Winnipeg Is About to Make Basketball History…Again

In 2022, Winnipeg made basketball history when the Winnipeg Sea Bears, our city’s first-ever Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) team, debuted at Canada Life Centre.

Two seasons later, our Sea Bears have tied for the best record in the West, built a loyal fanbase, and set new league attendance records, with games generating excitement, a surge of activity in Winnipeg’s downtown, and more revenue for countless local businesses.

This August, we’ll make history again.

The CEBL recently announced the Winnipeg Sea Bears, in partnership with the City of Winnipeg and Province of Manitoba, will host its 2025 Championship Weekend: a three-day celebration of basketball, music, culture and community beginning August 22.

Tipping off the celebration, The Chamber is hosting a special Membership Luncheon: Harnessing the Power of Sports. CEBL Commissioner and Cofounder Mike Morreale will join a panel of all-star leadership from NBA Canada, Canada Basketball, and True North Sports + Entertainment. They’ll explore the Sea Bears’ success, the impact of pro basketball in our city, and how local businesses can get involved.

Ahead of the event, we caught up with Mike to hear his story, why he brought pro basketball to Winnipeg, and what businesses can learn from the rise of the Sea Bears.

Noah Cote: You’ve had such a unique path from pro athlete to broadcaster, association leader and entrepreneur, to league founder. Can you tell me the story of how you co-founded the CEBL? 

Mike Morreale: I had just taken a new job selling private jets, which was pretty cool. I got to meet a lot of interesting, successful people. The very first person I met was a gentleman named Rich Petko.

He recognized me from my time in Toronto, which was rare because if people recognize me, it’s usually for my time with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats where I played the bulk of my CFL career.

Rich had owned a team in a different league, and we started sharing stories about sports. He was bouncing around ideas about how his team functioned, what the league was like, that sort of thing. Then he invited me down to watch some games and eventually introduced me to the idea of being commissioner of this league.

It would have been an uphill battle to accomplish what he wanted locally. That league needed a bigger structure, lots of help, and a lot of other things that just didn’t exist. So that’s when he said to me, “I want to start my own league. I want to play FIBA rules, I want to play in the spring and summer – I want to create a real Canadian league that mimics some of the top domestic leagues in the world. Will you help me?”

And I was like, “Yeah, of course.”

It’s a totally different sport, different mindset than football, but to me, I had all this knowledge of Canadian sport. I had seen it from every side. I tried to take the best of what I’ve learned and dump the stuff that wasn’t so good in my experience on and off the field – to build a better mousetrap.

We were a startup. It took a lot of steps and a lot of time, but Rich handed me the keys. I sat in the boardroom of the team he was bringing over and started building the CEBL – staffing our office, looking at different markets to play in, figuring out rules, pay, where players would come from, among a host of other steps. That’s how it started back in November 2017.

NC: Tell me about the moment you knew you’d be bringing a team to Winnipeg. Did you anticipate the love and support from our community you’re seeing now?

MM: Winnipeg was always on our list. It’s a city that supports its local sports teams very, very well. The one thing we didn’t have was a local connection. We were reluctant to do what we’ve done elsewhere – manage a team from a distance with some local staff on the ground. We just didn’t believe it would be successful that way, so we hit pause until we felt comfortable with the right person emerging there.

David Asper was that person. He has deep ties to the community and a strong track record in business and sport. He’d come to some of our games in Scarborough and Niagara, and as we had conversations, it became clear he believed in the CEBL vision. I thought, “Okay, he’s the guy and this can work.”

The one thing we didn’t have was a place to play.

At first, we looked at a university. We toured facilities trying to figure out how to get people there, but we really envisioned people driving downtown in the summer. We wanted to bring that traffic, get people on the streets, in the bars, in the communities, and we knew it would be great for the city.

As word started to get out, we got a groundswell of interest, fans engaging, and people wanting basketball. It was a big step, and a scary one. We thought we’d start off with 2,500 fans, not 9,000.

But in the end, David’s long-standing relationships and community involvement brought us to Canada Life Centre.

We had our first-ever press conference there to make the announcement, and you looked out in the audience and it was the who’s who of Winnipeg, from community leaders, politicians, and basketball. Now, it’s bigger and better than we ever imagined.

NC: We love to hear the emphasis on downtown and local partnerships, and it’s clear some of the Sea Bears biggest fans are local businesses like Travel Manitoba, Fillmore Riley, Payworks, and the list goes on. Why is it important to you for the league and its teams to partner with local businesses? 

MM: Local partnerships are key to the teams’ success. It’s how they integrate into their communities, and Winnipeg’s done a fantastic job bringing really strong local brands and national brands on board.

The people that work downtown, invest in downtown, have committed to downtown, they deserve something back. This is a way to return some of that investment, help promote them, and celebrate their role.

The local stories will be shared, so your members will have to come [to the August Member Luncheon] for those. But the brands [Winnipeg Sea Bears] brought in are strong – regional and national – and they help legitimize everything we’re doing.

NC: My first-ever basketball game was this year’s Sea Bears season opener. I remember watching newly inducted Canadian Music Hall of Famer Maestro Fresh Wes perform before the game, helping kids up on stage to dance while their parents cheered them on.

It felt like a space for sports fans, but also for families, friends, performers, artists, and local businesses – for everyone. How intentional was that?

MM: Very intentional.

We’re a community-first organization. Some Winnipeggers had never set foot in that arena before a Sea Bears game. There’s a reason for that – something wasn’t connecting.

We work to make that connection.

Basketball is special, it attracts young, diverse crowds. It’s a global game, but it’s also an easy game you can play for little cost in a parking lot. As long as you’ve got a hoop and a ball, you’ll be in good shape.

But it also connects to music, art, culture, sneakers, bringing in people who aren’t necessarily basketball fans.

We like to say come for the party, stay for the game.

And if you come early to go across the street for a drink, or leave to spend time downtown, then we’ve created this environment where the community gives back to itself. Winnipeg’s has done a tremendous job at that.

When I got to Winnipeg, based on the fans and the Sea Bears merchandise all over, you’d think the team has been there for 20 years! [laughs] There’s teal everywhere.

NC: You have a strong history of fundraising and community support. From helping Hamilton Children’s Hospital and being a War Amps spokesperson, to all you give back now with CEBL and its teams supporting local nonprofits like The Winnipeg Chamber, what’s the motivation for you there, and what do you look for in a community partnership?

MM: It’s how I grew up. My family always gave back. Then, during my time playing in Hamilton and going to the Children’s Hospital with the goal of making those kids happy, I would leave feeling even happier.

I also remember being a kid in the stands watching my Tiger-Cats, and I wanted so badly to be on that field. That’s what we want to create here – for boys and girls, men and women – and I know we don’t have a women’s league, but hopefully it’s possible. because there’s still young girls that cheer from those stands and envision playing pro one day. But if you can’t see it, you can’t dream it.

The team is only as good as its impact on the community. We have a short season, so what do we do with the rest of the year? Where’s Churchill Bear?  Are we in front of kids, are we up north, expanding our reach, are people feeling energized by having us around and being present? It’s just about doing the right things.

NC: I would be kicking myself if I didn’t press you: are you saying you’re interested in creating a women’s league?

MM: Well, we’ve always talked about it. I’ve shared my thoughts with Canada Basketball. We’re still working our way through our own business plan and investment, but if someone’s ready to put up their hand, we’re ready to help. We’ve done this before, we can make it happen. I can certainly say we want to investigate what that looks like in partnership with other willing participants.

NC: Why should Winnipeggers get hyped for Championship Weekend?

MM: It’s going to be by far the biggest and best we’ve ever done.

Perfect time, perfect place, with a couple of years under Winnipeg’s belt to do things just right. If the heavens align and Winnipeg happens to win, I think we’ll see an absolutely incredible moment in your city that’s been reserved for the Bombers and the Jets.

NC: We’ll need to come up with a name for the teal-out party.

MM: Yeah, that’s right.

NC: What can our attendees expect from your panel with Basketball Canada, NBA Canada, and TNSE?

MM: I’ll give the backstory, where we came from and where we’re headed. The others will bring their own lens: NBA from a national level, Canada Basketball from the grassroots, and TNSE from the local scene.

We’ve got new markets interested, more talent than ever, and a fan base that keeps growing. The sport’s exploding in Canada, and we’re just getting started.