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Local Edmonton Group Buys Edmonton Stingers Basketball Team

February 23, 2023

February 23rd, 2023, Edmonton AB - The Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) has announced that the Edmonton Stingers have been purchased by Stingers Entertainment Group (SEG)—a partnership between three Edmontonians: Reed Clarke, Taranvir (Tank) Vander, and James Burns.  Clarke will remain President while stepping into a new role as Chief Executive Officer and Partner, while Vander and Burns will act as Managing Partners. The team was formerly owned by the CEBL. 


“On behalf of the CEBL Board of Governors, I am very excited to announce the purchase of the two-time CEBL Champion Edmonton Stingers by Stingers Entertainment Group,” said CEBL Commissioner and Co-Founder Mike Morreale. “Reed is a life-long Edmontonian while Tank and James are Edmonton transplants who bring proven business acumen, local industry experience and share the passion for the tremendous community-based work that Reed and his Stingers staff have already accomplished in the greater Edmonton market. This purchase by local owners continues to strengthen the CEBL's position as a mainstay in Canadian professional sport."


The Stingers are the sixth CEBL team to move to local ownership, joining the Niagara River Lions, Scarborough Shooting Stars, Vancouver Bandits, Calgary Surge, and Winnipeg Sea Bears.


“As someone new to Canada in the early nineties, hockey was an alien sport for me, I grew up playing basketball and cricket in my youth,” said Vander. “My kids naturally gravitated to basketball at school level as NBA was the only sport on TV at home. I am excited to be part of this team and hope to drive community engagement and get more new Canadians involved in this great sport.”


“Having two prominent business leaders such as Tank and James join me in buying the Stingers is really the culmination and validation of years of hard work from everyone who has been involved with the Stingers since day one,” said Clarke. “ With our Stingers Entertainment Group being Edmonton-based owners, we are now in a position to take our team and our organization’s community involvement to the next level. SEG is committed to being a positive force across the Edmonton region 12 months a year. There will be more news to come on that front in the coming weeks. Stay tuned!”


The Stingers will kick start the 2023 season with a back-to-back series against the newly- formed Calgary Surge- first in Calgary on Saturday, May 27 and then home in Edmonton at 4 p.m. on Sunday, May 28.  This is an exciting way to begin a new rivalry and add to the long existing one in hockey and football between Alberta’s two major cities.


Season tickets are now available starting as low as $190 for all 10 home games this summer. If the Stingers host a playoff game, that is included for free for season ticket holders.  Basketball fans across the Edmonton region who want to be part of the excitement and energy as our two-time champions shoot for number three can head to
www.thestingers.ca for more details on tickets and the 2023 schedule.


Reed Clarke

Clarke has served as president of the Stingers since November 2021 and led the team through the 2022 season.  He has led the Stingers organization through numerous community programs and initiatives in the 2022-23 offseason. Prior to his work with the Stingers, Clarke served as Director of Marketing at Auto Canada. 


Tank Vander

Vander, longtime business partner of Burns, helped cofound Ace Liquor and currently serves as President (Liquor Division) at SNDL (formerly Alcanna INC.). He is an avid sports fan and active member of the community. 


James Burns

Burns has a long history in business and basketball in Canada. He was co-head of the 1994 World Championships of Basketball in Toronto and key advisor to John Bitove in first attracting the NBA to Canada and then establishing and launching  the Toronto Raptors. He served as a director of Canada Basketball for three years. Most recently he was Vice-Chair and Chief Executive Officer of Alcanna, one of Edmonton’s largest publicly-traded companies with over 2,500 employees.



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 71 percent of its 2022 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. Nine players have moved from the CEBL into the NBA following a CEBL season, and 28 CEBL players attended NBA G League training camps during October. 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.

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Les BlackJacks d'Ottawa de la Ligue Élite Canadienne de Basketball (LECB), la plus grande ligue sportive professionnelle du Canada, ont annoncé aujourd'hui que l'équipe a signé un contrat avec le arrière Shakur Daniel pour la saison 2025. Daniel, 25 ans, se joint aux BlackJacks après avoir récemment terminé sa première année dans la G-League de la NBA, où il obtient une moyenne de 2,4 points par match et de 2,4 rebonds par match pour les Clippers de San Diego. Il est l'un des 11 Canadiens à avoir joué dans la ligue au cours de la saison 2024-25. Ses 27 matchs joués au cours de la campagne l'ont placé à égalité au deuxième rang parmi les Clippers de première année, tandis que ses 2,0 passes décisives par match l'ont placé à égalité au premier rang parmi tous les joueurs canadiens recrutés dans la G-League. « Shakur est un compétiteur de haut niveau qui a la capacité d'influencer le jeu de différentes façons », a déclaré le directeur général des BlackJacks, James Derouin. « Tout au long de son expérience dans la NCAA, au niveau international et dans la G-League, il a montré qu'il était prêt à faire tout ce qu'il fallait pour gagner. Nous avons hâte de le voir démontrer cette compétitivité dans la capitale nationale cet été. » Le natif d'Ajax, en Ontario, qui mesure 6'6 », a déjà une expérience internationale du basketball puisqu'il a passé la campagne 2023-24 avec le KK Feniks 2010 de la première ligue macédonienne, où il a joué en moyenne 29,2 minutes par match en 25 rencontres de MA Superleague. Ses 4,8 rebonds par match l'ont placé au troisième rang de l'équipe et son pourcentage de .451 à trois points sur 3,6 tentatives par match l'a placé au deuxième rang de tous les joueurs du KK Feniks. L'un des cinq meilleurs joueurs canadiens de niveau secondaire classés par USA Today à sa sortie de la Southwest Christian Academy de Little Rock, en Arkansas, Daniel a entamé sa carrière collégiale à Southern Mississippi (Conference USA) en 2018, où il s'est classé deuxième pour les passes décisives par match (0,7) parmi les joueurs de première année, tout en se taillant une place au tableau d'honneur de la CUSA. Lors de sa deuxième campagne, il a joué pour le Ranger Junior College sous la direction de Billy Gillispie, ancien entraîneur de la division I de la NCAA, où il a été nommé joueur défensif de l'année de la NTJCAC et a mené son équipe à un record de 28-3 en saison régulière. En 2020-21, Daniel rejoint son ancien entraîneur principal à Tarleton State (WAC) alors que le programme passe de la Division II à la Division I. Au cours de ses trois saisons avec les Texans, il réalise une moyenne de 2,6 passes décisives par match tout en jouant en moyenne 33,4 minutes par match, y compris en menant toute la conférence avec 35,6 minutes par match lors de sa saison diplômée. Il est actuellement possible d'acheter des forfaits de billets flexibles en visitant le site theblackjacks.ca/fr-ca/tickets . Les abonnements de saison des BlackJacks 2025 sont disponibles dès maintenant. Pour plus de détails, les amateurs sont invités à envoyer un courriel à [email protected] ou à composer le 613-690-0519. À propos des BlackJacks d'Ottawa Première franchise d'expansion de la Ligue de basket-ball de l'élite canadienne (LECB), les BlackJacks d'Ottawa présentent le meilleur du basket-ball et du divertissement dans la capitale nationale. Le bureau de direction d'Ottawa apporte à la franchise son expérience de la NBA, de la NBA G League, de l'équipe nationale, de la NCAA et des grandes ligues professionnelles internationales. Dirigée par le directeur général James Derouin et l'entraîneur-chef Dave DeAveiro, l'équipe d'Ottawa joue ses matchs à domicile dans l'aréna de classe mondiale de la Place TD, dans le parc Lansdowne. Pour plus d'informations, visitez le site theblackjacks.ca .
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The Vancouver Bandits announced Monday that the club is bringing back 6-foot-9 forward and homegrown talent James Karnik for his third season with British Columbia’s professional basketball team. Hailing from Surrey, B.C., Karnik has established himself as one of the league’s premier power forwards, thanks in part for his thunderous dunks and tenacious defensive presence. Appearing in 24 games for the Bandits across two CEBL campaigns in 2022 and 2024, he owns averages of 11.0 points, 6.8 rebounds, 0.8 assists and 0.9 blocks in 22.2 minutes of action. “Being able to play two seasons of professional basketball in my home province has been an amazing experience; we are really building something special in BC,” said Karnik. “I’m looking forward to coming home and running it back with the team and our fans for another summer!” Karnik is currently playing overseas for Dutch club Donar Groningen in the BNXT League, where he is averaging a double-double with 16.2 points, 10.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.1 blocks in 26.1 minutes per game, while shooting 53% from the field. Karnik will report to the Bandits at the conclusion of Donar Groningen’s season. His overseas basketball career has also featured stints in Switzerland with Geneva Lions (2022-23) and the Czech Republic with Basket Brno (2022-23). “James has been an incredibly impactful player in the CEBL, he is an absolute beast on the court and a great presence in our locker room. It is truly a privilege to be able to coach and work with someone like James.” Bandits head coach and general manager Kyle Julius said. Holding a Czech passport, Karnik represents the Czech Republic in international FIBA play. Most recently, he was called up to the national team at both the 2025 FIBA EuroBasket Qualifiers and 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup European Qualifiers appearing in four games across both competitions. Prior to turning professional, Karnik played in 130 games across a five year NCAA DI career. Split between Lehigh University (2017-20) and Boston College (2020-22), he owns collegiate career averages of 9.1 points on 56.2 per cent shooting and 6.1 rebounds in 23.5 minutes per game. Karnik played high school basketball at Earl Marriott Secondary in Surrey and BC Christian Academy in Port Coquitlam before wrapping up his high school career at Orangeville Prep in Mono, Ont., the alma mater of several current NBAers including Jamal Murray, Oshae Brissett, Luguentz Dort and other recent NBA draft selections. Season Tickets and Jam Packs are currently on sale for the Bandits’ seventh CEBL season and are available for purchase at this link . Single game tickets are expected to go on sale later this spring. The Bandits tip-off the 2025 CEBL campaign on Thursday, May 15 when the club hits the road to take on the Saskatchewan Rattlers. Fans will have their first chance to watch the club at home on Thursday, May 22 at 7 p.m. PT when Vancouver hosts the Niagara River Lions in a rematch of the 2024 CEBL Final. Vancouver will play a total of 12 regular season home games in 2025 between Thursday, May 22 and Sunday, August 3. The Bandits wrap up regular season action on the road in Ottawa on Sunday, August 10 at 12 p.m. PT. All CEBL regular season games including playoffs will be live-streamed on TSN+, as well as the CEBL’s OTT platform, CEBL+ , and on CEBL Mobile, the official app of the CEBL (available on Android and iOS devices). Individuals interested in learning more about tickets for the Vancouver Bandits’ upcoming 2025 season are kindly asked to call (604) 455-8881 or email [email protected] . A complete regular season schedule can be found by clicking here . More information is available at thebandits.ca and @vancouverbandits on Instagram and TikTok , as well as @vancitybandits on Facebook and Twitter . ### About the Vancouver Bandits: The Vancouver Bandits are British Columbia’s professional basketball team. As the westernmost club in the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL), the Bandits offer an entertainment experience that combines a fast-paced game day atmosphere with a presentation of some of Canada’s top professional athletes within a world-class venue at Langley Events Centre (LEC). 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 75% of its rosters being Canadian and a record 12 players with NBA experience in 2024. 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+ , 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 .
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