Bandits Announce Season Schedule for Inaugural Campaign at LEC

Bandits Staff • Feb 03, 2022

LANGLEY, B.C., February 3, 2022 – The Fraser Valley Bandits announced Thursday the club’s 2022 regular season schedule, a 20-game campaign that will see last year’s semifinalists play at least one home and away game against each of the Canadian Elite Basketball League’s (CEBL) nine fellow teams.


The upcoming season will prove to be Fraser Valley’s most exciting to date. The Bandits relocated to
Langley Events Centre (LEC) in Sept. 2021, which has allowed the club to further deepen its community footprint in the nearby municipalities of Maple Ridge, Surrey, Township of Langley, City of Langley and the Tri-Cities. 


Season tickets for the highly anticipated season are on sale now at
thebandits.ca/tickets. To announce the schedule, Fraser Valley debuted a promotional video on social media this morning. The video was filmed in collaboration with local businesses from across the Lower Mainland. Visit the Bandits’ social media pages to watch now (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn).


Adding to the positive momentum triggered by the Bandits’ move to LEC, the CEBL welcomed the expansion of three new franchises in the second half of 2021. The Montréal Alliance, Newfoundland Growlers and Scarborough Shooting Stars are the latest member clubs of the Official First Division Professional League Partner of Canada Basketball. With the arrival of the three new teams, the CEBL stands as Canada’s largest professional sports league.


The Bandits and CEBL are no strangers to making history. In 2020, the CEBL led the NHL, NBA and later the CPL in returning to play in Canada after the coronavirus shut down the sports world in March 2020. A year later, the Bandits became the first professional sports team in BC to welcome fans back to its stands when Fraser Valley hosted the Guelph Nighthawks on July 14, 2021. The soldout affair paved the way for four consecutive sell-outs as the Bandits earned a trip to the CEBL semifinals and capped off the regular season with the league’s highest average attendance record.


“Since our move to LEC, our staff have enjoyed the opportunity to make new connections in what has already proven to be a rewarding market thanks to increased interest in season tickets, game packs and sponsorship. It is a privilege to make our debut at a world-class venue known for an electrifying game day experience. We can’t wait to introduce our audience to the spectacular infusion of basketball, music and lights that we are creating for fans,” said Bandits president Dylan Kular.


“The announcement of our 2022 schedule solidifies what will certainly be an exciting runway leading up to our inaugural season at LEC. I invite our fans to stay tuned to our website and social media channels because with the CEBL free agency period upon us, we have lots of exciting news in store, including our theme nights and the announcement of our next head coach.”


Fans are kindly asked to call (604) 866-0529 or email
tickets@thebandits.ca for any questions or ticket related inquiries. Fans can also fill out this form to register their interest and be contacted directly by a team representative.


Fraser Valley opens its season on the road on Wednesday, May 25 at 4:30 p.m. PT against the Ottawa BlackJacks. Following a three-game road swing to open the year, the Bandits will make their debut at LEC against the Saskatchewan Rattlers on Saturday, June 4 at 2 p.m. PT.


A key highlight of Fraser Valley’s season will be its Tuesday, June 7 tilt against Hamilton at LEC. The Bandits welcome the Honey Badgers for an 11 a.m. tip-off as part of the club’s first-ever “School Day Game.” Schools from across the Lower Mainland are invited to attend. Local administrators, school principals and other interested parties or individuals are kindly asked to contact
community@thebandits.ca to learn more about the event.


Due to the ongoing and uncertain nature of the pandemic, the scheduling of the School Day Game is subject to the guidelines established by local health authorities and will adhere to the protocols of the provincial health order that is in effect this summer.


The Bandits’ longest home stand of the year features four games spanning June 24, 26, July 1 and 3, the final game of which will see Fraser Valley take on the Niagara River Lions in a matchup of last year’s semifinal. The Bandits came within one shot of a second straight trip to the CEBL finals but were unable to overcome a pull-up three-pointer that punched Niagara’s ticket to the championship game on the heels of an 84-82 victory.


The Bandits take on Montréal, Newfoundland and Scarborough for the first time in team history when Fraser Valley hosts each club at LEC on June 18, June 24 and June 26, respectively. 


All CEBL regular season games will be livestreamed on the free
CBC Gem streaming service, cbcsports.ca, the CBC Sports app for iOS and Android devices and CEBL+.


Highlights of the 2022 Fraser Valley Bandits schedule include:

  • The Bandits play one home and one away game against every CEBL opponent, with the exception of a three-game season series against both Ottawa and Scarborough
  • Fraser Valley’s season opener against Ottawa on May 25th marks the first-time that the Bandits have opened a regular season campaign on the road (with the exception of the 2020 CEBL Summer Series, which was hosted as a single-site season in St. Catharines, Ont.)
  • Fraser Valley’s longest road trip is three games. The first three game road swing spans May 25, 27 and June 1 against Ottawa, Hamilton and Saskatchewan, respectively, followed by a three-game trip out east on July 5, 8, and 11 against Newfoundland, Ottawa and Montréal, respectively


Fraser Valley Bandits 2022 CEBL season schedule:

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


  • Wednesday, May 25, 2022 at Ottawa | 4:30 p.m. at TD Place
  • Friday, May 27, 2022 at Hamilton | 4:00 p.m. at FirstOntario Centre
  • Wednesday, June 1, 2022 at Saskatchewan | 6:30 p.m. at SaskTel Centre
  • Saturday, June 4, 2022 vs. Saskatchewan | 2:00 p.m. at Langley Events Centre
  • Tuesday, June 7, 2022 vs. Hamilton | 11:00 a.m. at Langley Events Centre
  • Wednesday, June 15, 2022 at Edmonton | 6:00 p.m. at Edmonton EXPO Centre
  • Saturday, June 18, 2022 vs. Scarborough | 5:00 p.m. at Langley Events Centre
  • Tuesday, June 21, 2022 at Guelph | 4:00 p.m. at Sleeman Centre
  • Friday, June 24, 2022 vs. Montréal | 7:00 p.m. at Langley Events Centre
  • Sunday, June 26, 2022 vs. Newfoundland | 3:00 p.m. at Langley Events Centre
  • Friday, July 1, 2022 vs. Scarborough | 7:30 p.m. at Langley Events Centre
  • Sunday, July 3, 2022 vs. Niagara | 1:00 p.m. at Langley Events Centre
  • Tuesday, July 5, 2022 at Newfoundland | 3 p.m. at The Works - Field House
  • Friday, July 8, 2022 at Ottawa | 4:30 p.m. at TD Place
  • Monday, July 11, 2022 at Montréal | 4:30 p.m. at Verdun Auditorium
  • Friday, July 15, 2022 vs. Guelph | 7:00 p.m. at Langley Events Centre
  • Sunday, July 17, 2022 vs. Ottawa | 1:00 p.m. at Langley Events Centre
  • Monday, July 25, 2022 at Niagara | 4:00 p.m. at Meridian Centre
  • Thursday, July 28, 2022 at Scarborough | 4:30 p.m. at Goldring Centre at University of Toronto
  • Saturday, July 30, 2022 vs. Edmonton | 1:00 p.m. at Langley Events Centre


Head to
thebandits.ca for more information or follow us on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube.


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For Fraser Valley Bandits media inquiries, please contact:

Andrew Savory, Vice President, (604) 217-6213, asavory@thebandits.ca


About the Fraser Valley Bandits:

The Fraser Valley 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). A league created by Canadians for Canadians, the CEBL has the highest percentage of Canadian players of any professional league in the country, with 75 percent of its current rosters being Canadians. Players bring experience from the NBA, NBA G League, top international leagues, the Canadian National team program, and top NCAA programs as well as U SPORTS. The only First Division Professional League Partner of Canada Basketball, the CEBL season runs from May through August.

LATEST NEWS

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 .
By Bandits Staff 30 Apr, 2024
The Vancouver Bandits announced Tuesday that internationally celebrated vocalist and actor Sharry Mann will perform at Langley Events Centre (LEC) on Saturday, June 1 when the Bandits host the visiting Calgary Surge for the club’s first-ever South Asian Heritage Game. Exclusive to ticketholders for the Bandits’ game day, Mann will delight Bandits fans in attendance with two performances on June 1st; including a pre-game concert in the arena bowl and a half-time show during the intermission between the second and third quarters of gameplay. Fans in attendance are kindly encouraged to arrive prior to 7 p.m. PT to ensure that they have time to find parking (free on-site at LEC) and locate their seats before Mann’s performance, which will be shortly after the top of the hour before the Bandits and Surge tip-off at 7:30 p.m. Tickets for Mann’s highly anticipated concert; which is included in the cost of a Bandits game ticket, are on sale now at this link . Admission to the concert and game are combined and start at $27.50 per ticket. All ticket prices are inclusive of taxes and fees. A world-renowned artist famous for his appearances and chart-topping hits in Punjabi music and film, Mann has amassed hundreds of millions of plays on YouTube and Spotify ; including tracks such as ‘3 Peg’ (800+ million plays on YouTube, 50+ million Spotify streams) and Hostel (250+ million plays on YouTube, 13+ million Spotify streams). Mann’s success has paved the way for the talented artist to be recognized globally. Recent recognition includes winning best music video at the Brit Asia TV Music Awards for ‘Yaar Chadeya’ in 2019, as well as having various tracks appear in the Top 40 of the Britain’s Official Charts . The June 1st Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) match-up between Vancouver and Calgary will be the first time that the Western Conference foes have met since Calgary inched past Vancouver in last year’s Western Conference Finals. Adding to the game’s excitement is the debut of the Bandits’ South Asian Heritage jersey, designed by Sandeep Johal to be worn by Vancouver at the game to honour and celebrate the culture and artistry of South Asia. “I am thrilled to welcome Sharry Mann and his management to Langley Events Centre for what will surely be one of the most exciting games of the 2024 CEBL season. Fans in attendance will be treated to two awesome musical performances courtesy of Sharry as well as a must-watch rematch against our rivals from Calgary,” said Bandits team president Dylan Kular. 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 25 Apr, 2024
The Vancouver Bandits announced Thursday that the club has signed 6-foot-4 guard and former Winnipeg Sea Bear Glen Yang for its upcoming Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) season at Langley Events Centre (LEC). Yang was born in Burnaby and moved to Hong Kong when he was five before moving back to Canada. He spent his high school and university years in Calgary, attending Sir Winston Churchill High School before starring at Mount Royal University from 2014-2019. “I can’t wait to get back to Vancouver and embrace the culture of the Bandits franchise. I was born in Burnaby, so to come back and play professional basketball is a full circle moment and a dream come true. I am excited to join the team and to get to work!” Yang said. Yang will report to Bandits’ training camp this May, which precedes Vancouver’s highly anticipated home opener 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 . 2024 will be Yang’s second season in the CEBL after starting all 20 games with the Sea Bears last year. He averaged six points, three assists and 2.6 rebounds per game over the course of 20 regular season games with the Sea Bears, who finished in a three-way tie for the second best record in the CEBL last year (12-8). Yang scored in double figures five times throughout the 2023 CEBL season; including a season-high 15 points versus Calgary on July 16 and Vancouver on July 23. His July 23rd scoring outburst was complemented by an all-around performance that saw Yang tally nine rebounds, five assists and three steals in nearly 35 minutes of action. “Glen is a proven winner who plays with toughness and a high IQ. I am really looking forward to working with Glen and having him enhance our culture,” said Bandits head coach and general manager Kyle Julius. Yang is in the midst of his fourth season of professional basketball; spending two seasons in Spain before taking his talents to Asia where he has suited up with the Bay Area Dragons (2022-23) and the Kaohsiung Steelers (2023-24). During his time in the East Asia Super League, Yang helped the Bay Area Dragons advance to a Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup finals appearance in 2023. This past season in Taiwan with the Steelers, Yang played in 11 games and recorded season-highs in points (18), rebounds (7) and assists (6) in his first game with the club on Dec. 3, 2023. 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 .

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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