In the face of pretty much all other sports and leagues standing aside during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Canadian Elite Basketball League and its reigning champion Saskatchewan Rattlers are remaining positive…almost defiant..about starting the 2020 season as scheduled!

However, Rattlers’ general manager Barry Rawlyk (pictured) admits the COVID-19 crisis is causing problems for the athletes.

“For some of them, that has presented a bit of a challenge,” explained Rawlyk. “I know the guys are serious about their craft and have been spending time doing some things to train and keep themselves in good shape like that. But, obviously, there’ve been some disruptions in the routines.”

Training camps for C-E-B-L teams are slated to start around April 29 with the first regular-season game set for May 7. The seven teams all get to utilize a game roster of ten with four practice players. Saskatchewan has announced six signings already and most are familiar names.

“We don’t think it’s a good thing to have a roster that is all new faces that you don’t recognize anybody,” explained Rawlyk while saying re-signing many members of the championship team was always the game plan. “I thing there’s got to be some continuity there.”

The Rattlers first game is still scheduled for May 8 at Fraser Valley with the first home game, and championship banner-raising, set for May 14 against the Bandits at SaskTel Centre.