Fraser Valley Bandits bringing pro basketball to the Abbotsford Centre

Impress | Langley Times • November 26, 2018

New league will deliver high-energy, family-friendly fun

Pro sports are all about entertainment, and no sport delivers the complete fan experience like professional basketball.

Season tickets are now on sale for Abbotsford’s new pro basketball team, the Fraser Valley Bandits , and the club is promising full value for fans’ entertainment dollar.

“This is going to be like a basketball game wrapped up within a rock concert,” said Andrew Savory, the club’s marketing and communications manager. Games will start at 7 p.m., but Savory says the fun starts at 5:30 p.m.

“There’s going to be food trucks, live bands, interactive activities with our mascot – it’s going to be a big party before the game, and that energy will flow into the arena at tip-off,” he said.

And then there will be exciting, fast-paced, professional basketball. The Bandits are part of the six-team Canadian Elite Basketball League , which plays under international (FIBA) rules. These are the rules used in Olympic competition, and basketball fans love the way they keep the game moving.

CEBL teams play 10 games at home and 10 away during the summer. The summer schedule capitalizes on the window between the traditional basketball seasons. This will allow the CEBL to attract top Canadian and international players who will be eligible for summertime professional contracts. The league’s “original six” teams are Fraser Valley, Edmonton, Saskatchewan, Guelph, Hamilton and Niagara.

“We want to draw on the cultural moment basketball is enjoying in Canada,” Savory said. “Never has there been this many Canadian pros playing at the highest levels worldwide.” The CEBL will draw eligible players from U SPORTS and NCAA basketball programs, while also calling upon talent from the NBA G League and top international pro leagues. All players will be cleared through Canada Basketball.

CEBL rosters will be composed of at least 70 per cent Canadian players, and players and coaching staffs will be heavily involved in the community at all levels.

“We really want to give players an opportunity to come home and play on home soil,” Savory said. “They’ll play in front of friends, family and local businesses. Players will actively give back to the community through philanthropic initiatives, school visits and other opportunities for outreach. In turn, the community and the game of basketball will grow together.

Savory says the team is excited to play in the 7,000-seat Abbotsford Centre , and is looking forward to building great relationships across the Fraser Valley. “As a professional team we want to inspire the next generation to pursue opportunities not only as players, but also as coaches, volunteers, media – you name it.

“The Abbotsford Centre will be a home for everyone.”

The Bandits’ season opens May 9 against the Guelph Nighthawks.

LATEST NEWS

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The Vancouver Bandits have signed 6-foot-9 forward and Surrey, BC product Majok Gum for the 2026 Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) season. An attendee of 2026 Training Camp, Gum competed for the Bandits during the 2026 preseason and appeared in two games during the 2025 CEBL regular season. Gum began the 2025-26 overseas season in Germany with BÖRGEL Ballers Ibbenbüren before transferring to BK Amager in Denmark's first division, Basketligaen, where he averaged 14.9 points and 11.6 rebounds per game across 19 games played. At the collegiate level, Gum played five seasons at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ont. In 117 games (41 starts), he averaged 4.4 points, 4.2 rebounds and 0.6 blocks while shooting 46.5 per cent from the field. His 52 career blocks ranked him sixth all time in Golden Hawks program history. An alumnus of Byrne Creek Secondary in Burnaby, B.C., Gum helped lead the Bulldogs to a second place finish at the 2018 BC 3A Boys Basketball Provincial Championship, while also earning Best Defensive Player honours at the tournament. Gum will wear number 4 for the Bandits.
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Physio District is proud to partner with the Vancouver Bandits as the organization’s Official Sports Medicine & Rehabilitation Provider. Led by Director of Sports Medicine & Rehabilitation Vic Sanghera and Physiotherapist Neil Nijjar, the partnership will support the Bandits with comprehensive injury management, rehabilitation, performance optimization, recovery, and return-to-play services throughout the CEBL season. With extensive experience working in high-performance sport, amateur and professional athletics, and international competition environments, Physio District brings an integrated approach focused on athlete availability, performance support, and evidence-informed care through manual therapy, movement analysis, and corrective exercise principles. In collaboration with the Bandits performance staff, the partnership will also incorporate advanced athlete monitoring and performance technologies through Hawkins Dynamics systems, including force plate testing and TruStrength performance assessment tools, to support rehabilitation progression, performance profiling, and return-to-play decision-making. Physio District is committed to helping athletes perform at their highest level while supporting long-term health, recovery, and durability throughout the demands of a professional basketball season. Physio District is excited to support the Vancouver Bandits organization and contribute to a high-performance environment both on and off the court.
By Ayden Singh May 17, 2026
The Vancouver Bandits were unable to find consistent offense against the Edmonton Stingers, suffering a 91-78 defeat Saturday night at the Edmonton Expo Centre. The game started with both teams going blow for blow in scoring, until the Stingers began to pull away with three-pointers from Samage Teel and Michael Nuga. The Stingers applied overwhelming defensive pressure, slowing down the Bandits up-tempo offence. The Bandits got into a rhythm in the second quarter, chipping away at the deficit and out-pacing the Stingers defense. The Stingers went cold offensively as they approached half time, going a full three minutes without scoring. That dry spell for the Stingers took place during a 19-6 run for the Bandits in that quarter, as they defended aggressively and found more space on the attack. Jalen House shot 8 for 9 in the first half at the free throw line, while Tevian Jones used his explosive athleticism to score 16 points. The Bandits took the lead on free throws from reigning Canadian Player of the Year, Tyrese Samuel, who finished with a team-leading 13 rebounds. The second quarter ended with the Bandits on top, 42-38. The Stingers responded in the third quarter with gritty, physical defense, while using the full shot clock on offense. The Bandits couldn’t build momentum, allowing 33 points and surrendering the lead. The Bandits flirted with a comeback in the fourth, shrinking the Stingers’ lead to seven points, but were unable to capitalise. House led the game in scoring with 27 points, but he was disappointed with the defensive effort from the Bandits. “We were letting them get [points] too easily in the paint, easy threes.” Vancouver head coach Kyle Julius said “our defensive effort was poor everywhere,” calling tonight’s game “one of our worst performances in two to three years.” The success in the second quarter came from the Bandits “playing good defense, playing hard,” said House. “That’s obviously why we shot up and got that three point lead going into half time, but we got away from it.” The Stingers big man Dain Dainja put up 25 points and 14 rebounds in over 29 minutes, all of which led his team. Vancouver falls to 1-1, and goes down 0-1 in the home-and-home series. Vancouver will play Edmonton again on Friday, May 22 for their Home Opener at Envision Financial Court at the Langley Events Centre. Tickets are available for purchase at this link . Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2798728
By Bandits Staff May 15, 2026
Highlights of the Vancouver Bandits against the Mamba on May 14, 2026.

LATEST VIDEO

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