WINNIPEG – The Winnipeg Sea Bears announced Wednesday that their entire 2023 coaching staff will return for the 2024 season. The six specialists will resume their roles under head coach and general manager Mike Taylor after helping the team to a West-leading 12-8 record in its inaugural season. Winnipeg’s Mike Raimbault will re-join the team as an assistant coach after leading his University of Winnipeg Wesmen men’s team to a Canada West silver medal and the U SPORTS elite eight in both 2023 and 2024. Raimbault, a product of Brandon, MB, was a standout for the Bobcats before making his coaching debut there. He also earned a CCAA championship and CCAA Coach of the Year award in 2010 with the University of Northern British Columbia.
WINNIPEG – The Winnipeg Sea Bears of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) announced Monday they have signed Jarred Ogungbemi-Jackson, a Winnipegger who has garnered major accolades overseas. Most recently, the skilled guard averaged 18.9 points per game for Tsmoki-Minsk, good for third in the VTB United League, often considered one of the top five international leagues. This past winter, he also became the seventh player in VTB United history to score more than 600 points in a season. Ogungbemi-Jackson’s roots trace back to Winnipeg, where he led his Garden City Collegiate Gophers to back-to-back provincial titles. The humble and hard-working guard established a standard for work ethic while bussing to the school hours before the morning bell to get hundreds of shots up each day. “I am estatic to be joining the Winnipeg Sea Bears this season! Playing professionally in my hometown where I was born and raised is a dream come true and something I never knew would be possible. I can’t wait to play in front of my friends and family and this amazing fanbase. I plan to bring my leadership, my talent and competitiveness to help us compete at the highest level every night,” said Ogungbemi-Jackson. Ogungbemi-Jackson played his post-secondary ball with the Calgary Dinos, where his coach described his impact as “ridiculous.” The team-first workhorse still holds the record for steals in program history with 197 and ranks third all-time in points (1799). From there, the 5-foot-10 guard launched into a successful pro career, using his dedication, work ethic and high IQ to rocket him through several top-tier European leagues.
Buckets & Borders, the Winnipeg Sea Bears, and Payworks will work together to restore the outdoor basketball court at Mayfair.
Winnipeg Sea Bears reveal three picks in 2024 CEBL U SPORTS draft
WINNIPEG – The Winnipeg Sea Bears of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) announced the dates of the team’s community celebration games for 2024. This year, the organization will host special activities at their June 19, June 22 and June 27 games in honour of National Indigenous Peoples Day, Pride and Filipino Heritage Month respectively. Fans can expect special performances at the team’s MNP pre-game parties, community-based concourse activations, celebratory music and food offerings, and captivating halftime shows. The team will release the game’s headliners closer to each game. The Sea Bears will also celebrate Father’s Day on their only afternoon game Sunday, June 16. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m. at Canada Life Centre with MNP pre-game festivities getting underway at 11 a.m. at True North Square. Celebration Nights June 19 @ 7:00 PM – celebrating National Indigenous Peoples Day June 22 @ 7:30 PM – celebrating Pride presented by Johnston Group June 27 @ 7:00 PM – celebrating Filipino Heritage Month The Sea Bears open the 2024 campaign on the road in Saskatoon, SK on May 22. They return to Winnipeg for their home opener on May 24 against the defending CEBL champions, Scarborough Shooting Stars. Flex packs and season tickets are available now. For more information on single game tickets, visit seabears.ca/2024-game-tickets
WINNIPEG – The Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) announced Tuesday that the Winnipeg Sea Bears, in collaboration with the Province of Manitoba and City of Winnipeg, have secured hosting rights for the league’s 2025 Championship Weekend (CW25). For the first time ever, fans at Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg will witness the crowning of a CEBL Champion in August 2025. A celebration of culture, music, community and Canadian basketball, the CEBL’s Championship Weekend has become Canada’s biggest annual basketball event. The weekend includes the top CEBL teams competing to win the league championship trophy, a concert lineup showcasing exciting musical performers, minor basketball events, and an array of activities designed to engage a cross-section of the local community. “The basketball community in Winnipeg has demonstrated overwhelming support for the Sea Bears and the CEBL since day one, and they continue to establish Winnipeg as a basketball hotbed, quickly setting the standard for excellence in our league,” said Mike Morreale, Commissioner and Co-Founder of the CEBL. “The decision to award Winnipeg as host of 2025 Championship Weekend was an easy one and we can’t wait to celebrate the biggest Championship Weekend ever with our fans and partners at Canada Life Centre next summer.“ The Sea Bears set multiple CEBL attendance records at Canada Life Centre in 2023, including the single-game record of 10,580 fans on August 4 against Edmonton in the Play-In round of the playoffs, the single-game regular season record of 8,230 fans on July 29 against Edmonton, and the full-season attendance record of 65,609 over 11 total games. Now the franchise will make history again by hosting Winnipeg’s first-ever professional basketball championship final in 2025.