CEBL Fan FAQ: SurgeStack’s Comprehensive Guide to the Canadian Elite Basketball League
I often get asked various questions about the Canadian Elite Basketball League and what makes it different. Over the past few years, I have done my best to absorb as much knowledge about the league as possible. I must partially credit one of the first SurgeStack subscribers for the idea of this blog: Darren a.k.a D-Milly. Thanks D-Milly for the continued support of the SurgeStack!
I will do my best to answer as many questions as I can but I’m sure there are some that I will miss a few. If you have a question, leave a comment below and I will try to answer it! If someone ever asks you about the CEBL, feel free to direct them to this page and hopefully, they will get a better understanding. Maybe they’ll even become a fan.
Without further ado, I am excited to present CEBL Fan FAQ: SurgeStack’s Comprehensive Guide to the CEBL.
Who are the owners of each team? Who is the coach and GM of each team? Who is a player to watch from each team? What arena does each team play in?
To make things easy, I’ll lump this question into a handy table for easy reference. Feel free to print the table out to fit in your pocket so you can impress your friends!
How much do the players get paid? (All dollars are in CAD)
The CEBL operates with a “per game” salary cap. From the information I’ve been able to collect, the salary cap is $8,000 per game for the active 12-man roster. That salary cap does not include the inactive and injured players. The total season salary cap would be around $160,000 U SPORTS draft picks and developmental players have their contracts partially paid for by the CEBL ($300). That portion does not count against the per-game salary cap.
Active players make between $400 and $1,500 per game. For example, one of the best players on the Calgary Surge Sean “Rugzy” Miller-Moore probably makes closer to the $1,500 level. To make the money agreed on their contracts, the player must be active and dressed for the game. However, even if a player does not actually play in the game, they still receive their contracted salary. They just have to be active and available. Inactive players receive around $250 per game. Injured players get paid at least 50% of their contracted salary for every game they are injured.
Excluded from a team’s salary cap are coaches’ contracts. I believe players’ game cheques and bonuses during the CEBL championship weekend are paid by the league.
How many years can players sign for?
Only one year per contract. However, often players repeatedly sign for the same team every season. In the offseason, teams are allowed to release a “protected list” in which they are allowed to negotiate a contract with one of their players before they enter free agency and are free to speak to any team.
What makes the CEBL a uniquely Canadian league? Are there rules about the roster?
The majority of the players in the CEBL are from Canada. If a team wanted to have a roster comprised of only Canadians, they could do that. However, that doesn’t and probably won’t ever happen.
A maximum in-season roster size is 14, which includes active and inactive players. Teams may also have practice players that don’t count towards the 14. Most teams don’t carry 14 players but some do. A minimum of six Canadians must be on the team’s roster. Prior to the 2024 season, there also had to be at least one international player (not from Canada or USA). Based on some teams not having an international player on their roster this season, including Calgary, that rule has changed. Instead, a team can have either a U SPORTS player on their active 12-man or an international player.
Though there is no minimum amount of American players a team can have, the maximum amount is three on an active game roster and six on the total 14-man roster. American players are usually starters and some of the better players in the league.
The most interesting quirk about CEBL lineups is that two Canadians must be on the court at all times. This is where the CEBL differs from a league like the Canadian Football League. In the CFL, teams must have a minimum of 21 Canadians on their 44-man roster but there is no rule about how many Canadians have to be on the field.
Here is a scenario that is not allowed: there are two Americans, two Canadians and one international player on the court. Another American player comes to the scores table to check into the game and takes one of the Canadians on the court. Now, we would have three Americans, one Canadian and one international player. This is NOT ALLOWED. If a team tries to do this, the punishment is quite severe. The team’s coach has to forfeit their firstborn child to the other team’s coach. Just kidding! It’s just a technical foul.
That rule seems simple enough to make sure it would never actually happen, right? You would think so! It actually happened to the Calgary Surge in none other than the 2023 CEBL championship game, resulting in a technical foul. At least I got to check that off of my CEBL Bingo Card!
Can players be traded?
No, they can’t. However, teams can swap draft pick selections prior to and during the CEBL U SPORTS Draft.
Even though players can’t be traded, sometimes players get released by one team and get signed by another team in the same. We saw this happen last season when the Calgary Surge released Elijah Lufile and then he was signed by the Scarborough Shooting Stars.
How does the draft work?
The CEBL U SPORTS Draft is one of my favourite parts of the CEBL. Each team gets the opportunity to pick young Canadian players from university and give them valuable professional experience. It’s kind of like a summer internship for a basketball player!
This season, the draft was extended to three rounds instead of only two from previous years. The league also integrated the Canadian College Athletics Association (CCAA) to allow players from even more schools to be chosen. However, only one player from a CCAA school was chosen this year out of 30 picks.
These student-athletes can also be an important piece for the team they get drafted to. Calgary Surge fans will remember their picks: Mason Bourcier out of Trinity Western University and Deon Ejim from St. Francis-Xavier. Both guys were huge for the Surge and turned out to be phenomenal picks by GM Shane James.
Sometimes the draftees are graduate players, like Bourcier but some head back to their schools in the fall like Ejim.
As mentioned before, the CEBL helps pay for the draftees’ contracts which incentivizes the team to include them on their active roster.
How good is the CEBL?
I often get asked about the quality of basketball in the CEBL. Some of the questions included: “Are they as good as the U of C Dinos or MRU Cougars?” and “I’m pretty good at basketball, do you think I can try out and make it?”
To put it kindly, this level of basketball is much higher than the Dinos and Cougars. These are professional players who have been the best on their team for most if not all their teams growing up.
Now to be blunt. If you were pretty good in high school or maybe you played a few minutes in college and now run it up at the local YMCA, no, you are not good enough to play in the CEBL.
If the NBA is the level of basketball in the world, the G-League and Europe’s top leagues are the second levels, I would place the CEBL in the third tier. I would also argue that the CEBL is quickly rising to join that second level.
Some basketball fans have no interest in watching hoops that aren’t the NBA and the best of the best. I’ve heard the same thing about the CFL versus the NFL. I’m not going to argue with someone who has that opinion but I will wholeheartedly disagree with that idea. Just because the Calgary Surge are not the Lakers or the Vancouver Bandits are not the Celtics, doesn’t mean this level of professional sports isn’t worth following and being a fan of. Support your local teams because sports are entertaining and bring people together. That’s the reason why I can enjoy all sports at all levels.
These ball players are extremely talented. I cannot understate how extraordinary these athletes are. Witnessing how great these players are has given me an appreciation for all pro athletes regardless of what league they are in. It’s a good reminder when a player is having a rough game or season: even though they might be further down the depth chart of their squad, they are still way, way, better than me and you.
Are games fun to go to as a fan?
Yes. If you were pondering buying a ticket to a game, do it. Trust me, it’s a blast.
Every person that went to a game has told me how much they enjoyed it. Depending on what market you live in, a ticket can be a little pricey, but it won’t break the bank.
Cheering for your local sports team is a great thing to do. It’s cool to be a CEBL fan!
What is Target Score/Elam Ending?
If you’ve ever been to a CEBL game and have gotten confused as to why the clock goes away late in the fourth quarter, I hope I can clear it up for you.
The CEBL uses something called a “Target Score Ending”. It was previously known as the “Elam Ending” because it was invented by a professor at Ball State University named Dr. Nick Elam. From what I was told, Elam has since tried to trademark the name “Elam Ending”, thus the CEBL calling it “Target Score Ending” instead.
In the Target Score Ending, the two teams play four 10-minute quarters like a normal basketball game. However, at the first whistle at or after the four-minute mark in the fourth quarter, the game clock is switched off. To get the game’s target score, nine points are added to the winning team’s score. The two teams now battle to reach that score to win.
If that sounds even more confusing, I understand. It’s better to explain with an example:
Calgary is beating Edmonton 91-83. The ball goes out of bounds and the clock reads 3:55 in the fourth quarter. The clock is now switched off and we have entered “Target Time”. To identify the target score, nine points are added to the leading team’s score, in this case, Calgary’s score. 9+91=100. Our target score is 100. whoever reaches 100 points first wins the game.
I usually get a few follow-up questions about Target Score Ending.
Q: Why nine points?
A: Honestly, I don’t know. I’m sure it involved some kind of equation and math to come up with nine being added to create the target score. Nick Elam could probably answer that.
Q: Seems unnecessary. What’s the point?
A: If you’ve ever watched an NBA game, you know how the last few minutes can take forever because a team is not only battling their opponents but also the clock. This usually results in continuous fouling to get the ball back and frequent timeouts. It can make an intense game feel anti-climactic.
With the target score, the two teams are only battling each other. The elimination of the game clock means there is no need for intentional fouling. The only way to get the ball back is to play good defence.
Q: Hmmm, sounds interesting but I’m still not quite convinced. Any other reason I should like it?
A: Yes. Every game ends with a game-winning shot. The Target Score Ending produces incredible comebacks and mesmerizing drama.
Q: Okay, you’ve got me! But can you show me an example?
A: Sure. Here’s my favourite target time. From the 2023 CEBL Western Conference Final.
Where is the best place to get Calgary Surge news and analysis?
I’m so glad you asked! The best place to read up about the Calgary Surge and find the best analysis is none other than the SurgeStack. Subscribe today for free! tell your friends!
Do CEBL players ever make it to the NBA?
Yes, they do! A few names that have gone to and from the NBA include:
Xavier Moon, LA Clippers
Lindell Wigginton, Milwaukee Bucks
Jalen Harris, Toronto Raptors, New York Knicks
AJ Lawson, Dallas Mavericks, Minnesota Timberwoves
Cat Barber, Atlanta Hawks
Taze Moore, Portland Trail Blazers
Byron Mullens, OKC Thunder, LA Clippers, Charlotte Bobcats, Philadephia 76ers
Trevon Scott, Cleveland Cavaliers
The CEBL ‘GOAT’ is Xavier Moon. The former Edmonton Stinger was so dominant that the league named the MVP award after him and made the trophy in the shape of an ‘X’. Moon won league MVP in each of the league’s first three seasons before signing with the LA Clippers. He is definitely the CEBL’s greatest success story. I would say the player the player that is active GOAT is Cat Barber. He was the star for the Scarborough Shooting Stars last season when they won the championship. He’s back with the Stars this year and just reached 1000 career regular-season points.
Who has the best Venue?
It pains me to say this as a Calgarian but I think the best venue in the CEBL is the Edmonton Expo Centre. A couple of years ago, the Stingers replaced all the seats and added better lighting. It is a cozy venue that allows the seats to come up right to the court because it is not a hockey arena. The venue looks fantastic on television.
photo by Dale MacMillan / Edmonton Expo Centre
The close second would be the Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg. It is the biggest arena in the league and also is the Winnipeg Jets home arena.
What do these players do when the CEBL ends?
Most players will continue playing pro basketball overseas in the various European leagues. Some will stay in North America and join an NBA G-League team.
European league contracts can be more lucrative depending on if you are playing in a country’s top flight. Scarborough’s Cat Barber just returned from FC Porto in Portugal’s top league. Vancouver’s Koby MacEwan spent the winter in Poland with GTK Gliwice along with Scarborough’s Kadre Gray and former Calgary guard Terry Henderson Jr.
There are countless leagues in Europe in countries you wouldn’t expect to have a professional basketball league.
Who has the most passionate fan base?
The Winnipeg Sea Bears. In less than two seasons, the Sea Bears fan base has proven to be the most passionate. I was not aware that Winnipeg was such a great basketball city but the way that organization has built up their fan base and filled their arena has been impressive, to say the least. They are committed to winning and garner a lot of local media attention as well.
How did the CEBL start?
Before the creation of the Canadian Elite Basketball League, the premier professional basketball league in Canada was the National Basketball League of Canada (NBLC). The NBLC still exists today but only consists of four teams that are all in Ontario.
The Niagara River Lions used to be one of the teams in the NBLC but team owner Richard Petko grew tired of the league’s operations and wanted to bring in former CFL wide receiver Mike Morreale to rejuvenate the league. The NBLC declined that idea, forcing Petko and Morreale to start their own professional basketball league in Canada.
CEBL Co-founder and Commissioner Mike Morreale (photo via CBC.ca)
Petko was the CEBL’s lead investor and his co-founder Morreale would become commissioner. The league started with seven teams and has grown to 10, allowing the league to form two five-team conferences.
There has been some trial and error throughout the league’s young history and a global pandemic certainly didn’t help. However, the CEBL survived and continues to grow and has been huge for basketball in Canada. The fact that the Canada senior men’s national team is going to the Olympics in 2024 should be seen as a win for the CEBL. Even the country’s best player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander knows how strong of a league the CEBL is.
How can I watch games live?
Every CEBL game can be streamed live on CEBL+ for free. All you have to do is make an account. You can also find highlights on there too.
The league also has a deal with TSN to nationally televise 13 regular season games and every playoff game this season. Check out the schedule here.
Who should I follow on social media?
You should definitely follow my account @bomhof.jpeg on Instagram and @ethan_bomhof on Twitter/X ;)
The next essential follow is Duncan Campbell (@dunksceblpage) on Instagram. Duncan posts standing updates every gameday and also shows us the playoff picture when the season winds down. Below is an example of the playoff picture post from a week ago.
If you want to fully immerse yourself in the CEBL community, there is a CEBL subreddit that has consistent discussion and is a great place to talk about Canadian basketball. Duncan is one of the leaders on that subreddit.
Unfortunately, there is not too much dedicated media to the CEBL. That’s one reason why I created the SurgeStack. If this blog continues to grow, I will be able to put more work into this and could possibly try new mediums like video or audio.
That’s all I got for now but I’m sure there are things that I have missed! If you have any other questions, leave a comment below!
Great article Ethan! Very informative and some nice subtle digs at Edmonton…love that!
Great article, Bomber. Everything you wanted to know about the Ceeb and were afraid to ask. I forgot how awesome that game winning shot from Stef was in the semis last year. His subtle move to throw the defender off before nailing the 3 pointer was epic. SO clutch. let's hope Stef returns to form with the Surge!