FRASER VALLEY BANDITS ANNOUNCE 2021 SEASON SCHEDULE
Bandits Staff • February 25, 2021
Bandits return to Abbotsford Centre for third season with plans for fans in attendance. Highlights include a nationally broadcast rematch of the CEBL Summer Series finals against Edmonton and more
ABBOTSFORD, BC, February 25, 2021 – The Canadian Elite Basketball League led the NHL, NBA and later the CPL in returning to play in Canada after the coronavirus shut down the sports world in March of 2020. The CEBL Summer Series put professional basketball on the television and digital screens of millions of viewers across Canada and around the world, establishing the CEBL as the top Canadian-based global team sports brand. The 2021 season will build on that momentum with an expanded viewing audience around the world and locally through an innovative approach to addressing the uncertainties due to the pandemic around having fans in arenas across the league.
The CEBL and the Fraser Valley Bandits announced the 2021 regular season schedule Thursday, a 14-game slate reduced from the standard 20 games and pushed back from a mid-May start to June 5 to accommodate the possibility of fans being able to attend games in person this summer. The league cannot push its season beyond a late-August playoff finish because most of its players must report to their international pro teams by September.
“The health and safety of fans, players, officials and staff was our top priority when we created the schedule for 2021, followed closely by a structure that would increase the odds of having fans in the stands for as many games as possible this summer at Abbotsford Centre,” said Dylan Kular, vice president of the Fraser Valley Bandits.
“It is our hope that by summer our region and community will be better positioned in the fight against COVID-19 and restrictions around public gatherings may allow for some number of fans to attend games. Live events and entertainment have an integral role in reenergizing a community and we want to contribute to that to the extent that we can in the Fraser Valley.”
With uncertainty around government regulations of people attending events and in recognition that some people may not feel comfortable attending events in 2021, an innovative approach has been created to protect the investment of those who have purchased tickets to Bandits games.
All season tickets, season ticket deposits and flex packs that have been purchased for 2021 are automatically being moved forward into 2022 and applied toward next season’s ticket packages. If fans will be allowed into Abbotsford Centre, those ticketholders may choose to draw tickets from their 2022 package to use for any games they wish to attend in 2021. There will be no obligation to use any tickets in 2021. All unused tickets will remain on account and applied toward the same ticket packages in 2022.
Fans who had purchased tickets for the 2020 season and left their tickets on account for 2021 received retention benefits that included a 20 per cent credit toward additional tickets and a 25 per cent discount on team merchandise. Those benefits will be extended to all ticketholders through August of 2022.
“We have been amazed by the continued and growing support of people, partners and businesses throughout the past year. Fans who purchased 2020 season tickets asked us to hold onto their tickets on account for 2021 and new ticket holders and partners joined our family following a tremendous performance at last year’s CEBL Summer Series. Following a runner-up finish and playing in some of the CEBL’s highest watched games across both cable television and digital streaming platforms, we were overwhelmed by the support of fans, both new and old,” Kular said.
“Our fans and community come first. As a result, we have built a strategy that ensures the full protection of any investment in our tickets through a plan that provides flexibility and makes sure that no one will feel pressured to have to use their tickets this season if they’re not comfortable attending games.”
Additional ticketing details will be announced closer to the start of the season when it is expected there will be more clarity from government and health officials around public gatherings.
The Bandits open the 2021 season at home versus Edmonton on Saturday, June 5 at 1 p.m. PT. The seven home games will include an additional visit from Edmonton, as well as two visits from 2019 CEBL champions, the Saskatchewan Rattlers. The Ottawa BlackJacks, who completed its inaugural season in 2020, will make its first visit to Abbotsford Centre on July 3. The Guelph Nighthawks and Niagara River Lions will also make the trip out west to Abbotsford Centre this summer for regular season action.
Fraser Valley’s road schedule includes a single trip to Ottawa and Niagara, as well as a highly anticipated rematch of last year’s CEBL semifinal versus the Hamilton Honey Badgers on July 23 at 4 p.m. PT. In last year’s CEBL postseason, the Bandits defeated Hamilton to complete a thrilling 14-point comeback to advance to the CEBL championship.
The CEBL will announce its plans for the post-season at a later date.
CBC is the premier media partner of the CEBL and will broadcast nationally televised games on seven consecutive Saturdays beginning June 5. The Bandits will appear once on national television, beginning with Fraser Valley’s home opener against Edmonton on June 5 at Abbotsford Centre. All regular season games will also be live streamed on the free CBC Gem streaming service, cbcsports.ca, the CBC Sports app for iOS and Android devices, and on a new OTT streaming platform the CEBL will unveil this spring.
Highlights of the 2021 Fraser Valley Bandits schedule include:
- The Bandits’ home opener on Saturday, June 5 will be broadcast nationally on CBC in a rematch of last year’s CEBL championship versus the Edmonton Stingers
- Fraser Valley plays in both the first and last games of the CEBL regular season on June 5 and Aug. 8, respectively
- Fraser Valley plays three consecutive games against Saskatchewan as part of a home-away-home stretch against Saskatchewan on June 13, 24 and 26
- The Bandits’ longest home stand is June 26, 29 and July 3, which will see Fraser Valley take on Saskatchewan, Niagara and Ottawa, respectively
- Fraser Valley’s longest road trip is two games, both occurring during the second leg of the 14-game regular season; July 8 and 10 against Niagara and Ottawa, and to conclude the season on August 5 and 8 against Edmonton and Saskatchewan
- The team will play each CEBL opponent at least once during the regular season
- Fraser Valley will not host Hamilton and will not play at Guelph
A league created by Canadians for Canadians, the CEBL has the highest percentage of Canadian players of any professional league in the country, with 80 percent of its 2020 rosters being Canadians. Players come from the NBA G League, top international leagues, the Canadian national team program, and top NCAA and U SPORTS programs.
More information about the Bandits is available at thebandits.ca, as well as on Instagram (@fvbandits.cebl), Twitter (@FV_Bandits), Facebook (@fvbandits.cebl), TikTok, and YouTube.
FRASER VALLEY BANDITS 2021 CEBL SEASON
Date Time (PT) Opponent Place Note
- Saturday, June 5, 2021 1:00 p.m. vs. Edmonton Abbotsford Centre Opener/CBC National Broadcast
- Thursday, June 10, 2021 6:30 p.m. at Edmonton EXPO Centre
- Sunday, June 13, 2021 1:30 p.m. vs. Saskatchewan Abbotsford Centre
- Thursday, June 24, 2021 6:30 p.m. at Saskatchewan SaskTel Centre
- Saturday, June 26, 2021 4:00 p.m. vs. Saskatchewan Abbotsford Centre
- Tuesday, June 29, 2021 7:00 p.m. vs. Niagara Abbotsford Centre
- Saturday, July 3, 2021 4:00 p.m. vs. Ottawa Abbotsford Centre
- Thursday, July 8, 2021 4:00 p.m. at Niagara Meridian Centre
- Saturday, July 10, 2021 4:00 p.m. at Ottawa Arena at TD Place
- Wednesday, July 14, 2021 7:30 p.m. vs. Guelph Abbotsford Centre
- Friday, July 23, 2021 4:00 p.m. at Hamilton FirstOntario Centre
- Sunday, July 25, 2021 1:00 p.m. vs. Edmonton Abbotsford Centre
- Thursday, August 5, 2021 6:00 p.m. at Edmonton EXPO Centre
- Sunday, August 8, 2021 1:00 p.m. at Saskatchewan SaskTel Centre
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For media inquiries, please contact:
Andrew Savory, Director of Operations, (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 club is proud to call Abbotsford Centre home. The Bandits offer a riveting 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. PerfectLens, a Vancouver-based contact lens supplier, is the official presenting partner of the Bandits’ 2021 season. Head to thebandits.ca for more information.
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