Saskatoon, Sask. - The Saskatchewan Rattlers of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) announced Friday that they have signed guard, Trey Niemi from Finland. The Finnish guard will replace Adrien Thimon in accordance with the CEBL import rule for the 2023 season. Niemi was recognized as 2022-23 Most Developed Player in Korisliiga, a top-tier professional basketball league in Finland.
“Adding Trey in the international player spot on our roster makes a lot of sense for us.” said Rattler General Manager Barry Rawlyk “He is a dynamic playmaker that fills an area of need on our roster. He has been highly successful playing at a high level in Europe, and I know he is eager to get on the court to test his skill set in the CEBL.”
During his professional career, Niemi has played six seasons with four professional teams in Finland in Korisliiga. Niemi has a career average of 9.0 points, 1.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 18.6 minutes in 163 professional games.
Niemi started his career with Ura Basket during the 2017-18 season. In his first season with Ura Basket, he averaged 8.0 points, 1.4 rebounds, 1.1 assists, and 13.7 minutes over 21 games played. Ura Basket finished with a 15-6 record, claiming the Finnish First Division championship. In the final, Niemi had 18 points, two rebounds, and seven assists. After the success of the 2017-18 season, Ura Basket joined Korisliiga. He remained on Ura Basket for three more seasons, averaging 9.1 points, 1.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 18.0 minutes in 119 games. He signed with Salon Vilpas of Korisliiga for the 2021-22 season, he helped lead them to a 17-6 record where they finished the season as runner-ups. Niemi most recently played with UU-Korihait where he averaged 15.9 points, 2.2 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 31.0 minutes in 20 games played.
“I am excited and honored to join the Rattlers. Last season was very successful for me in Finland, and I am ready to do my very best to bring wins for the Rattlers.” said Niemi “Can’t wait to join this great team and put in some hard work!”
The Rattlers will play their next game on Saturday June 17 th 2023 against the Vancouver Bandits at the Langley Events Centre.
The Saskatchewan Rattlers individual game tickets range from $20 in the Rattlers Fan Zone section to $90 for seating in the courtside row 2 (All courtside row 1 offers are sold out), three-games bundles start at $28/seat per game in the bronze section, and half season five-packs start at $35/seat per game in the silver section. All ticket can also be purchased through the Rattlers Front Office (306) 244-2181, Saskatchewan Rattlers website , or via Ticketmaster . For more seating options, luxury suites, and group rates; fans can contact an account executive
All games including playoffs will be live streamed on CEBL’s OTT platform, CEBL+ Powered by BetVictor, and on CEBL Mobile, the official app of the CEBL (available on Android and iOS devices). TSN will showcase live coverage of select CEBL games on TSN and TSN+ .
About the Saskatchewan Rattlers:
The Saskatchewan Rattlers are Saskatchewan’s professional basketball team, one of the six original team’s in the CEBL – the Rattlers won the 2019 inaugural season championship. Playing out of SaskTel Centre in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan – the Rattlers offer an entertainment-focused environment surrounded by some of the world’s top professional athletes. The Rattlers are a community-first organization and take pride in their ability to bring communities together while making sport more accessible to the province.
About the Canadian Elite Basketball League (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 roster being Canadian Players bringing experience from the NBA, NBA G League, top international pro leagues, the Canadian National 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 have attended NBA G League training camps during October. The CEBL runs from May through August. More information about the CEBL is available at CEBL.ca and @cebleague on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook, & YouTube.
Media Contact:
Brennan Elliott
Director, Communication and Content
Saskatchewan Rattlers
(306) 290-5955