Ottawa BlackJacks Name El-Zein To Its Local Broadcast Team

El-Zein, a native of Ottawa, will be the play-by-play announcer for the Ottawa BlackJacks during their inaugural season. His understanding of the game as well as his knowledge of the Ottawa/Gatineau basketball community will be showcased throughout each broadcast, keeping the fans informed and engaged during every BlackJacks home game.

El-Zein graduated in Radio Broadcasting at Algonquin College in 2012 and then specialized in Sports Broadcasting. During the 2014-15 U SPORTS season, El-Zein became the play-by-play commentator for the Carleton Ravens men’s and women’s basketball teams.

In March of 2016, El-Zein and his friends started a basketball podcast called 3 in The Key. Two years later, they had their first live radio show on TSN 1200. 3 in The Key is now live every Sunday at noon talking about the CEBL, NBA, NCAA and U SPORTS. El-Zein will help grow the CEBL broadcast platform which has taken major steps forward in recent months.

The remaining BlackJacks broadcast team will be announced in the near future.

The CEBL extended its partnership with CBC Sports through 2022, making the public broadcaster the premier media partner of Canada's only First Division professional basketball league. All CEBL regular-season and playoff games will be live streamed at CBCSports.ca, CBC Gem and via the CBC Sports app for iOS and Android devices. Additionally, multiple games will be broadcast on CBC-TV. The final 39 games of the 2019 season and last season’s Championship Weekend in Saskatoon were live streamed at CBCSports.ca.

In May, the Ottawa BlackJacks announced its official training camp roster for the inaugural 2020 season. There are currently 12 players signed to the BlackJacks roster, including nine standard player contracts and three development player contracts as a result of the 2020 CEBL / U SPORTS Draft. Four of the players, who are signed by Ottawa under contract, cannot be named publicly until the status of their current FIBA season is determined and their international FIBA clearances are obtained.

“In addition to Elias’ knowledge of the Ottawa/Gatineau basketball landscape is his desire to become an active member of the BlackJacks community programming. This passion is an important part of the culture we are creating. I am excited to hear Elias call BlackJacks games and become a key member of our team.”

-Michael Cvitkovic, President, Ottawa BlackJacks Basketball Club

“It is an absolute pleasure to be named as the first ever play-by-play announcer in Ottawa BlackJacks history. I look forward to calling professional basketball in the Nation’s Capital for a passionate fan base!”

-Elias El-Zein, On-Air Talent, Ottawa BlackJacks Basketball Club

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The first expansion franchise of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL), the Ottawa BlackJacks will showcase the best of basketball and entertainment in the nation’s capital. Basketball Operations will be led by General Manager, Dave Smart, the most successful university coach in Canadian history with a total of 13 national titles at Carleton University. The BlackJacks will be a team deeply rooted in the Ottawa / Gatineau community. Head Coach Osvaldo Jeanty, a former student-athlete who captured five national championships as a player for Dave Smart, will bring together a group of professionals poised for success in its inaugural season. The BlackJacks will play its home games out of the world-class Arena at TD Place. For more information and for tickets, visit www.theblackjacks.ca.

The Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) features world-class professional basketball in a fan-friendly entertainment environment across seven cities in Canada. The 2019 inaugural season saw more than 100 Canadian and international players take to the court, culminating with the Saskatchewan Rattlers earning the first CEBL championship trophy. CEBL players come from NBA G-League clubs, top NCAA programs, the Canadian national program, U SPORTS and other Division 1 FIBA leagues. The CEBL is the First Division Professional League partner of Canada Basketball. 

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Marika Guérin

Manager, Communications and Events

Ottawa BlackJacks Professional Basketball Club