Sea Bears say Allen recovering from nightclub assault Sea Bears star guard released from hospital after ‘significant health injuries’

The Winnipeg Sea Bears are preparing for the Canadian Elite Basketball League playoffs without the services of its Most Valuable Player.

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The Winnipeg Sea Bears are preparing for the Canadian Elite Basketball League playoffs without the services of its Most Valuable Player.

The club announced on Tuesday that star guard Teddy Allen has been ruled out for Thursday’s Western Conference semifinal against the Saskatoon Mamba at Canada Life Centre (7:30 p.m.) as he recovers from “significant health injuries” suffered after being assaulted by security staff at a downtown nightclub on Sunday.

“We continue to co-operate with the Winnipeg Police Service on its investigation and have referred them individuals and information based on what has been provided to us from those on the scene,” a statement from the club read.

BROOK JONES / FREE PRESS FILES
                                The Winnipeg Sea Bears will be without star guard Teddy Allen (right) Thursday as the club takes on the Saskatoon Mamba at Canada Life Centre in the CEBL Western Conference semis. Allen was assaulted by nightclub security Sunday night.

BROOK JONES / FREE PRESS FILES

The Winnipeg Sea Bears will be without star guard Teddy Allen (right) Thursday as the club takes on the Saskatoon Mamba at Canada Life Centre in the CEBL Western Conference semis. Allen was assaulted by nightclub security Sunday night.

“What we’ve seen and heard to date leads us to believe that Teddy was the victim of an assault at the hands of security at a downtown nightclub.”

A video circulating online showed Allen being removed by security at the Palomino nightclub. The Palomino Club did not respond to the Free Press’s request for comment on the incident and to confirm whether the incident happened inside its building.

The video appears to capture the tail end of the incident, in which Allen was in a verbal altercation with a security guard while two other guards are forcefully attempting to escort him out of the building. The end of the video shows one guard throwing a punch at Allen moments after he had been removed from the building.

Based on the approximate timing of the incident, it occurred within hours of the Sea Bears returning to Winnipeg from the regular-season finale against the Vancouver Bandits in Langley, B.C.

Winnipeg Police Service Const. Pat Saydak said the “investigation is continuing,” in a response to the Free Press’s request for an update on Tuesday morning.

“What we’ve seen and heard to date leads us to believe that Teddy was the victim of an assault at the hands of security at a downtown nightclub.”

The club confirmed that Allen, who was taken to hospital to treat his injuries, has since been released.

“Teddy’s health injuries are significant and, while he has been released from hospital, he will require further diagnosis, follow-up care and potentially surgery,” the club stated.

“No person should ever be subjected to the brutality of what happened to Teddy, and we are counting on police to fully investigate and hold accountable those responsible for the assault. Our team stands with Teddy and we’re getting ready to win on Thursday.”

Allen, the Canadian Elite Basketball League’s Most Valuable Player in 2023, is considered a front-runner for the individual honour again this season.

Head coach and general manager Mike Raimbault, who visited Allen in the hospital with the club’s chair David Asper, deferred to the club’s statement in response to several questions after the team’s practice at the downtown arena on Tuesday.

“No person should ever be subjected to the brutality of what happened to Teddy.”

“I had a chance to see him a little bit (Monday), but the statement is encompassing of where we’re at at this point, and we’re worried about him, and we feel for him, and you know, we’re thinking about him,” Raimbault said.

Raimbault did say the team was reeling from the news and that he had already addressed the team about how it would have to remain focused this week with their season at stake in a single-game elimination contest.

“First thing, we’re thinking about Teddy as a human, and as a person, and as a friend, and as a teammate,” Raimbault said. “So I mean, obviously those things are there. Today was a workday, but also a heavy-heart day where we’re thinking about him, and the guys are obviously thinking about him as well. So, we just are honest, and we deal with it straightforward, and we try to put our best foot forward on Thursday.”

Fellow star guard Xavier Moon is expected to pick up the bulk of the scoring responsibilities without Allen on Thursday, but the team will need everyone to play up a role to soak up Allen’s league-leading 27.8 points per game.

Last month, Allen set CEBL and franchise records for most points scored in a single game (54) and most points by a player in a season (667).

“Next man up. Obviously, we’ve got to be ready for whatever challenges we may face. We had a long weekend, so we had a couple days to kind of regroup, rejuvenate. So, I mean, we’re looking forward to Thursday,” said Moon, who hadn’t heard from Allen since the incident.

“We’re professionals; it’s something that we’ve been doing our whole career. It’s nothing new. Like I said, we all face challenges at some point, so we just got to keep it professional, man, and keep it about basketball.”

Simon Hildebrandt said it can be tough trying to balance the distraction of the personal concern he has for Allen’s well-being with the professional side of preparing for a playoff game. He admitted that Tuesday’s practice session felt a bit weird without Allen’s charismatic self there.

“Teddy brings a ton of energy, just the way he is and his personality,” Hildebrandt said. “So obviously, we got some roles to fill, if we can find different ways to bring energy from different guys going forward.”

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Joshua Frey-Sam

Joshua Frey-Sam
Reporter

Josh Frey-Sam reports on sports and business at the Free Press. Josh got his start at the paper in 2022, just weeks after graduating from the Creative Communications program at Red River College. He reports primarily on amateur teams and athletes in sports. Read more about Josh.

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