2014–15 NBL Canada season

The 2014–15 NBL Canada season was the fourth season of the National Basketball League of Canada (NBL Canada). The NBL Canada contracted to 8 teams for 2014–15 after the ownership of the Ottawa SkyHawks were revoked by the league following the 2013–14 season.^[1]

2014–15 NBL Canada season
League	National Basketball League of Canada
Sport	Basketball
Duration	November 1, 2014 – February 28, 2015 March 2, 2015 – April 12, 2015 (Playoffs) April 15 – 30, 2015 (Finals)
Number of games	32
Number of teams	8
TV partner(s)	BeIN, EastLink TV, The Score, Rogers Media
Draft
Top draft pick	Jordan Weidner
Picked by	Mississauga Power
Regular Season
Top seed	Windsor Express
Season MVP	Quinnel Brown (Windsor)
Top scorer	Quinnel Brown (Windsor)
Playoffs
Atlantic champions	Halifax Rainmen
Atlantic runners-up	Island Storm
Central champions	Windsor Express
Central runners-up	Brampton A's
Finals
Champions	Windsor Express
Runners-up	Halifax Rainmen
Finals MVP	Kirk Williams

Offseason

During preseason, the NBL Canada's Board of Governors voted to revoke the ownership rights of Bytown Sports & Entertainment Inc., who operated the Ottawa SkyHawks. The league is working to find a new ownership group to bring the NBL Canada back to Ottawa, as soon as next season.^[2]

Sam Hill was appointed NBL Canada Deputy Commissioner and General Counsel^[3]

The owner of the Moncton Miracles, Kim Blanco, left the team without an owner during the off season.^[4]

Coaching changes

Offseason
Team	2013–14 season	2014–15 season
Halifax Rainmen	Craig Hodges	Josep Clarós
London Lightning	Michael Ray Richardson	Carlos Knox
Mississauga Power	David Joseph	Kyle Julius
Moncton Miracles		Serge Langis
Saint John Mill Rats	Rob Spon	Julian King
General Manager changes
Offseason
Team	2013–14 season	2014–15 season
London Lightning	Taylor Brown	Bill Smith
Moncton Miracles		Joe Salerno Sr.

Rule changes

The league will play a 32 game schedule (down from 40 in the previous two seasons) and take a break in the weeks heading up to Christmas.^[5]

The minimum number of Canadians on a team has been increased from 3 to 4.^[6]

The off season protected players list has been increased from 5 to 6.^[7]

Coaching changes

Offseason

On July 17, 2014, the London Lightning hired Carlos Knox as head coach.^[8]

General Manager changes

Offseason

On September 10, 2014, the London Lightning hired Bill Smith as general manager.^[9]

On October 1, 2014, the Moncton Miracles hired Joe Salerno Sr. as general manager.^[10]

Draft

The 2014 NBL Canada Draft took place on August 24 at the Wegz Stadium Bar in Vaughan, Ontario. 160 players competed over the weekend at the Pre-Draft Combine at the Athlete Institute in Mono, Ontario. 40 players were nominated to attend the Draft with the possibility of being selected. Following the combine, the Mississauga Power drafted Indiana Wesleyan guard Jordan Weidner with the first overall pick.^[11]

Teams

2014-15 National Basketball League of Canada
Division	Team	City	Arena	Capacity
Atlantic	Halifax Rainmen	Halifax, Nova Scotia	Scotiabank Centre	10,500
	Island Storm	Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island	Eastlink Centre	4,000
	Moncton Miracles	Moncton, New Brunswick	Moncton Coliseum	6,554
	Saint John Mill Rats	Saint John, New Brunswick	Harbour Station	6,603
Central	Brampton A's	Brampton, Ontario	Powerade Centre	5,000
	London Lightning	London, Ontario	Budweiser Gardens	9,000
	Mississauga Power	Mississauga, Ontario	Hershey Centre	5,400
	Windsor Express	Windsor, Ontario	WFCU Centre	6,500

Map of teams

Rainmen

Storm

Miracles

Mill Rats

A's

Lightning

Power

Express

Atlantic Division Central Division

Regular season

The regular season began on November 1, 2014 and concluded on February 28, 2015.

Standings

# Atlantic Division v t e Team W L PCT GB Div GP 1 y- Halifax Rainmen 20 12 .625 -- 15-9 32 2 x- Island Storm 19 13 .593 1 15-9 32 3 x- Saint John Mill Rats 17 15 .531 3 13-11 32 4 x- Moncton Miracles 8 24 .250 12 5-19 32

# Central Division v t e Team W L PCT GB Div GP 1 y- Windsor Express 21 11 .656 -- 16-8 32 2 x- Brampton A's 18 14 .563 3 14-10 32 3 x- London Lightning 18 14 .563 3 13-11 32 4 x- Mississauga Power 7 25 .219 14 5-19 32

Playoffs

	Division Semifinals					Division Finals					NBL Canada Finals
	1	Halifax*	3
	4	Moncton	1
						1	Halifax	4
	Atlantic Division
						2	Island	1
	2	Island	3
	3	Saint John	2
											A1	Halifax	3
											C1	Windsor	4
	1	Windsor*	3
	4	Mississauga	1
						1	Windsor	4
	Central Division
						2	Brampton	3
	2	Brampton	3
	3	London	2

* Division winner
Bold Series winner

Finals

Main article: 2015 NBL Canada Finals

All times local.

April 15 7:00 pm

Windsor Express 113, Halifax Rainmen 104

WFCU Centre, Windsor, Ontario

April 17 7:00 pm

Windsor Express 93, Halifax Rainmen 100

WFCU Centre, Windsor, Ontario

April 23 7:00 pm

Windsor Express 100, Halifax Rainmen 70

Scotiabank Centre, Halifax, Nova Scotia

April 24 7:00 pm

Windsor Express 105, Halifax Rainmen 109

Scotiabank Centre, Halifax, Nova Scotia

April 26 2:00 pm

Windsor Express 91, Halifax Rainmen 125

Scotiabank Centre, Halifax, Nova Scotia

April 28 7:00 pm

Windsor Express 119, Halifax Rainmen 112

WFCU Centre, Windsor, Ontario

April 30 7:00 pm

Windsor Express 20, Halifax Rainmen 0

Forfeit

WFCU Centre, Windsor, Ontario

Notable occurrences

• NBL Canada's Board of Governors voted on July 30 to remove the Ottawa SkyHawks' ownership group. The SkyHawks will not participate in the 2014-15 season.^[12]
• Sam Hill was appointed deputy commissioner and general counsel of the NBL Canada on August 7.^[13]