Though it might not seem like it, Calgary’s professional basketball team, the Surge, is already seven games into its 24-game 2026 season.
From their best showing, a two-point loss to the Scarborough Shooting Stars, to their biggest defeat, a 19-point loss to the Brampton Honey Badgers, the Surge have been far from the team that made it all the way to the finals in 2025.
After starting the season on a seven-game losing streak, the team canned head coach Perry Huang. Over the next 17 games, Team President Dylan Howe said the team is aiming to play their game and stay with what they know.
“Going into any season, you look to build off of past experience. Perry’s a fantastic gentleman and great guy, and his track record speaks for itself. He’s had success in every stop that he had, and sometimes things don’t work out; that’s life,” he told LWC.
“We won’t change our approach moving forward, because our approach has got to three straight championship weekends with three different coaches. Sometimes things just don’t work out as planned.”
David DeAveiro, who recently won the U18 FIBA AmeriCup gold with Team Canada, will serve as the Surge’s interim head coach moving forward.
Despite losses piling up for the team quicker than in any of the previous three seasons, Howe said that there have been bright spots this season.
Long-time Surge and franchise leading scorer Sean “Rugzy” Miller-Moore, who made his season debut in the team’s home opener last month, is averaging more than 23 points per game through four games.
Player-wise, continuity has always been important for the Surge, according to Howe.
“With Rugzy, Evan (Gilyard II), Javonte (Brown) and Olumide (Adelodun) as the returning guys, we’re able to build that foundation in a league that is always rotating players across the country,” he said.
Positive piece of the community
Away from the hardwood, the Surge are continuing to make strides toward their community goals, Howe said, whether in Calgary, through youth camps and activations, or throughout the western provinces.
This season, the Surge are set to compete in a handful of neutral-site games, including upcoming games in Lethbridge and Whitehorse, and a 104-98 loss to the Edmonton Stingers in Red Deer on May 31.
Howe said that, amidst the team’s rocky start, stepping back and appreciating the growth the organization has been very important.
“I’d say from an overall perspective, we’re super happy with the season so far and the stamp we’ve been able to put on the province with bringing professional basketball to central Alberta and southern Alberta,” he said.
“We’re quite happy with where we stand organizationally.”
The big picture goals of building professional basketball interest in Calgary, building youth basketball interest in Calgary, and bringing a championship to Calgary have not changed year-over-year, Howe said.
“Our goal has always been to build on success and to be successful in everything we do, whether it’s basketball, community, revenue or sales, it’s all predicated on being successful and that hasn’t changed,” he said.
“For us on the basketball side, it’s a blip. There’s still tons of the season left to compete and our mission hasn’t changed.”
Internally, team officials are still confident in the Surge playing playoff games post-season.
“Our playoffs are unique with the single elimination, so you get in and anything can happen,” Howe said.
“You look at our season last year, we went on a seven-game win streak to finish the season, and were one win away from being crowned the champion. Knowing that teams with .500 records have gone into the playoffs previously, I still like our chances of getting into the playoffs.”
The Surge return to the court Wednesday night at Winsport Event Centre to take on the Saskatoon Mamba.
