The Canadian Elite Basketball League has reverted to a single-game championship format following the cancellation of the best-of-three final between the Winnipeg Sea Bears and the Brampton Honey Badgers due to unsafe playing conditions caused by court condensation. The decision was made swiftly after the game was halted, with Brampton leading 6-0 before play was stopped when Sea Bears’ Xavier Moon slipped on the court. The one-game final will now take place in Winnipeg on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET, broadcasted on CBC platforms.
The league stated that the change to a one-game final was the fairest approach given the circumstances, reverting to the format used in previous years. The Brampton Honey Badgers had won the first two meetings against the Sea Bears this season. Honey Badgers’ CEO Al Whitley expressed regret over the game’s cancellation.
The Honey Badgers, former CEBL champions in 2022, and the Sea Bears have both showcased impressive playoff performances to reach the final. Sea Bears defeated the Saskatoon Mamba and stunned the Vancouver Bandits, while the Honey Badgers overcame the Ottawa BlackJacks and the Niagara River Lions.
The championship game will not only feature an exciting on-court battle but also an off-court storyline as both teams are owned by the Asper siblings, David Asper leading the Sea Bears and Leonard Asper heading the Honey Badgers. This single-game championship marks an unexpected turn of events in the CEBL season.