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Les Sea Bears de Winnipeg présentés en tant que nouveau membre de la Ligue Élite Canadienne de Basketball

November 30, 2022

Asper dote le Centre Canada Life d'une équipe d'expansion de basketball professionnel 

La Ligue élite canadienne de basketball (LECB) a présenté les Sea Bears de Winnipeg en tant que plus récent membre de la ligue lors d'une conférence de presse mercredi au Centre Canada Life, l'aréna qui sera le domicile de l'équipe lors de ses débuts en 2023. La LECB a souhaité la bienvenue à l'homme d'affaires et avocat de Winnipeg David Asper en tant que propriétaire de l'équipe.


« Winnipeg est un marché idéal pour la Ligue élite canadienne de basketball grâce à une riche histoire de basketball qui remonte à 120 ans, son multiculturalisme et un emplacement qui unifie la portée géographique de la LECB de la Colombie-Britannique au Québec », a déclaré Mike Morreale, commissaire et cofondateur de la LECB. « Winnipeg était un marché cible depuis le lancement de la LECB en 2018 et nous attendions l'émergence d'un propriétaire exceptionnel qui partage notre passion pour le sport et le développement communautaire. David Asper est un bâtisseur communautaire de longue date qui aime profondément Winnipeg et nous sommes ravis de l'accueillir au sein de notre conseil de propriétaires. »


Le nom Sea Bears a été choisi en l'honneur du plus grand ours du monde, l'ours polaire dont le nom latin, Ursus maritimus, signifie « ours de mer ». Le principal prédateur de l'Arctique est emblématique du nord du Manitoba et rend hommage à l'ours en tant qu'espèce en danger qui partage le territoire du nord avec le peuple Déné. Winnipeg abrite la plus grande galerie d'art inuit et déné au monde, et l'ours polaire est un symbole du Nord et de ses habitants. Winnipeg abrite également la plus grande organisation de conservation des ours polaires au monde. Le zoo du parc Assiniboine à Winnipeg comprend l'exposition de renommée mondiale Voyage à Churchill sur les ours polaires.


« En tant que personne ayant un long passé de service communautaire, l'arrivée de cette équipe et de la LECB à Winnipeg est une preuve de l'engagement manifeste de la ligue envers la diversité, les communautés d'immigrants et de nouveaux arrivants, à travers le prisme de la culture, de la musique et de la nourriture, et cela est aussi important dans l'équation que le basketball professionnel », a déclaré Asper, qui, en plus d'être l'ancien président de la Fondation Asper et l'ancien doyen de la faculté de droit de l'Université du Manitoba, est actuellement président de la Commission de police du Manitoba et membre du Partenariat de la Fourche et de Portage Nord. « Le Manitoba a toujours eu une forte communauté de basketball qui grandit chaque année, à la fois de manière organique et en tant que sport auquel tout le monde peut facilement participer. Le basketball a le pouvoir d'inclure et d'unir, et les Sea Bears de Winnipeg joueront un rôle important dans la promotion de ces valeurs. »


La vaste implication communautaire d'Asper a été largement soulignée. Il est récipiendaire de la Médaille du jubilé de diamant de la reine Elizabeth II en reconnaissance de son service communautaire, a été nommé conseiller du roi par la province du Manitoba en 2019 et a reçu un doctorat honorifique en droit de l'Université du Manitoba. Il a été président du Winnipeg Folk Festival, des Blue Bombers de Winnipeg et de Centreventure. De plus, il a fait des dons importants pour établir le Centre de recherche David et Ruth Asper à la Pan Am Clinic Foundation à Winnipeg et le David Asper Centre for Constitutional Rights à l'Université de Toronto, qui a soutenu plusieurs des principales causes récentes du Canada impliquant la Charte des droits et libertés. David et sa famille ont également fait le don privé le plus important à la Fondation olympique canadienne, son épouse Ruth siégeant au conseil d'administration. Il a reçu plusieurs prix communautaires et est un fier membre du Winnipeg Football Club Hall of Fame.


Asper a annoncé que Jason Smith, cadre d'événements expérimenté de Winnipeg, sera le président de l'équipe des Sea Bears. Les 25 années d'expérience en leadership de Smith comprennent la gestion de l'exploitation et des ventes, la production d'événements et le développement des affaires. Il a produit plusieurs des événements les plus prestigieux de Winnipeg, y compris les prix Juno en 2014, le Festival de la Coupe Grey en 2015, la Classique héritage de la LNH, le Festival des Jeux d'été du Canada, ManyFest, Boo at the Zoo, Manitoba 150 et les « Whiteout Street Parties » des Jets de Winnipeg. Il siège également à plusieurs conseils d'administration et comités exécutifs qui comprennent actuellement des postes à la Galerie d'art de Winnipeg et à United Way Winnipeg.


Les couleurs officielles des Sea Bears sont le bleu sarcelle, le blanc et le noir. Ils deviendront le premier club de la LECB à jouer dans un aréna de la Ligue nationale de hockey. Situé au centre-ville de Winnipeg, le Centre Canada Life est le domicile des Jets de Winnipeg de la LNH et de leur filiale de la Ligue américaine de hockey, les Moose du Manitoba.


Le club établira son port d'attache dans les installations de Sport Manitoba, où l'équipe profitera d'espaces et services d'entraînement, de récupération et de réunion, en plus d'y avoir ses bureaux et ses opérations commerciales.


Les acomptes sur les billets pour la toute première saison en 2023 sont maintenant acceptés sur www.seabears.ca, où les partisans trouveront également les premiers articles aux couleurs de l'équipe et de plus amples informations sur l'équipe de basketball professionnel de Winnipeg. Les amateurs peuvent suivre l'équipe sur Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook et YouTube via @wpgseabears.


La LECB compte 10 équipes dans six provinces, ce qui en fait la plus grande ligue de sport professionnel au Canada. La LECB compte le pourcentage le plus élevé de joueurs canadiens de toutes les ligues professionnelles du pays, 71 % des joueurs des formations de 2022 étant des Canadiens. Les joueurs viennent de la NBA, de la NBA G League, des meilleures ligues internationales, du programme de l'équipe nationale canadienne et des meilleurs programmes de la NCAA et de U SPORTS. La saison de la LECB, seul partenaire de Ligue professionnelle de première division de Canada Basketball, se déroule de mai à août. De plus amples informations sur la LECB sont disponibles sur CEBL.ca et via @cebleague sur Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook et YouTube.

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The ability to play in the U.S. and go to and play (NCAA) Division One basketball didn't really exist. “Rowan was one of that first cohorts that played, and that was amazing, but it was so rare.” Now, there are nearly 200 Canadians playing in college basketball’s top division. Among those players is Liam, who recently accepted a five-year scholarship at Florida Atlantic University. Aidan plays for the renowned prep school Montverde Academy, which produced the likes of current Raptors RJ Barrett and Scottie Barnes. Liam heads to FAU with some CEBL background, having practised with Vancouver Bandits head coach Kyle Julius. 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