As the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) prepares to tip off its third season June 24, when it will become the first professional sports league in Canada to have a full return to play in all team markets, the seven clubs have announced their 2021 training camp rosters.

A record 114 players are currently participating in CEBL training camps, including a record 85 Canadians. 2021 camp rosters also include a plethora of returning CEBL talent, and former USPORTS athletes. Here are some notable highlights:

• 85 Canadian players (75% of all players)
• 51 players in total are returning to the CEBL 
• 31 players are returning for their second CEBL season
• 20 players are returning for their third CEBL season
• 44 players come from U SPORTS schools (38.5% of all players) 

The composition of camp rosters also revealed that the CEBL is becoming an attractive destination for international players who carry experience in some of the world’s top professional basketball leagues and NCAA programs:

• The CEBL welcomes 63 new players, 42 who have been added to rosters via free agency 
• 70 players come from NCAA Division 1 schools
• 17 players have played in the NBA G League 
• 5 players have NBA experience
• Kris Joseph (Ottawa) joins Justin Jackson (Guelph) and Olivier Hanlan (Ottawa - 2020) as the third player in CEBL history to be originally drafted by an NBA team (Boston, 2012)

“It is an extremely exciting time for Canadian basketball in this country as the CEBL enters its third season” said Mike Morreale, Commissioner & CEO of the CEBL . “Looking at these numbers only makes me confidently say that Canada’s professional league is well on its way to becoming a top league in this world with some of the top basketball talent playing in it.

As the Canadian basketball community prepares for a busy summer that will involve the 2021 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, CEBL training camp rosters will include a fair share of players who have had an opportunity to represent Canada on a national stage. 

• Trae Bell-Haynes (NRL) will take part in the upcoming Senior Men’s National Team Training Camp for the pivotal upcoming Olympic s Qualifying Tournament being held in Victoria B.C. 
• 7 CEBL players are currently members of the FIBA AmeriCup 2022 Qualifying roster
• Alex Johnson (Hamilton) participated in the recent FIBA 3x3 Olympic Qualifying Tournament 
• 15 players have suited up for the Canadian Senior Men’s National Team during their career

As basketball continues to grow in Canada, CEBL training camp rosters reveal that talented Canadian players are emanating from cities coast-to-coast. Among Canadian CEBL players participating in 2021 training camps, the most represented Canadian city is Toronto (32 players) followed by Montréal(7 players). 

The 2021 season begins Thursday, June 24 at 7 p.m. ET in the nation’s capital as the Ottawa BlackJacks host the Niagara River Lions at TD Place. The Hamilton Honey Badgers take on the defending CEBL champion Edmonton Stingers in Edmonton on June 26 at 2 p.m. CT while Fraser Valley hosts Saskatchewan that evening to complete the season’s opening weekend of action. All games will be live streamed in Canada on CBC Gem, Twitch and for global audiences on cbcsports.ca . Canadian fan will also be able to watch all games for free on CEBL+

A league created by Canadians for Canadians, the CEBL has the highest percentage of Canadian players of any professional league in the country, with 75 percent of its current rosters being Canadians. Players come from the NBA G League, top international leagues, the Canadian National team program, and top NCAA programs as well as U SPORTS. The only First Division Professional League Partner of Canada Basketball, the CEBL season typically runs from May through August. Head to CEBL.ca for more information or follow us on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook & YouTube.