Who are the Ottawa BlackJacks?
Ottawa’s representatives in the Canadian Elite Basketball League are playing their sixth campaign in 2025.
Their best season to date featured a 12-8 record in 2023.
They’ve had a mostly Ottawa-area flavour to their head-coaching position and various capital-region players on their roster, along with an array of other Canadian and international athletes.
The franchise is one of two still centrally owned by the CEBL, the other being the Saskatchewan Rattlers. Eight other clubs are now privately held.
Is this Ottawa’s first professional basketball franchise?
No. The Ottawa SkyHawks were in the National Basketball League of Canada in 2013-14, compiling a 21-19 win-loss record, but they weren’t financially sustainable. After that single season, when they went from playing home games in too-large-for-them Canadian Tire Centre to gyms at CEGEP de l’Outaouais in Gatineau and Collège La Cité in Ottawa, the SkyHawks were voted out of the league in July 2014.
How did the BlackJacks land in Ottawa?
Commissioner and CEO Mike Morreale said in announcing the
creation of the league-owned franchise in November 2019
that Ottawa had been a “destination” for the CEBL since discussions about forming the league began 3 1/2 years earlier.
The BlackJacks debuted in 2020 in St. Catharines, Ont., going 3-3 in the CEBL Summer Series tournament that was arranged after the scheduled regular season was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Home games in every season since then have been played at The Arena at TD Place.
What’s with the mascot?
O.G. (standing for Ottawa and Gatineau) is described as a Black-tailed Jackrabbit. Being a jackrabbit, of course, O.G. is proud of his supposedly incredible hops, which would be good for any basketball player as well.
“We wanted something that was affiliated with jumping and with elevation, so it was a friendly, fast animal that projected jumping and elevation and excitement and moving forward,” BlackJacks president Mark Wacyk says.
Tell me more about the Canadian Elite Basketball League.
The
Canadian Elite Basketball League
bills itself as the only professional basketball league in North America affiliated with FIBA, the world governing body for basketball, and Canada Basketball, as well as basketball’s version of the Canadian Football League.
After entering the national sports landscape in 2019 with six teams, the CEBL heads into its seventh campaign with 10. The other nine include:
- Vancouver Bandits
- Edmonton Stingers
- Calgary Surge
- Saskatchewan Rattlers
- Winnipeg Sea Bears
- Niagara River Lions
- Scarborough Shooting Stars
- Brampton Honey Badgers
- Montreal Alliance
In 2025, each team will play a 24-game regular-season schedule and as many as four playoff games. Championship Weekend is scheduled for late August in Winnipeg.
The top four squads in the Eastern and Western conferences advance to the playoffs. First-place teams receive byes to the semifinals on Championship Weekend. Second-place teams receive byes to the quarterfinals, where they’ll play the winners of play-in games between the respective third- and fourth-place squads.
What is a “target score”?
Glad you asked.
One of the most intriguing aspects of CEBL is the “
target score
” conclusion for every contest.
The first time the game clock is stopped with four minutes or less remaining in the fourth quarter of the game, timed play ends and a “target score” is established equal to the leading team’s point total plus nine. For example, if Team A leads Team B 77-71, the target score is set at 86 and the first team to reach 86 wins.
What’s this I hear about a salary cap?
Each CEBL team has a salary cap of $10,000 for its active roster for each game, meaning the average would be $1,000, not including as many as three “developmental” players from U Sports or Canadian colleges; those athletes receive education credits applicable to tuition fees. The minimum salary is $500 per game, and the maximum is $2,000, but that doesn’t include compensation for the new “designated player” on each roster, announced on March 19.
How much those players will be paid will go on a team-by-team basis, BlackJacks president Mark Wacyk says.
“It’s a competitive marketplace for players, so it’s not something that we discuss (publicly),” he says. “It’s just an opportunity for the league to bring even more talented players at higher salaries, and more featured players.”
Is there a women’s professional basketball league in Canada?
No, or at least not yet, but the Toronto Tempo will debut as the first non-U.S. club in the WNBA in 2026.
How are the BlackJacks doing this season?
The season tips off with a “school day” pre-season contest against the Capital Region All-Stars on the morning of May 14, with regular-season competition starting off with home games on the afternoon of May 18 (Niagara River Lions) and the evening of May 21 (Brampton Honey Badgers).
What’s the vibe fans can expect at a home game?
BlackJacks president Mark Wacyk says being right at courtside can put fans right on top of the action, unlike any other sport.
“More generally, with the (arena) bowl, we have what I’ll call a more urban vibe,” Wacyk says. “Two-thirds of our audience are visible minorities from cultures from all over the world. That’s reflected in the type of music that’s played, the dancers, the entertainment, the half-time entertainment. Our DJ and our (in-arena) host are very, very engaging. It becomes much more of a sort of personal experience for people because it’s so engaging.”
Wacyk says customer-satisfaction ratings for the team are in the range of 8.5 or 9 out of 10.
“Our tag line that we’re using is, ‘Once you’re here, you’re hooked.’ We find that people who come love it and they want to come back. It’s just a matter of getting them out to the experience. Many people who come become evangelists for the game. It’s up to us to build more higher-level brand awareness, but we’re very comfortable that those who do show up here very much enjoy it and do come back.”
Are there for activities for kids at the court?
Yes, and a variety of them, too.
- Play like the Pros: A one-hour pre-game rental of the BlackJacks’ home court for groups of 20+.
- Pre-Game Buddies: High-five BlackJacks players as they run onto the court for the pre-game warmup, stand with the players during the national anthem and access the post-game autograph session.
- Birthday experience: Includes a dedicated group space, a shout-out on the jumbo video board and a visit from O.G., the BlackJacks mascot.
- Minor-basketball theme games: Logos on the video board and themes featuring the city’s major basketball organizations.
- Target Time Club: Priced at $400 for groups of 12, this one includes inviting youths to come down from their seats to stand at both baselines, with 1-2 parents, to watch the Target Time conclusion to each contest.
“It is quite a family vibe,” BlackJacks president Mark Wacyk says. “A lot of our fans, it’s mother, father and two or three kids that will come.”
How do I get BlackJacks tickets and what’s the price point?
Click here for the link to ticket webpage.
Single-game tickets:
$35-60 each for arena bowl seats, varied by location; $95-$150 each for seats on the floor of the court, again priced by location.
Eight-ticket voucher packs:
$240-400 for sections along the sides of the court, taxes and fees included, plus a $1.50 one-time fee for each order.
Season tickets:
$325 for arena corner sections to $1,482 for courtside seating, taxes and fees included, plus a $1.50 one-time fee for each order.
What’s the 2025 BlackJacks home game schedule? Are there theme nights?
(All times Eastern and subject to change)
Wednesday, May 14, 10:30 a.m.:
The BlackJacks will play a “School Day” pre-season contest against the Capital Region All-Stars, led by Taffe Charles, head coach of the Carleton University Ravens men’s basketball team. Tickets for students will be priced at $15 each.
Sunday, May 18, 3 p.m.:
Niagara River Lions
Wednesday, May 21, 7:30 p.m.:
Brampton Honey Badgers (Glebe BIA Night)
Sunday, June 15, 2 p.m.:
Niagara River Lions (Father’s Day/TSN Game)
Saturday, June 28, 3 p.m.:
Montreal Alliance (Rivalry Game)
Tuesday, July 1, 3 p.m.:
Winnipeg Sea Bears (Canada Day)
Thursday, July 17, 7:30 p.m.:
Edmonton Stingers (Black Legacy Night, featuring a tribute to Ottawa’s Makur Shayok, a University of Dayton basketball player in 1990-92 and father of several other high-calibre players, including Marial Shayok, who had a 2019-2020 stint with the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers and played in the 2024 Olympics for South Sudan.)
Monday, July 21, 7:30 p.m.:
Brampton Honey Badgers
Saturday, July 26, 2 p.m.:
Saskatchewan Rattlers (CHEO Foundation Game)
Tuesday, July 29, 7:30 p.m.:
Scarborough Shooting Stars
Saturday, Aug. 2, 2 p.m.:
Calgary Surge (St. FX/Steve Konchalski Game in tribute to Surge special advisor the long-time head coach with St. Francis Xavier University and an assistant with the Canadian men’s team)
Friday, Aug. 8, 7:30 p.m.
: Montreal Alliance (Christie Lake Kids Game)
Sunday, Aug. 10, 3 p.m.:
Vancouver Bandits (Fan Appreciation Game)
Bet you didn’t know that…
More than 20 CEBL players have gone on to sign contracts with NBA teams. That list includes former BlackJacks player Jackson Rowe (Golden State Warriors) and former Guelph Nighthawk A.J. Lawson (Toronto Raptors).
“I bet you didn’t know how great the quality of play here is. Those two examples are a reflection of that,” BlackJacks president Mark Wacyk says.
They’re playing where?
It’s a road game, not a home contest, but the BlackJacks will help make history when they take on the host Montreal Alliance in the country’s first five-on-five outdoor pro basketball game on May 23 at IGA Stadium.
It’s billed as Éclipse: Match Sous les Étoiles, which translates to “Eclipse: Match under the Stars.”
Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. in the first of four regular-season matches between the BlackJacks and Alliance. It will be televised nationally on TSN and RDS.
Who is the star player?
Isaih Moore, the BlackJacks’ leading scorer and rebounder last season, re-signed with Ottawa for the 2025 campaign.
A 6’10” forward from Columbia, S.C., Moore averaged 15.7 points per game and 8.3 rebounds per game during the 2024 regular season, and his .581 field goal percentage equaled the third highest in team history, according to the BlackJacks.
“Isaih was a big part of our late-season success last season and we felt it was important to get him signed early this offseason to continue building on the progress both Isaih, and the team as a whole, made in 2024,” BlackJacks general manager James Derouin said in announcing the signing.
During the 2024-25 winter season, Moore played two games with the Manchester Giants of the British SLB before being acquired by the NBA G League’s Greensboro Swarm in mid-January. In two seasons of G League play overall, the 24-year-old has averaged 5.6 points and 4.2 rebounds per game.
What can I get to eat at an BlackJacks game?
As with all teams based at TD Place, the BlackJacks’ main food service provider is Levy Restaurants, so the primary menu options will be similar to what you’d get at Redblacks, Atlético, Rapid FC and 67’s games.
New for this year, according to BlackJacks president Mark Wacyk, is an enhanced pre-game option in the Lansdowne lounge “for businesses to invite people for a pre-game meal that would be a higher-end meal offered by Levy, and it’s an intimate gathering of individuals that businesses can mix with… It’s an asset that we’re featuring this year that really hasn’t been featured in the past.”
How can I watch games from home?
There’s a wide mix of outlets for all CEBL games, and the BlackJacks’ contests are included, with the options including telecasts on TSN, RDS, CBC and Radio-Canada, plus online streaming on the league’s
CEBL+
website (it’s free), CBC Gem, TSN+, Courtside 1891, Game+ and Next Level Sports & Entertainment.
“The one thing I’ll add about RDS is that RDS games between Ottawa and Montreal, that rivalry, are by far the most-watched games of any of our games,” BlackJacks president Mark Wacyk says. “We get three or four times the audience for the Ottawa-Montreal games on RDS than we do on most others.”
