The highly-anticipated second season for the Cape Breton Highlanders professional basketball team opens on Tuesday, November 21 at Centre 200 in Sydney. The Highlanders will take on the St. John’s Edge - NBL Canada’s newest team to join the league.

The Highlanders are fielding a new lineup with only one returning player.  The NBL Canada requires all player contracts to expire at the end of each season, so teams must rebuild their rosters. Teams are required to have at least 5 Canadians, with the remaining players of any nationality, for a maximum of 12 players per team. Additional players can be held in reserve.

The Highlanders roster features players from Canada, USA, and Egypt.  Team lineups tend to change in the first few weeks of play as adjustments are made to find the best balance and adjust to early injuries that invariably arise.

President and General Manager, Tyrone Levingston, said, “Our Season II team has a balance of young talent and experienced veterans. We focused on recruiting players who work hard, play with heart, and who will push each other to strive for excellence on the court to win games and off the court in our community.”

As previously announced, the Highlanders have a new coaching staff, lead by veteran Head Coach Rob Spon. For the past 2 seasons, Spon lead the Saint John Riptide as Head Coach and General Manager. In 2015, Spon coached the Rochester RazorSharks to an undefeated season and a Premier Basketball League championship. Prior to that he was Head Coach of the Halifax NBLC team. Spon has over 20 years of coaching experience and has also served as a scout for the NBA.

Coach Spon said, “I can feel the excitement in Cape Breton for the Highlanders. My goal is to build a championship team that our fans can be proud of. We ran a challenging training camp and pushed our guys to the limit so that we can be prepared to win.”

Tim Giles is the Assistant Coach and Player Manager. Giles is from Detroit, MI and played basketball in college and has some pro experience overseas.  He has travelled extensively to expand his basketball experience and recently landed in Cape Breton.

The Highlanders roster is now available on the team website at HighlandersBasketball.ca/player-profiles

The Highlandgirls dance team is also returning to add energy and excitement to the on-court activities.  Find out more at HighlandersBasketball.ca/dance-team

The Highlanders front office is planning even more fun games and activities for fans at all home games. In addition to the popular Make Your Own Sign table, fans will be able snap a fun photo, and play the Fast Break, Alley Oop, and Bank Shot games. Doors open 1 hour before game time, providing plenty of pre-game entertainment.

Front office staff profiles are available on the team website at

HighlandersBasketball.ca/management

Highlanders tickets continue to remain affordable, with many seats now priced even less than last season.  Tickets range in price from $10 to $50, including taxes and fees. To make it even easier for fans, Highlanders tickets use simplified pricing and have no restrictions. This means that ticket prices include all taxes and fees with no complex ticket options, and a ticket can be used by anyone, regardless of age. This makes it easy for tickets to be shared among family and friends.

Find out more about the Highlanders by following the team Facebook page below or visiting HighlandersBasketball.ca