2026 Canadian Elite Basketball League Dates, Schedule, Start Times, Venues, Teams & How to Watch

The 2026 Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) season will be the league’s eighth campaign and represents one of the most important years in the young league’s history. Not only is the CEBL continuing its rapid growth across Canada, but it is also implementing a significant overhaul to its postseason format that fans have been eagerly anticipating.The regular season is set to tip off on Saturday, May 9, 2026, with a marquee matchup as the Edmonton Stingers host the Winnipeg Sea Bears at the Edmonton EXPO Centre. This opening game will officially launch 24 games per team across the league’s 10-team roster, running until the regular season concludes on August 3, 2026.

Major Postseason Changes

The biggest story of the 2026 season is the complete transformation of the playoff structure. The CEBL has moved away from the previous single-weekend Championship format and introduced a more traditional, in-market playoff system:

The top four teams from both the Eastern and Western Conferences will qualify for the playoffs.

The first two rounds (quarterfinals and semifinals) will be single-elimination.

The CEBL Finals will now be played as a best-of-three series, giving the champion a true test over multiple games.

This change is expected to create more meaningful games late in the season and give passionate local fans greater opportunities to experience playoff basketball in their home arenas.

2026 CEBL Season: Full Schedule, Dates, Start Times, Teams, Playoffs

May 2026

May 9, 3:30 PM ET: Winnipeg Sea Bears @ Edmonton Stingers

May 16, 7:30 PM ET: Edmonton Stingers vs Ottawa BlackJacks

May 17, 8:00 PM ET: Saskatoon Mamba vs Winnipeg Sea Bears

May 19, 7:30 PM ET: Winnipeg Sea Bears @ Scarborough Shooting Stars

May 23, 8:00 PM ET: Niagara River Lions vs Winnipeg Sea Bears

May 24, 8:00 PM ET: Winnipeg Sea Bears vs Calgary Surge

May 25, 8:00 PM ET: Winnipeg Sea Bears vs Brampton Honey Badgers

May 25, 8:00 PM ET: Montréal Alliance vs Ottawa BlackJacks

May 27, 7:30 PM ET: Scarborough Shooting Stars vs Ottawa BlackJacks

May 29, 8:00 PM ET: Winnipeg Sea Bears vs Saskatoon Mamba

May 30, 8:00 PM ET: Winnipeg Sea Bears @ Saskatoon Mamba

May 31, 8:00 PM ET: Ottawa BlackJacks vs Montréal Alliance

June 2026

June 3, 7:30 PM ET: Calgary Surge vs Niagara River Lions

June 6, 7:30 PM ET: Brampton Honey Badgers vs Winnipeg Sea Bears

June 8, 8:00 PM ET: Edmonton Stingers vs Ottawa BlackJacks

June 13, 8:00 PM ET: Calgary Surge vs Winnipeg Sea Bears

June 14, 9:00 PM ET: Winnipeg Sea Bears vs Calgary Surge

June 19, 8:00 PM ET: Vancouver Bandits vs Winnipeg Sea Bears

June 20, 8:00 PM ET: Edmonton Stingers vs Winnipeg Sea Bears

June 28, 8:00 PM ET: Winnipeg Sea Bears vs Vancouver Bandits

July 2026

July 1, 8:00 PM ET: Saskatoon Mamba vs Winnipeg Sea Bears

July 4, 8:00 PM ET: Winnipeg Sea Bears vs Edmonton Stingers

July 5, 8:00 PM ET: Calgary Surge vs Vancouver Bandits

July 10, 8:00 PM ET: Edmonton Stingers vs Winnipeg Sea Bears

July 12, 8:00 PM ET: Calgary Surge vs Winnipeg Sea Bears

July 16, 8:00 PM ET: Winnipeg Sea Bears vs Saskatoon Mamba

July 19, 8:00 PM ET: Montreal Alliance vs Winnipeg Sea Bears

July 24, 8:00 PM ET: Vancouver Bandits vs Winnipeg Sea Bears

July 25, 8:00 PM ET: Brampton Honey Badgers vs Winnipeg Sea Bears

August 2026

(Final Regular Season Games)

August 1, 8:00 PM ET: Ottawa BlackJacks vs Winnipeg Sea Bears

August 2, 8:00 PM ET: Winnipeg Sea Bears vs Vancouver Bandits

August 3, 8:00 PM ET: Calgary Surge vs Saskatoon Mamba

2026 CEBL PlayoffsConference Quarterfinals: August 6 – 9

Conference Semifinals: August 10 – 13

CEBL Finals (Best-of-3): August 14 – 16

All times are listed in Eastern Time (ET). Most Winnipeg Sea Bears home games at Canada Life Centre start at 8:00 PM ET. Would you like me to add the remaining games I didn't list above, or format the full schedule for a specific team? Just let me know!