Vancouver Bandits Announce Regular Season Schedule for Sixth Canadian Elite Basketball Season

Bandits Staff • Jan 23, 2024

LANGLEY, B.C., January 23, 2024 – The Vancouver Bandits announced Tuesday the club’s 2024 regular season schedule, a 20-game slate that will see the club open its sixth Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) season on Thursday, May 23 against the Montréal Alliance at 7 p.m. PT.


This will be the Bandits’ third season at Langley Events Centre (LEC). The club has qualified for the postseason in each of the past four years dating back to 2020 when Vancouver advanced to the championship finals before ultimately falling short against Edmonton.


With its status as a perennial playoff contender, BC’s professional basketball team is aiming to ascend to even higher heights this upcoming year.


The Bandits’ full season schedule can be accessed by
clicking here.


“Each season we are grateful to welcome fans new and old to our stands to join us in tipping off a new campaign. Our fans are some of the most dedicated in all of Canadian professional sports and we can’t wait to see the energy and passion that they bring to our game days this upcoming season,” said Vancouver Bandits team president Dylan Kular.


Flex packs available in bundles of eight and 12 tickets, as well as season tickets are on sale now.


Seating availability for the highly anticipated campaign are going fast but fans interested in purchasing flex packs can do so by
clicking here.


A cost-effective and customer-friendly option, flex packs start as low as $18 per ticket and are available for purchase throughout the LEC seating bowl in the baseline corner, corner, orange, navy and premium sections. For example, fans can use a 12 ticket flex pack to redeem a pair of tickets to six games or six tickets for two different games.


Alternatively, fans not wanting to miss a minute of the edge of your seat action can lock in their season tickets by requesting to buy season tickets at
this link. By completing the form, a Bandits representative will reach out directly to help choose a preferred seating location and complete the transaction.


Fans wishing to learn more about tickets or speak with a Bandits sales and service representative are encouraged to call (604) 455-8881, email
tickets@thebandits.ca or visit thebandits.ca/tickets.


“We are all very excited to get back on the court this summer as we chase redemption. We are going to be more exciting, faster and tougher this season! We are dedicating this year to our amazing fans and we can't wait to play again at LEC and make some serious noise in the CEBL,” said Bandits head coach and general manager Kyle Julius.


2024 marks the first time that the Bandits will tip-off home games in May since the team’s inaugural season in 2019. The club will open against Montréal on May 23rd and will follow up its home opener by hosting the defending CEBL champions, the Scarborough Shooting Stars, at 4 p.m. PT on Sunday, May 26 as part of Scarborough’s first visit to LEC since the 2022 season.


It is all part of an exciting home opening weekend that promises to deliver hoops fans an awesome debut to the new CEBL season. 


New for the Bandits’ 2024 season is the addition of a preseason game that will be played at Langley Events Centre on Thursday, May 16 against an opponent to be announced. This game will be the Bandits’ third annual School Day Game, which last year welcomed 31 schools from across the Lower Mainland and saw more than 4,000 students fill the stands at LEC.


School leaders interested in learning more about the School Day Game or organizing attendance at the event are kindly asked to contact team president Dylan Kular at
dkular@thebandits.ca


A limited number of tickets in select seating sections will be available for this special preseason game. Bandits season ticket holders are kindly invited to check their inboxes for seat availability. An exclusive number of tickets will be made available to the general public and will be announced at a later date. To register your interest for School Day Game tickets,
please fill out this form.


Adding to the excitement of Vancouver’s schedule launch is the reveal of its theme games for the 2024 season, which features a collection of returning fan favourites as well as new dates to look forward to. A full list of 2024 theme games can be found below.


Vancouver will play a total of 10 regular season home games in 2024 between Thursday, May 23 and Thursday, July 18. The Bandits wrap up regular season action on the road against Montréal on Sunday, July 28 at 1 p.m. PT. 


Subject to postseason qualification, the Bandits will have an opportunity to host a potential playoff game at LEC. The game’s scheduling is dependent on the club’s final regular season record and ultimate position in the CEBL standings. If the Bandits earn the opportunity to host a playoff game, playoff tickets are already included in the cost of Vancouver season ticket packages. The Championship Weekend conference finals will be hosted in Montréal.


All CEBL regular season games including playoffs will be live-streamed on TSN+, as well as the CEBL’s OTT platform,
CEBL+, and on CEBL Mobile, the official app of the CEBL (available on Android and iOS devices). The schedule of nationally televised games will be announced at a later date.


Vancouver Bandits 2024 CEBL season schedule and theme games:

*Note: All times PT | Home dates are in bold

  • Preseason School Day Game: Thursday, May 16, 2024 vs. Opponent to be Announced | 11 a.m. at Langley Events Centre
  • Presented by Sentinel Storage and Headlands Environmental 
  • Home Opener: Thursday, May 23, 2024 vs. Montréal | 7:00 p.m. at Langley Events Centre
  • Presented by BC Building Trades
  • Sunday, May 26, 2024 vs. Scarborough | 4:00 p.m. at Langley Events Centre
  • Girls & Women in Sports Game
  • Thursday, May 30, 2024 at Saskatchewan | 6:30 p.m. at SaskTel Centre
  • Saturday, June 1, 2024 vs. Calgary | 7:30 p.m. at Langley Events Centre
  • South Asian Heritage Game
  • Tuesday, June 4, 2024 at Edmonton | 6:00 p.m. at Flair Airlines Hangar at Edmonton Expo Centre
  • Friday, June 7, 2024 at Calgary | 6:00 p.m. at WinSport Event Centre
  • Thursday, June 13, 2024 vs. Winnipeg | 7:00 p.m. at Langley Events Centre 
  • Saturday, June 15, 2024 vs. Saskatchewan | 7:30 p.m. at Langley Events Centre
  • Basketball Legacy Game presented by Guildford Town Centre
  • Wednesday, June 19, 2024 vs. Winnipeg | 5:00 p.m. at Canada Life Centre
  • Saturday, June 22, 2024 vs. Ottawa | 7:30 p.m. at Langley Events Centre
  • Indigenous Celebration Game
  • Saturday, June 29, 2024 vs. Edmonton | 7:30 p.m. at Langley Events Centre
  • Filipino Heritage Game
  • Monday, July 1, 2024 vs. Niagara | 4:00 p.m. at Langley Events Centre
  • Canada Day Game
  • Friday, July 5, 2024 at Edmonton | 6:00 p.m. at Flair Airlines Hangar at Edmonton Expo Centre
  • Sunday, July 7, 2024 vs. Saskatchewan | 4:00 p.m. at Langley Events Centre
  • Hometown Hoops & Heroes Game presented by PerfectLens
  • Thursday, July 11, 2024 at Calgary | 6:00 p.m. at WinSport Event Centre
  • Saturday, July 13, 2024 at Winnipeg | 5:30 p.m. at Canada Life Centre
  • Thursday, July 18, 2024 vs. Winnipeg | 7:00 p.m. at Langley Events Centre
  • Fan Appreciation Game
  • Thursday, July 25, 2024 at Brampton | 4:30 p.m. at CAA Centre
  • Friday, July 26, 2024 at Scarborough | 5:00 p.m. at Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre
  • Sunday, July 28, 2024 at Montréal | 1 p.m. at Verdun Auditorium


Highlights of the 2024 Vancouver Bandits schedule include:

  • The Bandits’ longest home stand stretches from June 22 to July 1 (Canada Day) when it plays three games against the Ottawa BlackJacks, Edmonton Stingers and Niagara River Lions, respectively
  • Vancouver’s longest road trip arrives at the end of the regular season when it completes an eastern conference swing between July 25-28 against the Brampton Honey Badgers, Scarborough Shooting Stars and Montréal Alliance, respectively
  • The 2024 edition of the Bandits’ schedule will see the club play three regular season home games in May, eight in June and nine in July
  • The Bandits will play each of its nine CEBL rivals at least once over the course of the 20-game campaign
  • The Bandits will play 13 games against western conference opponents; including four against the Winnipeg Sea Bears and three each against the Calgary Surge, Edmonton Stingers and the Saskatchewan Rattlers, respectively
  • How sweet it is: Vancouver will have an opportunity to avenge last season’s heartbreaking western conference finals loss against the Calgary Surge on Saturday, June 1. It will be the first of three meetings between the two clubs 


More information is available at
thebandits.ca and @vancouverbandits on Instagram and TikTok, as well as @vancitybandits on Facebook and Twitter.


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About the Vancouver Bandits:

The Vancouver Bandits are British Columbia’s professional basketball team. As the westernmost club in the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL), the Bandits offer an entertainment experience that combines a fast-paced game day atmosphere with a presentation of some of Canada’s top professional athletes within a world-class venue at Langley Events Centre (LEC).


About the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL):

A league created by Canadians for Canadians with a mission to develop Canadian players, coaches, sports executives, and referees, the CEBL boasts the highest percentage of Canadian players of any pro league in the country with 73% of its 2023 rosters being Canadian. Players bring experience from the NBA, NBA G League, top international pro leagues, the Canadian National team program, and top NCAA programs as well as U SPORTS. Fourteen players have signed NBA contracts following a CEBL season, and numerous CEBL players attend NBA G League training camps every year. The CEBL season runs from May through August. More information about the CEBL is available at CEBL.ca and @cebleague on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook & YouTube.

LATEST NEWS

By Bandits Staff 14 May, 2024
Roster for BC’s pro basketball team features a decorated collection of talent from the NBA, Canadian national team pipeline, as well as premier European professional leagues.
By Bandits Staff 03 May, 2024
The Vancouver Bandits announced Friday that one of the province’s largest General Motors dealerships, Preston Chevrolet, has renewed its dedication to supporting Canadian professional basketball by extending its community and marketing partnership with the Bandits for the 2024 Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) season. Vancouver Bandits and Preston Chevrolet have been partners since the Vancouver Bandits made their debut at the Langley Events Centre in 2022. The focus of Preston Chevrolet’s partnership with BC’s professional basketball team is to contribute to the game day experience at the home venue, the Langley Events Centre (LEC), while supporting their additional community outreach programs. This support includes initiatives such as; the Community Champion program, Vancouver Bandits’ school visits, and community event attendance throughout the province powered by the Vancouver Bandits’ Community Cruiser proudly supplied by Preston Chevrolet. Since 2022, Preston Chevrolet has supported the Community Champion program where community teams from across the region have experienced Vancouver Bandits basketball in the Preston Players’ Lounge at Langley Events Centre. The community Champion program allowed hundreds of at-risk youths to get the opportunity to attend Vancouver Bandits games; an opportunity that many would not receive otherwise. With the support of Preston Chevrolet, from November 2023 to February 2024; the Vancouver Bandits head coach & general manager Kyle Julius visited 81 middle school and high schools across the province. The purpose of these visits was to support middle school and high school basketball programs with complimentary coaching and player development. “Our community partnership with the Bandits has been outstanding from the start. Both our organizations believe in the value and accessibility of sports, particularly team sports for youth and families in our communities” said Peter Heppner of Preston Chevrolet. Preston Chevrolet has been a family-owned and operated business in Langley since 1965. Purchased from the Preston family in 2006 Peter and son (Leigh Heppner) continue the long-standing commitment to supporting the communities they serve. “The moment we committed to Langley Events Centre in 2022 we were made aware of Peter Heppner and Preston Chevrolet’s commitment to giving back to the community. It was more than just marketing for Peter and Preston Chevrolet, it was about finding ways for Vancouver Bandits basketball to execute programming that provided youth in our community with accessible opportunities. Peter Heppner, Leigh Heppner, and the entire team at Preston Chevrolet have embraced Vancouver Bandits basketball with open arms, enabling us to strengthen our community and bring us together through basketball. We are excited to continue our partnership for a third consecutive season.” Bandits team president Dylan Kular said. 
By Bandits Staff 02 May, 2024
The Vancouver Bandits announced Thursday that the club has signed 6-foot-9 forward and former Santa Clara University Bronco Josip Vrankic for its upcoming Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) season at Langley Events Centre (LEC). A native of Toronto, Ont., Josip is currently playing for Gipuzkoa in the LEB Oro, the second highest division of professional basketball in Spain, which as a nation boasts the second best national team FIBA ranking in the world behind the United States. The 2023-24 campaign in progress is Vrankic’s second professional season after playing five decorated seasons of NCAA Division I basketball at Santa Clara between 2017-22, the alma mater of Victoria, B.C. product and NBA Hall of Famer Steve Nash. Vrankic will report to Vancouver upon the conclusion of his current season in Spain. "I am excited to join the Bandits family and to be part of a group that is focused on winning and growing together. I have heard great things about the fanbase in Vancouver and I am looking forward to a special season," Vrankic said. Vancouver’s highly anticipated home opener is on Thursday, May 23 at 7 p.m. PT against the Montréal Alliance. Single game tickets for the home opener and all regular season games are on sale now at this link . Vrankic is enjoying another solid season early in his professional career; posting averages of 22.4 minutes, 8.8 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game on 34.4 per cent shooting from three-point range over the course of 32 games played with Gipuzkoa. Last year he made his pro debut with Chieti, where he placed first on the club in rebounds (8.0) and second in points per game (14.9) in 17 games played before signing with Ravenna to finish the 2022-23 season. Prior to turning pro, Vrankic appeared in 137 games for the Broncos, starting 131 – a program record. His 1,817 career points place him third in school history while his 801 rebounds place him eighth. Vrankic punctuated his illustrious Division I career by earning four consecutive West Coast Conference (WCC) selections; including back-to-back first team recognition in 2021 and 2022. “Josip is a very high IQ basketball player with great versatility. He can really shoot and play inside. We think he is a great fit for our group and we really look forward to him becoming part of our family,” said Bandits head coach and general manager Kyle Julius. Vancouver will play a total of 10 regular season home games in 2024 between Thursday, May 23 and Thursday, July 18. The Bandits wrap up regular season action on the road against Montréal on Sunday, July 28 at 1 p.m. PT. All CEBL regular season games including playoffs will be live-streamed on TSN+, as well as the CEBL’s OTT platform, CEBL+ , and on CEBL Mobile, the official app of the CEBL (available on Android and iOS devices). Individuals interested in ticket flexibility or purchasing a bundle of tickets are invited to consider a flex pack or season tickets . More information can be found at thebandits.ca/tickets or by speaking with a Bandits representative by calling (604) 455-8881 or emailing tickets@thebandits.ca . A complete regular season schedule can be found by clicking here . More information is available at thebandits.ca and @vancouverbandits on Instagram and TikTok , as well as @vancitybandits on Facebook and Twitter .
By Bandits Staff 30 Apr, 2024
The Vancouver Bandits announced Tuesday that the province’s largest energy provider, FortisBC Energy Inc. (FortisBC) , has renewed its dedication to supporting Canadian professional basketball by extending its community and marketing partnership with the Bandits for the 2024 Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) season. The focus of FortisBC’s partnership with British Columbia’s professional basketball team is to contribute to the game day experience at Vancouver’s home venue of the Langley Events Centre (LEC) and to support basketball communities throughout British Columbia through the Indigenous Basketball Collective program’s youth clinics, officiating clinics and coaching clinics. Through Indigenous Basketball Collective, FortisBC and Vancouver Bandits previously built outdoor basketball courts that now serve as new recreational hubs for local youth in four Indigenous communities across the province and have hosted youth basketball clinics for Indigenous youth. “Our support for the Vancouver Bandits is an example of FortisBC’s commitment to the communities where we live and work,” said Doug Slater, vice-president of Indigenous relations and regulatory affairs at FortisBC. “We have made great strides with the Bandits in building safe basketball facilities for Indigenous youth across the province and look forward to our continued work together.” FortisBC believes strongly in being an active partner with communities and supports many community-based initiatives and organizations throughout British Columbia each year. Since 2022, the goal of the Indigenous Basketball Collective has been to create increased opportunities for Indigenous players, coaches and others involved in basketball to participate in training camps, competitions, workshops and more. “According to I∙SPARC, basketball is the most popular sport amongst Indigenous youth in this province and through the Indigenous Basketball Collective we can support the basketball ecosystem in British Columbia. FortisBC has been a pillar partner for the Collective since 2022 and their support of the Collective has seen hundreds of youth attend camps and dozens of new coaches and officials added into the basketball ecosystem. Their support of basketball goes beyond supporting the professional basketball club in this province and we are grateful for their support.” Bandits team president Dylan Kular said. More information is available at thebandits.ca and @vancouverbandits on Instagram and TikTok , as well as @vancitybandits on Facebook and Twitter .

LATEST VIDEO

By Bandits Staff 24 Jan, 2024
A provincial coaches clinic co-hosted by the Vancouver Bandits and Basketball BC featuring Bandits head coach and general manager Kyle Julius and Canada Basketball coaching alumni Allison and Mike McNeill. Please watch a full video recap of the event by clicking above or scroll to the desired chapter by hovering your cursor over the video timeline. A breakdown of chapters from the coaching clinic has been included below for reference. 0:00:00 - Allison McNeill and Mike McNeill Introductions 0:01:56 - Warmup 0:11:38 - Individual Shooting Drills 0:26:49 - Inside/Outside Drill 0:39:20 - Post Drill 0:42:42 - Perimeter Iso Drill 0:55:05 - Passing Drill 0:59:54 - 2x2x2 Drill 1:06:09 - 1-on-1 building up to 4-on-4 drills 1:18:57 - Spacing Drills 1:23:45 - Allison McNeill and Mike McNeill Closing Remarks 1:26:43 - Kyle Julius Introduction 1:43:31 - Power Spots/Spacing Drills 1:52:15 - Transition Drills 1:59:27 - Offence Drills 2:02:14 - Flair Slip Offence 2:11:25 - Motion Pin Offence 2:17:33 - Late Clock Offence 2:22:49 - Kyle Julius Closing Remarks
By Bandits Staff 23 Dec, 2023
Inside the life of a CEBL U SPORTS Development Athlete and Canada West men's basketball star. Follow along as we join Diego Maffia for a "Day in the Life" of a U SPORTS athlete during a road game between the University of Victoria Vikes and the University of the Fraser Valley Cascades. Directed and edited by Simrit Saini.
By Bandits Staff 03 Dec, 2023
A provincial education seminar co-hosted by Basketball BC and Vancouver Bandits professional basketball club. Vancouver Bandits head coach and general manager Kyle Julius and Trinity Western Spartans women’s basketball head coach Cheryl Jean-Paul provide their insights on the question, “How does knowledge of who your officials will be affect your pregame planning?” Click here to watch question 2 .
By Bandits Staff 03 Dec, 2023
A provincial education seminar co-hosted by Basketball BC and Vancouver Bandits professional basketball club. Vancouver Bandits head coach and general manager Kyle Julius, Trinity Western Spartans women’s basketball head coach Cheryl Jean-Paul and U SPORTS/CEBL official Trevor West provide their insights on the question, “How does your familiarity with an official affect how you interact with officials during the game?” Click here to watch question 3 .
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