Surge, Mamba Head to Whitehorse; Canada Day Doubleheader
Published on June 30, 2026 under Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) News Release
Saskatoon Mamba forward Tevian Jones
(Saskatoon Mamba)
On Friday, Whitehorse had its first-ever No. 1 pick in the NHL draft when hometown hero Gavin McKenna was selected by the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Exactly one week later, even more Yukon sports history will be made when the CEBL comes to town for the first-ever professional basketball game in the Territories.
In celebration of Canada Day weekend, the Saskatoon Mamba will face the Calgary Surge at Takhini Arena in the first of what is expected to be an annual series over the next three years.
Yukoners will be treated to a fascinating Western Conference matchup.
After catching fire with six wins in seven games, the Mamba (6-7) have vaulted up the standings and firmly entered the playoff conversation.
Saskatoon, which won the inaugural CEBL championship in 2019, brings a mix of old and new stars to Whitehorse.
Canada's Devonté Bandoo, the league's active all-time three-points leader, is back for his fourth stint with the franchise and steady as ever, draining 38.9 per cent of his triples and scoring double-digits again with 12.1 points per game.
Tevian Jones, meanwhile, sits in the league's top-25 in all-time scoring and is just 21 points from 800 total in his regular-season career as the American import returned to the Mamba recently for his second go-round in Saskatoon. He continues to serve as the offensive focal points he's become known for over three years in the league with four different franchises after starting this season in Vancouver.
The Mamba still have their eyes on the top seed in the West, sitting just three games behind those Bandits. Winning games like the one in Whitehorse against a 1-11 Surge squad is imperative in that push.
It's been a tumultuous season in Calgary, which is on its second head coach and only recently won its first game.
While the Surge own the worst point differential in the league, they have been competitive in spurts, including in a six-point loss to the Mamba earlier this month.
And they arrive with a CEBL legend of their own in Rugzy Miller-Moore, the all-time Canadian scoring leader who's enjoying another strong season in the Stampede City with a team-high 20.9 points per game.
The Surge reached the final last season with a similar core of Miller-Moore and fellow guard Evan Gilyard II; any late-season playoff push could be kickstarted now.
Calgary will arrive in Yukon perhaps energized from a Canada Day contest against its rival Edmonton Stingers in the Battle of Alberta two days prior.
The Surge-Stingers matchup is the second half of a July 1 double-header that opens with a heavyweight East showdown between the Scarborough Shooting Stars and Montreal Alliance.
Edmonton (5-7), like Saskatoon, will be looking to take advantage of the weaker Calgary side as it looks to climb up the West.
The Stingers have won two straight games heading into Canada Day, beating the Mamba at home and on the road.
Their balanced scoring attack is led by Stanley Davis Jr., who has yet to start in eight appearances but still paces the team with 13.9 points per game.
While none of Edmonton's individual leaders jump out at you, Jordan Baker's squad is playing his type of team basketball, which it used to end a three-game skid in those contests with the Mamba. They'll now look to fully reverse that and move within one game of .500 against Calgary.
The real headliner, however, will be the game prior, when the league-leading Shooting Stars (11-2) take on the Montreal Alliance (7-6), who have won three straight.
Scarborough turned a frenzy of early-season comebacks into pure dominance with just two losses on its ledger.
The Shooting Stars beat the Alliance by four in their season opener, but rosters have changed greatly.
One thing that hasn't, however, is the presence of CEBL second-leading scorer Myles Powell, who is putting up 28 points per game and scored precisely that against Montreal last time out. Meanwhile, big man Frank Mitchell is averaging a double-double (14.8 points, 11.3 rebounds) down low.
Montreal will counter with the likes of Canadian Quincy Guerrier, who's putting up 14.3 points and 7.2 rebounds per game for his hometown squad.
The Alliance have beaten Edmonton, Calgary and the Niagara River Lions during their winning streak, but the competition will kick up a notch with the Shooting Stars - an opportunity to prove that Scarborough won't simply run away with the East.
Weekly schedule (11 games)
Game #66 - Tuesday, June 30 - SSK at WPG - 7 p.m. CDT / 6 p.m. CST / 8 p.m. ET - Canada Life Centre (CBC Gem, YouTube, CEBL+)
Game #67 - Wednesday, July 1 - MTL at SSS - 4 p.m. ET - Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre (CBC Gem, YouTube, CEBL+)
Game #68 - Wednesday, July 1 - CGY at EDM - 4 p.m. MT / 6 p.m. ET - Edmonton EXPO Centre (CBC Gem, YouTube, CEBL+)
Game #69 - Thursday, July 2 - OTT at BHB - 7:30 p.m. ET - CAA Centre (CBC Gem, YouTube, CEBL+)
Game #70 - Friday, July 3 - SSS at MTL - 7:30 p.m. ET - Verdun Auditorium (CBC Gem, YouTube, RDS.ca, CEBL+)
Game #71 - Friday, July 3 - CGY at SSK - 6:30 p.m. YST / 7:30 p.m. CST/MT / 9:30 p.m. ET - Takhini Arena (CBC Gem, YouTube, CEBL+)
Game #72 - Friday, July 3 - EDM at VAN - 7 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. MT / 10 p.m. ET - Envision Financial Court at Langley Events Centre (CBC Gem, YouTube, CEBL+)
Game #73 - Saturday, July 4 - OTT at NRL - 7 p.m. ET - Meridian Centre (CBC Gem, YouTube, CEBL+)
Game #74 - Sunday, July 5 - CGY at VAN - 12:30 p.m. PT / 1:30 p.m. MT / 3:30 p.m. ET - Envision Financial Court at Langley Events Centre (CBC, CBC Gem, YouTube, CEBL+)
Game #75 - Sunday, July 5 - SSS at BHB - 4 p.m. ET - CAA Centre (CBC Gem, YouTube, CEBL+)
Game #76 - Sunday, July 5 - WPG at EDM - 4 p.m. MT / 5 p.m. CDT / 6 p.m. ET - Edmonton EXPO Centre (CBC Gem, YouTube, CEBL+)
For the full 2026 CEBL schedule, please visit cebl.ca/games.
Images from this story
 Saskatoon Mamba forward Tevian Jones |
Canadian Elite Basketball League Stories from June 30, 2026
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