Vancouver Bandits Sign Uvic Vikes Star, U SPORTS Finals MVP Sam Maillet

Bandits Staff • March 26, 2025

The Vancouver Bandits announced Wednesday that the club has signed 6-foot-7 guard and U SPORTS National Championship MVP, Sam Maillet, to a Standard Player Contract for its upcoming Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) season at Langley Events Centre.


A native of Moncton, N.B., Maillet recently finished his fifth season of U SPORTS hoops and is coming off of a national championship with the University of Victoria Vikes in 2025.


This will be Maillet’s second stint in the CEBL after previously being signed by the Bandits during the 2024 season as a developmental player (recognized Canadians with experience as a student-athlete with remaining eligibility). Quickly winning the hearts of Bandits fans with his distinctive mullet haircut and tenacious defensive play, Maillet earned a roster spot out of training camp and appeared in 20 games across regular season and postseason play.


“I am really excited to be back with the Bandits for another season and can’t wait to get started,” said Maillet. “I am looking forward to playing in front of the best fans in the CEBL, growing alongside the great people in the organization and another summer of bodies flying.”


The 2024-25 campaign saw Maillet enjoy the most decorated season of his university career, which garnered him recognition as both Canada West and U SPORTS Defensive Player of the Year. as well as a nod as a U SPORTS Final 8 Tournament All-Star and Tournament MVP thanks to helping Victoria win its 9th national title. Maillet led the Vikes in total rebounds and assists, and minutes played per game while starting in all 24 regular season and playoff games.


Prior to transferring to the west coast, he spent four seasons at Dalhousie University in Halifax, N.S. where he won three Atlantic University Sport (AUS) titles in 2020, 2022 and 2024, and was also named AUS Defensive Player of the Year in 2022. As a result, he became the first player to win a conference defensive player of the year award in two different conferences.


“I am really excited about the opportunity to spend another summer working with Sam,” Bandits head coach and general manager Kyle Julius said. “He embodies our culture and really impacts winning and I can’t wait to get back in the gym with him.” 


Season Tickets and Jam Packs are currently on sale for the Bandits’ seventh CEBL season and are available for purchase at this link. Single game tickets are expected to go on sale later this spring.


The Bandits tip-off the 2025 CEBL campaign on Thursday, May 15 when the club hits the road to take on the Saskatchewan Rattlers. Fans will have their first chance to watch the club at home on Thursday, May 22 at 7 p.m. PT when Vancouver hosts the Niagara River Lions in a rematch of the 2024 CEBL Final.


Vancouver will play a total of 12 regular season home games in 2025 between Thursday, May 22 and Sunday, August 3. The Bandits wrap up regular season action on the road in Ottawa on Sunday, August 10 at 12 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 learning more about tickets for the Vancouver Bandits’ upcoming 2025 season are kindly asked to call (604) 455-8881 or email
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 NEWS

By CEBL Staff May 7, 2026
The Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) announced Thursday that billionaire entrepreneur, former majority owner of the Dallas Mavericks, and former co-star of the Emmy award winning TV show Shark Tank, Mark Cuban has joined the Brampton Honey Badgers ownership group. Cuban’s career has spanned a wide range of business ventures, with the Brampton Honey Badgers being among the latest. In the sports world, Cuban is most notably known as the former majority owner of the Dallas Mavericks, a position he held until he sold his majority stake in 2023, though still holding roughly 27% ownership of the organization. Cuban played an active role in the Mavericks success over his ownership tenure, contributing to their 2011 NBA championship. He is credited for his willingness to spend to acquire top talent, fostering team chemistry, building a “family-like” atmosphere, and pushing boundaries in an effort to improve the game he loves. “Canadian basketball is probably the most underappreciated in the world,” said Cuban. “The talent here is through the roof and getting better by the day. The CEBL offers all of Canada the chance to see that amazing talent on display in exciting games that are fun and affordable for the entire family. I’m excited to be part of this team, help build the Brampton fanbase, and to bring some of the same fun we had in Dallas to the Toronto area!” Many people will also recognize Mark Cuban from his 13-year career on Shark Tank , where he sat on a panel as one of five investors, listening to small companies’ presentations and pitches asking for investment. More recently, Cuban co-founded Cost Plus Drugs in 2022, a public benefit corporation focused on providing pharmaceutical drugs to the public at a much lower cost. The Vancouver Bandits are one of 10 teams across Canada and a founding franchise of the CEBL. Boasting one of Canada’s strongest and most engaging fan bases, the team and league have quickly established a reputation as one of British Columbia’s most exciting and dynamic live event offerings.  Launched in May of 2018 and playing its first season in 2019, the CEBL is Canada's largest professional sports league with additional franchises in Edmonton, Calgary, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Brampton, Niagara (St. Catharines), Scarborough (Toronto), Ottawa and Montréal. “Mark Cuban joining the CEBL is another significant step forward for the growth and long-term credibility of our league,” said Dylan Kular, Vancouver Bandits team president. “When someone with Mark’s experience and global reputation in professional sports chooses to invest in Canadian basketball, it reinforces the momentum that organizations like the Bandits and teams across the CEBL have worked hard to build over the past several years. It elevates the visibility of our league, creates new opportunities for all member clubs, and further validates the passion our fans, partners and communities have shown across Canada.” The Bandits open their eighth CEBL season on Thursday, May 14 on the road in Saskatoon before coming home for its Home Opener against the Edmonton Stingers on Friday, May 22 at 7:00 p.m. PT at Envision Financial Court at Langley Events Centre. A full game schedule can be viewed here . Bandits Single Game Tickets and additional 2026 ticket options can be purchased here . All CEBL regular season games including playoffs will be live-streamed on the CEBL’s OTT platform, CEBL+, the CEBL Mobile app, the CBC Gem app and the CBC Sports YouTube channel. Marquee games will air nationally on CBC TV. More information is available at thebandits.ca and @vancouverbandits on Instagram and TikTok, as well as @vancitybandits on Facebook and Twitter.
By Bandits Staff May 5, 2026
The Vancouver Bandits of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) announced Tuesday its training camp roster for its eighth season of professional basketball, led by head coach and general manager Kyle Julius. Beginning today (May 5) and running until Tuesday, May 12, 2026 Training Camp will take place at Langley Events Centre and is highlighted by two preseason games: the club’s fifth-annual intrasquad School Day Game on Thursday, May 7 at 11:00 a.m. PT and its second-annual charitable exhibition game against The Basketball Tournament’s Sikh Warriors on Saturday, May 9 at 5:00 p.m. PT. Both games will tip off at Envision Financial Court at Langley Events Centre. May 9 tickets are on sale at this link , with proceeds benefitting the Bandits Community Foundation. Vancouver’s 2026 Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) training camp roster features 16 athletes; including 12 Canadians, 6 British Columbians, three Americans and one international player. The Bandits’ 2026 training camp roster is listed below:
By Bandits Staff May 4, 2026
The Vancouver Bandits have re-signed veteran guard Duane Notice for his fourth consecutive Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) season with BC’s professional basketball team. A 6-foot-3 guard from Toronto, Ont., Notice debuted with the club in 2023 and has contributed leadership, grit, and clutch performances to the roster during his time. He holds several franchise records, including the most regular season games played (58) and the most Target Score game winners (7). Additionally, he is ranked second all-time in both total assists and steals, and fifth all-time in total rebounds. “Duane Notice is the heartbeat of our culture. He is a relentless leader, a clutch shot-maker, and a defensive tone setter who sacrifices his body,” said head coach and general manager Kyle Julius. “Duane shows up early, stays late, and drives everything we do on and off the floor. We expect another huge summer from Duane, and we know he will bring it like he always does.” Notice appeared in 18 regular season games in 2025, including nine starts, where he averaged 7.1 points, 2.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 25.4 minutes per game. During his CEBL off-seasons, Notice has played for the Sudbury Five of the Basketball Super League (BSL), where he was most recently named 2026 BSL Finals MVP. In the 2025-26 BSL season, Notice averaged 14.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 0.8 steals, and 36.9 minutes across 28 games played. Prior to the Bandits, Notice has previous CEBL experience with the Brampton Honey Badgers (formerly known as Hamilton) in 2019 and 2020 and spent two seasons with the Toronto Raptors’ NBA G League affiliate, the Raptors 905, between 2018 and 2020. Internationally, Notice has represented Team Canada at six different tournaments and has played a combined total of 30 games throughout his career for both the junior men’s and senior men’s national teams. Over a five-year university career, Notice starred at the University of South Carolina where he is the school’s all-time leader in games played with 138. He was named the SEC’s Sixth Man of the Year during the 2015-16 season and helped lead the Gamecocks to an appearance in the NCAA Men’s Final Four in 2017. Fans will get their first chance to watch the Bandits’ new-look roster in a charitable preseason game on Saturday, May 9 at 5:00 p.m. at Envision Financial Court at Langley Events Centre when the club faces the Sikh Warriors from ESPN’s The Basketball Tournament. Preseason tickets are on sale at this link , with proceeds benefitting the Bandits Community Foundation. The Bandits open the 2026 CEBL season on Thursday, May 14 on the road in Saskatoon before coming home for its Home Opener against the Edmonton Stingers on Friday, May 22 at 7:00 p.m. PT at Envision Financial Court at Langley Events Centre. A full game schedule can be viewed here . Bandits Single Game Tickets and additional 2026 ticket options can be purchased here . All CEBL regular season games including playoffs will be live-streamed on the CEBL’s OTT platform, CEBL+, the CEBL Mobile app, the CBC Gem app and the CBC Sports YouTube channel. Marquee games will air nationally on CBC TV. More information is available at thebandits.ca and @vancouverbandits on Instagram and TikTok, as well as @vancitybandits on Facebook and Twitter.
By Bandits Staff May 2, 2026
The Vancouver Bandits announced Saturday that Trinity Western Spartans alumnus David Mutabazi has re-signed with the club for the 2026 Canadian Elite Basketball League season (CEBL). The 6-foot-5 guard joined the Bandits as a Developmental Player during the 2025 season where he was selected 30th overall in the CEBL Draft, appearing in nine games with three starts. Mutabazi made an immediate impact, logging 29 minutes and finishing with a game-high plus-44 as a starter in his professional debut on May 15, 2025 in a 106-65 win against the Saskatchewan Rattlers. “David was a complete surprise last season. His defensive instincts and relentless effort elevated our locker room culture,” said head coach and general manager Kyle Julius. “This year, we are counting on David to do even more. He is one of our few returning players and we expect him to bring that toughness, intensity, and now leadership to push us forward.” Mutabazi recently finished a four-year collegiate basketball career at Trinity Western University, where he averaged 13.9 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game across 83 games dating back to 2022. During the 2025-26 season, he averaged 9.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.6 assists across 17 games, placing him in the top five in those categories for the Spartans. Mutabazi will be reunited with fellow TWU product Jack Vandenberg on the Bandits training camp roster, which begins on Tuesday, May 5. Born in Kirinda, Rwanda, Mutabazi recently represented his country at the 2025 FIBA AfroBasket tournament. In his international debut, he averaged 5.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.7 assists while playing 19.1 minutes per game across three games as its sixth man off the bench. Fans will get their first chance to watch the Bandits’ new-look roster in a charitable preseason game on Saturday, May 9 at 5:00 p.m. at Envision Financial Court at Langley Events Centre when the club faces the Sikh Warriors from ESPN’s The Basketball Tournament. Preseason tickets are on sale at this link , with proceeds benefitting the Bandits Community Foundation. The Bandits open the 2026 CEBL season on Thursday, May 14 on the road in Saskatoon before coming home for its Home Opener against the Edmonton Stingers on Friday, May 22 at 7:00 p.m. PT at Envision Financial Court at Langley Events Centre. A full game schedule can be viewed here . Bandits Single Game Tickets and additional 2026 ticket options can be purchased here . All CEBL regular season games including playoffs will be live-streamed on the CEBL’s OTT platform, CEBL+, the CEBL Mobile app, the CBC Gem app and the CBC Sports YouTube channel. Marquee games will air nationally on CBC TV. 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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