Calgary Surge to play 2024 home opener at the Saddledome

The Calgary Surge will play their first home game of 2024 at the Scotiabank Saddledome.

The team made the announcement on Thursday at an event for fans, where they also screened a documentary called Home Team: The Inaugural Season of the Calgary Surge.  

During their first season in the city, the Surge played home games at the WinSport Event Centre in northwest Calgary, which boasts a 3,200-seat capacity, according to the team, compared to the Saddledome's 19,000-plus seats.

The team relocated from Guelph Ont., after the 2022 Canadian Elite Basketball League season, where they were known as the Nighthawks. 

In the 2023 season, the Surge played to a record of 12 wins and eight losses, and enjoyed a deep playoff run before losing in the championship game to the Scarborough Shooting Stars by a score of 82 to 70. 

"It's been a whirlwind," said Jason Ribeiro, vice-chairman and president of the Surge.

"On paper it's been a very magical story, almost surreal. A few baskets away from winning a championship, four sellout games ... The trust and the faith that the community has had, has emboldened us to even think bigger." 

At the event, Ribeiro gave Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek a customized Calgary Surge jersey.

Following their Saddledome season opener, the Surge will play the rest of their homes games in 2024 on the Surge Court at WinSport.