FRASER VALLEY BANDITS WELCOME FANS BACK FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE 2021 SEASON
Bandits Staff • July 6, 2021
Bandits become first professional sports team in the province to play a home game with fans permitted to attend since spring 2020.

ABBOTSFORD, B.C., July 6, 2021 – The Fraser Valley Bandits will become the first professional sports team in British Columbia to welcome fans back to its stands
since the outbreak of the coronavirus when Fraser Valley hosts the Guelph Nighthawks at Abbotsford Centre on Wednesday, July 14.
Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. PT and tickets are now available for purchase by clicking here.
Wednesday’s contest marks the first time that a regular season professional basketball game will be played with fans in stands in B.C. since the Bandits faced off against the Edmonton Stingers for the final game of the club’s 2019 Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) season on Aug. 15, 2019. The duration between August 15, 2019 and July 14, 2021 marks exactly 699 days between regular season professional basketball game days with fans permitted to attend in B.C.
Bandits games at Abbotsford Centre are open for fans to purchase tickets and to sit in accordance with a seating configuration that has been designed in consultation with the local health authorities to ensure the comfort and safety of all patrons that enter the building. The venue will welcome up to 50 per cent of its regular capacity for Bandits games. Tickets and seats are available for purchase for three home game dates – July 14, 25 and 27.
“It is an honour to welcome fans back to our stands for the final three home games of our regular season. It has been an electric start to our campaign and we can’t wait to invite fans back to Abbotsford Centre for a riveting entertainment experience and to witness the culture that we are building here in the Fraser Valley,” said Bandits vice president Dylan Kular.
The Bandits consistently ranked among the CEBL’s best in average attendance in 2019. Three tiers of tickets are available for purchase in Abbotsford Centre’s seating bowl. Courtside seats are sold out to season ticket members. Within the seating bowl, three tiers of tickets—Bandits Zone, Orange Zone and Navy Zone—are available for purchase. Tickets start as low $20.
In addition, Fraser Valley’s electrifying game day experience also features a baseline bar area, with tables available for purchase. Inquiries can be sent to tickets@thebandits.ca.
The CEBL became the first Canadian professional league to return to play in 2020 when it launched the CEBL Summer Series, which saw its seven member teams convene in St. Catharines, Ont., for a single-site condensed season. The Bandits were one of the strongest teams in the CEBL last year, advancing to the CEBL finals before ultimately losing against the Stingers in the championship game.
"We are thrilled to have the opportunity to welcome fans back to our stands for what will be an exciting game day between the Bandits and Nighthawks on July 14. This will be our first event with thousands of attendees permitted to attend since Brad Paisley performed in front of a full house on March 7, 2020. Thanks to a spacious seating bowl and configuration, fans will be able to sit comfortably and enjoy all of the game day amenities that they have come to expect from a world-class entertainment venue," said Rick Comeau, general manager at Abbotsford Centre.
The Bandits become the third team in the CEBL to announce that fans are permitted to return to stands. Edmonton welcomed fans for its July 2nd contest against the Niagara River Lions and the Saskatchewan Rattlers will host the Stingers on July 12th with fans permitted to attend.
Fans attending games at Abbotsford Centre will be able to sanitize throughout the game thanks to hand sanitizer stations that have been distributed throughout the building. In addition, contactless ticket scanning has been incorporated for all fans entering the building.
Fraser Valley currently sports a CEBL-leading 4-0 record and has won each of its contests by an average of 19 points per game. The team’s high-octane offence and defensive intensity have the club primed for an exciting playoff push heading into Championship Weekend in Edmonton on August 18-22.
The Bandits began the 2021 season with a four-game home stand and will now travel to Ontario for a two-game road swing against Niagara on July 8 and Ottawa on July 10. In addition to touchpoints on CBC and CEBL+, all Bandits regular season games are available to watch on TELUS Optik TV® on Channel 1901 Lower Mainland Live Sports. Fans can learn more and subscribe to CEBL+ via this link.
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 come from the NBA, NBA G League, top international leagues, the Canadian national team program and top NCAA and U SPORTS programs. The only First Division Professional League Partner of Canada Basketball, the CEBL season typically runs from May through August. Head to thebandits.ca for more information and click here to purchase your tickets.
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For media inquiries, please contact:
Andrew Savory, Director of Operations, (604) 217-6213, asavory@thebandits.ca
For tickets, please visit and/or contact:
Tickets are available for purchase by clicking here. Please contact tickets@thebandits.ca for inquiries
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 or purchase your tickets at this link.
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The Vancouver Bandits are set to close out the 2025 CEBL regular season with a bang. As part of Fan Appreciation Night on Saturday, August 3rd, Bandits guard and social media sensation Tristan Jass returns to Langley Events Centre for the Tristan Jass $10,000 Halfcourt Shootout . Four lucky fans in attendance will be randomly selected to participate in the competition at halftime against Jass. The last shooter standing takes home $10,000. Event Format: Four fans are drawn from the crowd in the first half. At halftime, each fan takes a shot from halfcourt, followed by Tristan Jass to end the round. If no one scores, they go again. If one person hits, they win the cash. If multiple fans hit, only those who made it advance to the next round. Repeat until one winner remains. Entry Rules: Must be in attendance and hold a valid ticket. If your seat is drawn, you can shoot or nominate someone from your ticket group. All participants must sign a media release waiver before participating. The Bandits, who clinched a playoff berth on July 13 , host the Winnipeg Sea Bears in a tight race for playoff positioning. Fans can expect a sellout crowd with post-season implications on the line, marking one of the most crucial matchups of the season. The Tristan Jass $10,000 Halfcourt Shootout is one of the many additions to what is shaping up to be the Bandits’ most electric night of the year. Pre-game activities begin with the Bandits Backyard BBQ starting at 3 p.m. outside Langley Events Centre , featuring $1 hot dogs, live music, an inflatable kids play area, a sign making station and a beer garden for fans 19 and over. Tip-off takes place at 5 p.m. and single game tickets are available for purchase by following this link . Jass, who appeared in two preseason games for the Bandits on May 8 and 10 respectively, has been placed on the Bandits’ Suspended List since July 1, 2025 as a result of the CEBL’s Import player limitations, restricting clubs to a maximum of four Import (non-Canadian) players on an Active Roster at a time. His “ YouTuber to Pro Hooper ” web series, documenting his day-to-day experience playing with the club, has garnered over 1.2 million views on YouTube. ### For Vancouver Bandits media inquiries, please contact: Senior Manager, Brand & Communications, Justin Sulpico, media@thebandits.ca , 604-626-8513 About 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 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 75% of its rosters being Canadian and a record 12 players with NBA experience in 2024. Players also bring experience from the NBA G League, top international pro leagues, the Canadian National team program, NCAA programs, as well as U SPORTS and CCAA. More than 20 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 with games broadcast live on CEBL+ , TSN, TSN+, RDS , Game+ and Next Level Sports & Entertainment . More information about the CEBL is available at CEBL.ca and @cebleague on Instagram , Twitter , TikTok , LinkedIn , Facebook & YouTube .

A few friendly bounces at the rim made all the difference for the Calgary Surge in a tense battle against rival Vancouver on Friday night (July 25). With the game on the line in Target Score Time at WinSport Events Centre, Calgary guard Evan Gilyard Jr. launched a deep three that rattled in after a few tense moments. It was Gilyard’s first triple of the game, but it lifted the Surge past the Bandits 98-96. The Surge have now swept the regular season series against the top-ranked Bandits, with both teams already locked into playoff spots in the Western Conference. The intensity of Friday’s contest mimicked a postseason showdown. Calgary head coach Kaleb Canales said the group executed the game plan on both ends of the floor with togetherness and championship poise. “We felt we had a great week of practice. We knew this was a heavyweight fight. We have a lot of respect for that team but I love our team and I love our squad and I love where we’re at,” Canales said. Both teams saw the return of NBA Summer League talent, with Vancouver’s Tyrese Samuel and Calgary’s Jameer Nelson Jr. making an impact after their time in Las Vegas. Nelson Jr. netted 21 points, including 15 in the first half, while tallying six rebounds, six assists and four steals. “[Jameer] was playing both ends at an … elite level. We absolutely love him and he was making plays when it was time to make plays,” Canales said. Sean Miller-Moore and Greg Brown III also had standout performances in the win. Miller-Moore dropped a game-high 27 points and hauled in eight rebounds, while Brown III notched a 23-point, 10-rebound double-double. Meanwhile, Samuel finished with a team-high 26 points for Vancouver on 12-15 shooting. He said he could’ve done better on the boards, but was happy with his return to the lineup overall. “It feels good to be back out there with the guys. Obviously, today wasn't the result we wanted but we're just gonna go back to the drawing board and just be ready for the playoffs,” Samuel said. Aussie big man Mitch Creek was also a force in the frontcourt with 25 points and 13 rebounds in the loss, while Kyle Mangas added 12 off the bench in his second game back from NBA Summer League. After three consecutive games with at least 15 threes, the Bandits cooled down on Friday with eight from long range at a 29 per cent clip. Calgary also capitalized on 18 Vancouver turnovers with 25 points. “Some turnovers and giving them some easy offensive rebounds I think was part of the problem for sure,” Vancouver head coach Kyle Julius said. The range of talent for both squads was on full display in the early stages of the game. The Bandits and Surge each started hot before the pace slowed. A catch-and-shoot triple from Corey Davis Jr. gave the Bandits their first lead at 16-14, and they stayed ahead 25-22 after 10 minutes. Vancouver extended its lead to nine in the second quarter following inside finishes from Creek, Zach Copeland, Samuel and a three from Davis Jr. However, Nelson Jr. willed the Surge back into the game with 11 points in the quarter. He showed off his complete game as well, stealing the rock on defence before dishing to Brown III in transition for a massive slam. After trailing for the entire second quarter, Calgary tied it up heading into the locker room with a buzzer-beating putback from Javonté Brown. Miller-Moore regained the lead for the Surge to kick off the third quarter with a transition dunk. Calgary locked in defensively for the remainder of the frame, limiting the high-powered Bandits' offence to just 18 points. Brown III added to his highlight reel late in the quarter, spinning for a left-handed dunk on Kur Jongkuch that put him on the free throw line as well. Down four points entering the final quarter, Creek and Samuel went to work inside for Vancouver. The frontcourt duo combined for 17 points before Target Score Time to knot the game at 87, but Brown III finished a putback to give Calgary a two-point advantage heading into the final stretch. The bigs continued to duel in Target Score Time, with Samuel opening the scoring before Brown III showed his versatility, connecting on back-to-back threes and rejecting Creek on the other end. Calgary missed multiple shots for the win, and Samuel added another layup before fouling out. A putback from Creek vaulted Vancouver back in front at 96-95, putting both teams a bucket away from victory. On the following possession, Gilyard did his best Kawhi Leonard impression to win the game with a deep three that needed multiple bounces before dropping. Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600650

The Vancouver Bandits have announced today the following roster update in advance of its Friday, July 25 away game against the Calgary Surge at 7:00 p.m. PT: F Tyrese Samuel has been removed from the Suspended List and added to the Club's active roster; he will be available for tonight's game. G Izaiah Brockington and G Tristan Jass remain on the Club's Suspended List.
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