EDMONTON STINGERS OF THE CANADIAN ELITE BASKETBALL LEAGUE ARRIVES IN THE CITY OF CHAMPIONS IN 2019

EDMONTON, June 22, 2018 – The Edmonton franchise of the new Canadian Elite Basketball League unveiled its team name and logo Friday. The Edmonton Stingers, featuring a hornet dressed in blue and yellow as their logo, descend upon the Edmonton Expo Centre when the inaugural CEBL season tips off in May 2019.

“World class sports has always been integral to the people of Alberta, so we’re thrilled to bring professional basketball to Edmonton,” said Mike Morreale, chief executive officer of the CEBL. “Whether it has been with the NHL, CFL, soccer, or university athletics, sports fans across this region have embraced their teams with tremendous support. The reception we’ve had throughout the process of bringing the Stingers to Edmonton has been highly enthusiastic and matches our excitement about coming to the City of Champions.”

Edmonton joins Saskatchewan (Saskatoon), Fraser Valley (Abbotsford) Hamilton, Guelph, and Niagara (St. Catharines) as the original six teams in the CEBL. Lee Genier serves as President and Chief Operating Officer, Western Operations for the CEBL, leading the operation of the teams in Edmonton, Saskatchewan, and Fraser Valley. Genier’s sports leadership experience includes 19 years with the Calgary Stampeders, where he held the position of senior vice president of business operations, two years running the Saskatchewan Rush of the National Lacrosse League, where he was named 2016 NLL Executive of the Year, and a term on the board of directors of Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton through the 2014 Olympic Winter Games where Canada captured gold in Bobsleigh.

“We are very excited to be bringing a new entertainment experience to Edmonton that will feature the highest caliber of basketball talent in Canada outside of Toronto’s Raptors, along with an electric atmosphere that will leave fans wanting even more,” Genier said, “Basketball is the most popular sport among young people in North America. It’s a privilege and honour to establish a basketball legacy in Edmonton that will also be a positive influence within the entire sports arena.”

The Stingers nickname with the hornet logo depicts a feared animal that flies swiftly with intent in striking a target. Like a stinger missile and a well-shot basketball, it always hits its target. The logo pays homage to the CF-18 Hornet, a Royal Canadian Air Force fighter aircraft that flies out of northern Alberta.

“The Canadian Elite Basketball League promises to deliver an experience where all 10 of each team’s home games will be a major event, blending fast paced professional basketball and an atmosphere that resembles a rock concert,” Genier added. “I look forward to the Stingers providing extra pizzazz to the Edmonton sports scene in the spring and summer months.”

Created by Canadians for Canadians, the CEBL will provide sports fans with a premium entertainment option while also allowing players, coaches and other stakeholders the opportunity to engage in the sport of basketball in meaningful ways that support the growth of the game in Canada. The CEBL will operate in accordance with the player and referee standards set by Canada Basketball, the National Sport Organization for basketball in Canada. It is the only league in Canada affiliated with FIBA, the international governing body for basketball.

For more information: Canadian Elite Basketball League: www.cebl.ca
Edmonton Stingers: www.thestingers.ca