Fraser Valley took Division 2 gold with unbeaten tournament
(EDMONTON, Alta.) – The Alberta Northern Lights capped an unbeaten run at the 2026 CWBL Finals with a 63–52 victory over Variety Village on Sunday afternoon in Edmonton.
The win sealed a perfect 4–0 record on home court.
“It’s unreal, all 10 of our players worked incredibly hard this weekend and couldn’t be prouder to be part of this group, this organization,” said Division 1 MVP, Reed De’Aeth. “Seeing how happy everyone is, how happy I feel, how happy I’m sure our organization is. It’s unreal.”
The hosts opened with a 58–51 win over the Twin City Spinners before defeating Centre d’intégration à la vie active (CIVA) twice.
The Northern Lights earned a 73–57 victory in Friday’s Hall of Fame Game, then followed it up with a 74–60 win over their Quebec rivals in Saturday’s semifinals.
“It’s been kind of the same group throughout,” said De’Aeth of the Northern Lights team, which won silver a year ago. “We were able to grow as a whole. Just being able to get our chemistry going. Darrell Nordell stepped up and came up with the right plan when we needed it, and we played well as a team.”
CIVA, the defending Division 1 champions, captured bronze with a 57–47 victory over the Twin City Spinners at the Saville Community Sports Centre.
Fraser Valley capped off a perfect weekend with a thrilling 60–59 victory over the Prince George Lumberjacks in an all-B.C. Division 2 final, securing the top spot.
“It’s awesome to play with this crew again, and it’s amazing that we were able to come together and take the victory in the last game,” said Division 2 all-star Elise Froese. “It was a nail-biter till the end, but it was super exciting that we were able to pull it together and play really well.”
Fraser Valley opened the tournament in strong form on Friday, earning a pair of wins with a 69–58 victory over Club 99, followed by a 76–43 decision against the Edmonton Inferno.
The Hawks carried that momentum into Saturday’s semifinals, where they delivered a commanding 71–57 win over Club 99 to secure their place in Sunday’s championship game.
“Being able to beat PG, we’ve played them a lot in the past, and sometimes it’s not the same turnout, so I was excited that we could take the victory this time,” Froese added.
The Lethbridge Steamers captured the inaugural Division 3 gold medal on Sunday morning, edging the Kamloops Bulldogs 44–41 in a tightly contested final.
“Just learning as we play new teams, how to attack them, break the presses and everything,” said Matthew Schmith, named Division 3 MVP. “Just pressing and getting in there and stealing the ball from the other team really helped a lot.”
The Steamers wrapped up the weekend with a 3–2 record, punching their ticket to the gold medal game with a 43–36 semifinal win on Saturday.
Making its debut at the 2026 CWBL Finals, Division 3 featured an open-points format designed to expand access to national-level competition.
In the Minis Division, the Calgary Rollers defeated the Okanagan Junior Thunder 38–30 to capture the gold medal.
MVP and All-Stars
Division 1
MVP – Reed De’Aeth (ANL)
All-Star – Jonathan Vermette (CIVA)
All-Star – Tyler Miller (Spinners)
All-Star – Jesse McNalley (Variety Village)
All-Star – Ibrahim Odza (Variety Village)
All-Star – Bradon Doll (ANL)
Division 2
MVP – Ben Hagkull (Fraser Valley)
All-Star – Lucas Floer (Club 99)
All-Star – Cameron Gelowitz (Prince George)
All-Star – Shane Dunnett (New Brunswick)
All-Star – Rhys Guillaume (Edmonton)
All-Star – Elise Froese (Fraser Valley)
Division 3
MVP – Matthew Schmith (Lethbridge)
All-Star – Angus Horsburgh (Medicine Hat)
All-Star – Adam Caissie (Ottawa)
All-Star – Nicholas Bradley (Ottawa)
All-Star – John Banman (Lethbridge)
All-Star – Matthew Pritchett (Kamloops)
Full schedule and results from the 2026 CWBL Finals can be found here.
Photo courtesy Rob Hislop.
About the Canadian Wheelchair Basketball League Finals
The 2026 CWBL Finals is a premier national celebration of wheelchair basketball in Canada, uniting athletes, coaches, and officials from coast to coast. The event brings the community together on one stage, fostering connection, competition, and pride in the sport’s growth. With opportunities for athletes at every stage, the CWBL Finals continues to expand access, including the introduction of Division 3 competition in 2026. Through collaboration with clubs, WBC is also enhancing inclusion and participation, reinforcing its commitment to athlete development and the future of the game.