On Monday, the Saskatchewan Rattlers announced the re-signing of head coach Dean Demopoulos for the 2023 Canadian Elite Basketball League season and said the league’s schedule would be released in late January.
Turns out late January is one day later, Tuesday, as the C-E-B-L and the Snakes unveiled their 2023 slate.
Saskatchewan will open at home on May 31 at SaskTel Centre against the Vancouver Bandits. The Rattlers will be part of the five-team Western Conference along with Vancouver, the Edmonton Stingers, Calgary Surge and Winnipeg Sea Bears. The Eastern Conference will be comprised of the Brampton Honey Badgers, Montreal Alliance, Niagara River Lions, Ottawa Black Jacks and Scarborough Shooting Stars. All teams will play 20 regular-season games plus a play-in round to get to the final four, championship weekend on August 11-13 in Vancouver. Following is the news release from the Rattlers…..
Saskatchewan Rattlers 2023 Schedule
Saskatoon, Sask. – The Saskatchewan Rattlers of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) led by head coach Dean Demopoulos, announced their schedule for the 2023 season on Tuesday. 2023 celebrates five seasons of the CEBL and marks a 20-game slate for Saskatchewan with one potential home playoff game in the CEBL postseason. CEBL Championship Weekend will be hosted in Vancouver, BC from August 11-13.
The Rattlers will host 10 home games starting May 31 at the SaskTel Centre, when they faceoff against the Vancouver Bandits. The home opener is followed by a road trip out east as they take on the Niagara River Lions (June 3) followed by 2022 CEBL runners up Scarborough Shooting Stars. The Rattlers return home for a two-game homestand against new expansion teams Winnipeg Sea Bears (June 9), and Calgary Surge (June 11).
Notable home games include a special Truth and Reconciliation night on June 25 when they host Scarborough and Fan Appreciation night which marks the final regular season game held on July 28 when they host Calgary. More theme games to be officially announced in the spring.
The remainder of the schedule features three more road trips and three more homestands with the Rattlers visiting Montreal, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Edmonton, and Calgary. Saskatchewan hosts Niagara, Ottawa, Edmonton, Brampton, and Vancouver in July at SaskTel Centre.
General public and returning season ticket members can claim their seats for the entire Rattlers 2023 season by using Account Manager. Season tickets range from $363 in the silver section to $825 for courtside baseline row 2 (All courtside row 1 offers are sold out). All tickets can also be purchased through the Rattlers Front Office (306) 244-2181, Saskatchewan Rattlers website, or via Ticketmaster. Single game tickets will be available later this spring.
We have a great mix of both weekday and weekend games. Select games this year will feature unique themes and entertainment to give fans the best value for their night out.” said Rattlers Vice President, Brad Kraft “We look to build from our successes from last season and maintain the league best home record. Winning for our fans at the SnakePit.”
The CEBL has announced a conference model of competition for its fifth season. The league’s 10 teams are divided into an Eastern and Western Conference. The Western Conference includes the Calgary Surge, Edmonton Stingers, Saskatchewan Rattlers, Vancouver Bandits and Winnipeg Sea Bears. The Eastern Conference includes the Brampton Honey Badgers, Montréal Alliance, Niagara River Lions, Ottawa BlackJacks, and Scarborough Shooting Stars.
The 2023 Championship Weekend takes place in Vancouver from August 11-13. Host Vancouver, along with the top-ranked team from the Eastern Conference, will automatically be seeded into the semifinals hosted at Championship Weekend.
The CEBL postseason will feature play-in games between the third and fourth-ranked teams in each conference. Winners will advance to the quarterfinals and play the second-best team of their respective conferences. The fifth-ranked team in each conference will be eliminated unless Vancouver places fifth in the west in which case the fourth-ranked west team will get eliminated. Quarterfinal winners in each conference will play their respective conference teams already seeded in the semifinals. The full postseason schedule will be revealed at a later date.
