The Calgary Surge have been named Canadian Elite Basketball League’s 2025 Franchise of the Year.
The professional hoops team earned the honour as part of the CEBL business awards, which were announced on Oct. 30th.
In addition, the Surge claimed the Digital Excellence Award for the second time in three years.
“The Calgary Surge have proven themselves best-in-class, excelling on the court, engaging
fans, and making a real impact in their community. These awards are a well-deserved
recognition of their outstanding achievements,” said CEBL President Ty Mazereeuw.
This year, the Surge went 17-7, which was their winningest campaign in franchise history and good for the second-best record in the league. The team led the CEBL in rebounds, steals, fouls drawn and free throw attempts. They also allowed the fewest points against. The Surge won their second Western Conference Championship in three years and advanced to their third consecutive Championship Weekend.
Jameer Nelson Jr. was named Defensive Player of the Year after setting a CEBL record with 57 steals. Evan Gilyard II also established a league playoff record with eight three-pointers in a single game. Meanwhile, Rugzy Miller-Moore set a new high for scoring by a Canadian with 427 points this year.
The Surge also hold the record for the largest single-game attendance in the CEBL and they became the first squad to host regular-season games at three different venues in 2025 when they played at WinSport Event Centre, the Scotiabank Saddledome and at Marchant Crane Centrium in Red Deer.
“We’ve never been afraid to do things differently – to experiment, to blur the lines between sport and art, and to represent Calgary in a way that feels fresh and unapologetically ambitious,” said Jason Ribeiro, Vice-Chairman & President of the Calgary Surge and Co-Founder of REAL Entertainment & Culture Inc.
“These honours belong to an entire community of staff, players, partners, and fans who have emboldened us to lead a new era of professional basketball in Canada.”
The Franchise of the Year is awarded to the team that best represents the values of the CEBL through good internal governance, community engagement, commitment to innovation, success on the basketball court, revenue generation, and demonstration of a long-term vision for sustainable business growth and promotion of Canadian basketball.
The Digital Excellence award goes to the franchise that best delivers high quality and creative graphic and video content on a consistent basis. This content drives interactive engagement and has a measurable impact on brand awareness.
The Calgary Surge’s 2026 season begins in May.