New-Look Sea Bears Ready to Make a Statement in Edmonton Season Opener

The Winnipeg Sea Bears open the 2026 CEBL season on Saturday in Edmonton with a roster built to do more than just compete. After falling to the Calgary Surge 90–79 in last summer’s Western Conference Final on home court, the front office went to work. New head coach and general manager Mike Raimbault overhauled the lineup, and the result is a squad that looks significantly different from the one that exited Championship Weekend with unfinished business.

The headline move: three-time CEBL MVP Xavier Moon, who returns to the league for the first time since 2021 after spending four seasons in professional basketball stateside, including time with the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers. When Raimbault announced the signing, he made the significance clear.

“I believe adding Xavier to our organization brings tremendous value both on and off the court,” Raimbault said. “He’s a proven winner and someone who has shown he can excel in this league and at the NBA level.”

Moon averaged a league-leading 23.1 points per game in his final CEBL season, and his return gives Winnipeg an anchor that few rosters in the league can match. But he won’t be doing it alone. Former CEBL MVP Teddy Allen is also back, bringing career averages of 24.2 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game across his time in the league. Together, they form one of the most potent offensive duos in CEBL history.

Guard Isiah Osborne, entering his fifth CEBL season, said the presence of Moon changes the dynamic for everyone on the floor.

“He’s gonna draw a lot of people to him. So that obviously opens up other people, opens up me a little bit. So I can’t get too mad about that,” Osborne said.

Hometown forward Emmanuel Akot rounds out a core group that gives Raimbault real versatility. Akot, who averaged 11.1 points and 5.4 rebounds last season, played a key role in Winnipeg’s run to the conference final and was one of the first players re-signed for the new campaign.

Osborne, who has been in the league long enough to see its evolution firsthand, said the competition across the board has levelled up.

“The competition has gotten a lot better. Things have gotten a lot faster, pace of play is up. … It’s a good league,” he said.

Saturday’s opener pits the Sea Bears against an Edmonton Stingers team that lost MVP runner-up Sean East II and key big man Keon Ambrose-Hylton to free agency this off-season. The Stingers still have talent in Nick Hornsby, Mason Bourcier, and G League addition Dain Dainja, but their retooling gives Winnipeg an opportunity to set the tone early.

With the CEBL Finals moving to a best-of-three format for the first time in league history, every regular-season game carries more weight. The Sea Bears know what it feels like to come up short in the final rounds. This season, under new leadership and with a roster designed to finish what last year started, the goal is straightforward: bring a championship to Winnipeg.

GAME INFO

Winnipeg Sea Bears at Edmonton Stingers

Saturday, May 9, 2026 | 2:30 p.m. CT

Watch: CBC-TV, CBC Gem, cbcsports.ca, CBC Sports YouTube, CEBL+

Tickets for the May 16 home opener are live — don't miss tip-off. New Jerseys just dropped: shop online or at Canada Life Centre on game days, where you can customize your jersey with any player's name and number!