Winnipeg Sea Bears Win First Championship at Home

When Simon Hildebrandt's three-pointer swished through the net Saturday night, confetti exploded across Canada Life Centre and 12,519 fans erupted in celebration. The Winnipeg Sea Bears had just won their first Canadian Elite Basketball League championship, 98-84 over the Brampton Honey Badgers.

The moment held special meaning for Winnipeg basketball. Hildebrandt, born and raised in the Manitoba capital, delivered the game-winning basket in the same arena where the Sea Bears played their first game in 2023.

That first game was won by another Winnipegger, Chad Posthumus, who passed away earlier this year. Head coach Mike Raimbault invited Posthumus's parents onto the court after Saturday's win, and his father helped cut down a piece of the championship net.

"I think if Chad was watching the game and could handpick who's going to hit the game-winning basket, I think it would be Simon," Raimbault said.

The championship run wasn't easy. Star player Teddy Allen was sidelined after being assaulted at a downtown nightclub in early August, and two other starters left for overseas opportunities just days later.

Down three players from their starting lineup, the Sea Bears rallied behind guard Xavier Moon, who scored 29 points and earned finals MVP honors. Moon, a three-time league MVP who previously won with the Edmonton Stingers, said this championship meant more.

"To do it in a city that has never won a playoff game, I think it means a lot more," he said.

The championship game itself almost didn't happen in Winnipeg. The series was originally scheduled as a best-of-three in Brampton, but condensation made the court unplayable and the league cancelled the opener, moving to a single winner-take-all game in Winnipeg instead.

The Ripple Effect

The Sea Bears shattered the CEBL's attendance record Saturday, drawing hundreds more fans than the previous record of 12,327 set by Calgary in 2024. For a city often overlooked in Canadian sports conversations, the championship proves Winnipeg can compete at the highest level.

Hildebrandt hopes young players watching from Manitoba saw themselves on that court. "A lot of guys who played their high school basketball in Winnipeg, a lot of guys went to local universities here," he said. "Now they get a chance to showcase their skills on the biggest stage in Canada."

The team's owner, David Asper, watched the record crowd celebrate downtown on a Saturday afternoon in mid-August and felt vindicated. "To see what happened when Simon hit that bucket today, validates all the hard work," he said.

For a franchise that went from zero playoff wins to a championship in just four years, the Sea Bears proved something Hildebrandt summed up perfectly: "If you keep working, you can do it from Winnipeg."