois champions en titre, occupent une position favorable, chacun ayant remporter 10 victoires. La première équipe a encore trois matchs à jouer tandis que la seconde en a deux. Brampton, cependant, devra faire face à une tâche de taille en accueillant une équipe désespérée de Montréal avant de terminer la saison avec des matchs aller-retour contre les Shooting Stars. Ce ne sera pas facile non plus pour Niagara, qui se dirige vers l'ouest pour clore la saison sur la route contre le Mamba de Saskatoon et le Surge de Calgary. Mais les deux équipes peuvent compter sur leur pédigrée avec Sean East II, finaliste du joueur le plus utile en 2025, parmi les Honey Badgers, tandis que les River Lions comptent sur le double récipiendaire du titre de joueur le plus utile dans les finales, Khalil Ahmad, qui a été le joueur du match lors de leur récente victoire contre les BlackJacks d'Ottawa. La pression est forte pour les joueurs de la capitale nationale, qui sont à égalité avec l'Alliance de Montréal à 9-13 au bas de la conférence. L'Alliance termine sa saison régulière avec des matchs contre les Bandits de Vancouver et les Honey Badgers avant même que les BlackJacks ne reviennent sur le terrain. Ottawa saura ce qu'il faut faire lorsqu'elle visitera les Sea Bears de Winnipeg et les Stingers d'Edmonton pour clore sa saison. Bien sûr, si Ottawa et Montréal l'emportent, la pression sera exercée sur Niagara et Brampton. L'Est, comme c'est le cas depuis la plus grande partie du mois, demeure un fouillis. Conférence de l'Ouest Les choses sont un peu plus simples dans l'Ouest. Les Stingers d'Edmonton ont rendu les choses intéressantes, mais leur victoire 100-89 contre le Surge de Calgary dimanche leur a assuré la dernière place de la conférence en séries éliminatoires. Ils ont ainsi arrêté la renaissance en fin de saison de leur rival albertain et les ont empêchés d'atteindre les séries éliminatoires. Edmonton se joindra à Vancouver, Winnipeg et Saskatoon pour les séries éliminatoires, mais qui joue qui doit encore être décidé. Au sommet, les Bandits (14-8) détiennent une avance d'un match sur les Sea Bears (13-7). Encerclez dimanche dans votre calendrier, car les deux forces de l'Ouest se rencontreront en Colombie-Britannique pour leur finale de saison ce jour-là dans un affrontement qui pourrait déterminer le déroulement des séries éliminatoires. Si les choses s'alignent correctement, cela pourrait créer une atmosphère de type pseudo-éliminatoire au Langley Event Centre. Pendant ce temps, deux jours plus tôt, le Mamba et les Stingers s'affronteront dans une compétition qui pourrait avoir des répercussions sur la troisième place dans la capitale albertaine. En fin de compte, ils seront tous deux des underdogs sur la route contre les Bandits ou les Sea Bears. Mais s'ils ont une préférence d’adversaire, c'est là qu'ils pourraient aider à changer leurs destins. Finalement, Calgary a été réduit au rôle de saboteur, car l’équipe pourrait mettre fin à l'année des River Lions si elle inflige une défaite aux troupes de l'entraîneur Kimbal Mackenzie lors de leur dernier match. Ce serait une sacrée façon de terminer la campagne pour une équipe de Calgary qui a eu une énergie positive pendant la majeure partie de l'été, mais qui n'a tout simplement pas pu réparer les dégâts qu'elle a causés au début de la saison. Tout cela s'ajoute à ce qui devrait être une fin effrénée. Horaire hebdomadaire (11 matchs) Match #110 — Le mardi 28 juillet — VAN à MTL — 19 h 30 (HE)/16 h 30 (HP) — L’Auditorium de Verdun (CBC Gem, YouTube, RDS, CEBL+) Match #111 — Le mercredi 29 juillet — NRL à SSK — 19 h 30 (HNC)/21 h 30 (HE) — SaskTel Centre (CBC Gem, YouTube, CEBL+) Match #112 — Le jeudi 30 juillet — MTL à BHB — 19 h 30 (HE) – CAA Centre (CBC Gem, YouTube, CEBL+) Match #113 — Le vendredi 31 juillet — OTT à WPG — 19 h (HAC) / 20 h (HE) — Canada Life Centre (CBC Gem, YouTube, CEBL+) Match #114 — Le vendredi 31 juillet — SSK à EDM — 19 h (HNC)/(HR)/21 h (HE) — Edmonton EXPO Centre (CBC Gem, YouTube, CEBL+) Match #115 — Le vendredi 31 juillet — NRL à CGY — 19 h 30 (HR) / 21 h 30 (HE) – WinSport Event Centre (CBC Gem, YouTube, CEBL+) Match #116 — Le samedi 1er août — SSS à BHB — 19 h (HE) – CAA Centre (CBC Gem, YouTube, CEBL+) Match #117 — Le dimanche 2 août — WPG à VAN — 12 h 30 (HP)/14 h 30 (HAC)/15 h 30 (HE) — Envision Financial Court au Langley Events Centre (CBC, CBC Gem, YouTube, CEBL+) Match #118 — Le dimanche 2 août — OTT à EDM — 16 h (HR) / 18 h (HE) — Edmonton EXPO Centre (CBC Gem, YouTube, CEBL+) Match #119 — Le lundi 3 août — BHB à SSS — 16 h (HE) — Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre (CBC Gem, YouTube, CEBL+) Match #120 — Le lundi 3 août — CGY à SSK — 16 h (HNC)/(HR)/18 h (HE) — Merlis Belsher Place (CBC Gem, YouTube, CEBL+) Pour le calendrier complet de la LECB 2026, veuillez consulter cebl.ca/games .