Canada’s newest major sports brand, the Canadian Elite Basketball League, has announced the game schedule for its inaugural season, tipping off in May 2019 in six cities across Canada. Modelled after top international professional leagues, the CEBL teams in Edmonton, Hamilton, St. Catharines, Saskatoon, Guelph, and Abbotsford will each play a 20-game regular season schedule using FIBA (International Basketball Federation) rules, and player and referee standards set by Canada Basketball.

The season opens May 9 with the Saskatchewan Rattlers hosting the Niagara River Lions, and the Fraser Valley Bandits hosting the Guelph Nighthawks. The Edmonton Stingers welcome Niagara in their season-opener the following night. The final team to open will be the Hamilton Honey Badgers on May 12, with Edmonton visiting Hamilton’s FirstOntario Centre.

A groundbreaking professional basketball league created by Canadians for Canadians, CEBL rosters will be comprised of at least 70 percent Canadian players, many playing professionally in North America and overseas during the traditional basketball season. The league is operated primarily by Canadian executives from the NBA, NHL, CFL, NLL, and PGA Tour.

Ticketmaster is the official ticketing partner of the CEBL. Season tickets for each team are slated to go on sale later in November. Fans will be able to visit www.ticketmaster.ca or the Ticketmaster app for the widest selection of verified tickets.

“The CEBL will provide fans with premium entertainment and world class professional basketball, enabling players, coaches, fans, and other stakeholders the opportunity to engage in basketball at the highest level,” said Mike Morreale, Chief Executive Officer of the league.
“Affordable, family-friendly entertainment will make each game a major event designed to appeal to basketball fans and others seeking a fast-paced and fun experience.”

Each team will play 10 home and 10 road games during the 15-week regular season. Teams will all play each other twice at home and twice on the road. The final day of the season is August 15. Four teams will then advance to a championship weekend tournament at a location to be announced at a later date.

For more information about the CEBL and its member teams, visit www.cebl.ca.

Media Contact:
Ansh Sanyal, Senior Marketing Manager, CEBL: (416) 579-0988