More changes are coming for the Canadian Elite Basketball League as it prepares to enter its 4th season. In a story posted by Justine Jones on the CEBL website, the league announced that effective February 1st, teams would now be able to designate one of their 10 man active roster spots for an international player.
While American players have been playing in the league for some time now, the new rule allows the CEBL to broaden its reach globally. Players who possess dual citizenship and already have a Canadian or American passport will not be counted as an International Player per league sources.
The timing of the announcement isn’t coincidental either. With free agency slated to kick off tomorrow, General Managers will now be able to expand their search when putting together their rosters for the 2022 season.
“Basketball is a global game,” said CEBL Commissioner Mike Morreale. “If you look at the top European leagues, Asian leagues, what have you, they are proud domestic leagues that have import spots, generally reserved for Americans or Canadians. So, we kind of took that same approach, but tweaked it around.”
Morreale is no stranger to league import rules having played 12 years in the CFL as a player and spending another 7 as a CFLPA executive. While the new rule will allow for a more international flavour on CEBL rosters, league by-laws will ensure that teams remain composed primarily of Canadian players. Teams must have a minimum of two domestic players on the court at all times.
Adding intrigue to the new international rule is the fact that the CEBL season runs during the “offseason” of many other international leagues (May-September). As such, international players looking to stay in game shape could be swayed to test the waters of the Canadian market before heading back overseas to their home clubs.
The 10 team league now spans coast to coast with the introduction of Montreal and Newfoundland based franchises, in addition to a new team debuting in Scarborough as well. The league will host its annual USport draft in a few months where teams can select some of the best and brightest prospects from the collegiate ranks to work with them throughout the year.
The CEBL kicks off their fourth season later this spring.