Basketball Is Back: Sea Bears Open at Home Against Saskatoon Mamba

There’s something about a home opener that turns a basketball game into an event. The lights feel a little brighter. The crowd runs a little hotter. And when the Winnipeg Sea Bears take the floor at Canada Life Centre on Friday night, they’ll do so riding a wave of momentum that started three days ago in Edmonton with a gutsy 77–75 comeback win over the Stingers.

That season opener offered a glimpse of what this team could be under head coach Mike Raimbault. Down late, the Sea Bears clawed back behind Teddy Allen’s 24-point, 10-rebound masterclass that included a franchise-record six steals. Mason Kraus sealed it at the free-throw line with ice in his veins. It was the kind of win that builds belief, and this group has earned the right to feel some.

“I’m super proud of the guys for showing some resilience,” Raimbault said after the win. “There were multiple times where things were sort of slipping away from us and we were able to regroup and continue playing together. We’ll enjoy it and then we’ll think about next week sooner than later.”

A New Chapter in Winnipeg

This is a different Sea Bears team than the one that went 11–13 last season before bowing out at Championship Weekend. Raimbault, who served as an assistant for three years before being elevated to head coach and general manager last August, has reshaped the roster around a simple idea: get the ball in the hands of players who can take over a game.



Allen is the centrepiece of that philosophy. The 2023 CEBL MVP returned to Winnipeg after a year spent bouncing between NBA G League rosters in Rio Grande Valley and Delaware. His numbers in the G League were solid (20.0 points per game), but the CEBL is where Allen has always been at his most dangerous. Across his career in this league, he’s averaged 24.2 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 3.7 assists. If Edmonton was any indication, he hasn’t lost a step.

What stood out most in that opener, though, wasn’t the scoring. It was the defence. Six steals. A franchise record. Allen credited Raimbault’s intensity for setting the tone. “He just encourages us to play so hard,” Allen said. “You kind of remember that when you’re out there, just trying to play hard, not give up an inch.”

Raimbault, for his part, pointed to Allen’s commitment well before the season started. “His buy-in to our team approach from day one has been really, really good. He showed up multiple days before training camp to spend time and get familiar with some of the stuff that we wanted to do. We’re asking him to lead by example, in particular at the defensive end of the floor.”

Around Allen, Raimbault has assembled a roster full of intriguing pieces. Winnipeg’s own Emmanuel Akot is back for a third season after averaging 11.2 points and 5.3 rebounds last year, and there’s real depth in the backcourt with additions like Armani Chaney, who arrives from the Mexican league averaging nearly 14 points a game, and guard Davion Warren.

Then there’s Kraus. The Winnipeg-born guard came off the bench in Edmonton and poured in 11 points on 3-of-5 shooting from three before calmly stepping to the stripe with the game on the line. He admitted the moment got to him, briefly. “I was a little bit nervous, but then Teddy and Armani came up to me and just told me, ‘We believe in you. You got this. We’ll knock it down.’ All my nerves went away.”

For Kraus, the moment was about more than just two free throws. “I’m seeing more like, okay, I’m a value to the team and as a pro,” he said. “I know that when I come in, guys will actually look for me and be like, okay, this guy can contribute to the team. After today I just hope I can push that even more.”

Know Your Opponent: Saskatoon Mamba

The visitors formerly known as the Saskatchewan Rattlers rebranded as the Saskatoon Mamba in February and have spent the off-season building something worth watching. First-year head coach Isaiah Fox came north from the NBA G League, where he served as associate head coach of the Salt Lake City Stars (Utah Jazz affiliate). He brings a pro-level system and a roster with the talent to run it.

Sea Bears fans will recognize one name on the Mamba roster immediately: Jaylin Williams, who played in Winnipeg last season before signing with Saskatoon. Williams had a productive 2025 campaign with the Sea Bears and now returns to Canada Life Centre wearing different colours. That reunion alone adds an edge to this one.

Beyond Williams, the Mamba have loaded up with talent. Karim Mané brings former NBA experience from his time with the Orlando Magic. Tavian Dunn-Martin is a dynamic playmaker who averaged 18.8 points and 6.2 assists with Montreal last season. DaJuan Gordon adds G League pedigree. And Jamir Chaplin returns after a season-ending injury cut his 2025 campaign short, hungry to prove he’s healthy and ready.

The Canada Life Centre Factor

If there’s one thing the Sea Bears have proven over three seasons, it’s that Winnipeg shows up for basketball. The franchise has broken the CEBL’s total regular-season attendance record in each of its three years of existence, peaking at 92,103 in 2025. Canada Life Centre transforms into one of the loudest buildings in Canadian basketball every summer, and Saturday night’s opener should be no exception.

With Raimbault’s new-look squad, an MVP-calibre scorer in Allen, a hometown favourite in Akot, and a Prairie rivalry matchup to kick things off, the ingredients are in place for a special night. The Sea Bears are already 1–0. Now they get to bring it home.

Game Details

Matchup: Saskatoon Mamba at Winnipeg Sea Bears

Date: Saturday, May 16, 2026

Time: 7:00 p.m. CT

Venue: Canada Life Centre, Winnipeg, MB

Broadcast: CBC Gem, cbcsports.ca, CBC Sports YouTube