The NBA is returning to Montreal.
On Thursday, the league announced that the Toronto Raptors will take on the Washington Wizards at the Bell Centre in a pre-season game on Oct. 6 as part of the 10th edition of the NBA Canada Series.
The annual series has seen 15 teams play 18 pre-season games across six Canadian cities. It’s the eighth NBA Canada Series game to be played in Montreal, the most of any city outside of the Raptors’ usual home.
Montreal fans the Detroit Pistons take on the Oklahoma City Thunder and Canadians Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luguentz Dort in 2023. The Raptors last played a game in Montreal in 2022.
This year’s game against the Wizards will also see a number of Canadians on the floor, as Montrealers Chris Boucher and Quincy Guerrier are both on the Raptors’ training camp roster. Kelly Olynyk and RJ Barrett, who are both representing Canada at the upcoming Summer Olympics, are also expected to suit up for the Raptors.
The Wizards will also bring a Canadian connection with them, as they selected Kyshawn George in this year’s NBA Draft. George, who was born in Switzerland, is the son of Montreal’s Deon George, a former member of Canada’s men’s basketball team.
The game against the Wizards will be the conclusion of the Raptors’ Montreal-based training camp.