Niagara lands spring/ summer hoops
Meridian Centre will be home to Canadian Elite Basketball League team beginning next year
Basketball continues to grow leaps and bounds in Canada, and you have to look no further than Niagara for proof of that.
Three years after the Niagara River Lions of the National Basketball League of Canada ( NBLC) announced they were moving into Meridian Centre, another pro league has announced Niagara — and the arena in downtown St. Catharines — as its new home.
Thursday morning the Canadian Elite Basketball League ( CEBL) made it official naming Niagara as the location for its next territory.
Niagara joins Guelph and Fraser Valley, which will play out of Abbotsford, B. C., as one of three franchises.
River Lions founder and chief executive officer Richard Petko is the man behind the new league.
“Some of North America’s biggest brands are choosing Niagara as their hub,” said Petko, who is listed as the CEBL’s founder.
“The growth in the region is significant, and the CEBL will provide local fans with premium sport entertainment.”
Petko and the spring/ summer league’s director of operations, Josh Knoester, a past employee of the River Lions, was quick to diffuse the conflict question regarding the River Lions and the new franchise.
“This is a spring/ summer league,” Knoester said.
“The CEBL will play in different months than the River Lions.
“It’s more entertainment for the region.”
The Canadian Elite Basketball League officially launched on Oct. 25, stating “coast- to- coast, professional basketball arrives in Canada.”
And that’s the main difference from the CEBL to the NBLC — a franchise on the west coast.
Right now the National Basketball League of Canada features 10 teams, five in Ontario and five on the East Coast.
One other distinct difference is the CEBL will play four 10- minute quarters and play under strict FIBA ( International Basketball Federation) rules.
The River Lions play four 12- minute quarters with a hybrid of FIBA rules.
The Canadian Elite Basketball League will also play a 30- game schedule with a single- elimination game playoff format.
The National Basketball League of Canada currently plays a 40- game schedule and features playoff series.
“We’re tapping into a new market,” Petko said.
“We don’t have to compete with anyone playing in the spring and summer, and will be the main tenant at Meridian Centre during those months.”
The CEBL’s Guelph franchise was announced on October 31, while Fraser Valley became official on Nov. 7.
More CEBL franchises will be announced in the coming weeks as the league intends to play its inaugural season in 2018.
Knoester also a team name for the Niagara franchise will be announced in the new year.
With the River Lions season just underway, and the FIBA U18 Americas Championship coming to St. Catharines next June, Niagara is quickly becoming a basketball hub.
“The Meridian Centre has proven to be a world- class destination for professional sports and entertainment, bringing year- round programming to downtown St. Catharines,” Mayor Walter Sendzik said.
“Our operator, SMG, is excited to work with the CEBL on this new opportunity.”