Lightning season underway, first three home games postponed due to ticketing hiccup

The London Lightning is in search of a seventh championship in franchise history and second straight in the newly formed Basketball Super League (BSL).

Their new head coach Jerry Williams promises fans an exciting brand of basketball.

“It's not going to be a 60 or 70-point game to where fans in the stands are bored,” said Williams, who is the seventh head coach in franchise history. “We're going to come out and put on a show. We're going to score a lot of points. We're going to play great defense and we're going to let them know, like we appreciate them being in the stands for us.”

The season opener in Sudbury, they ruined the night for 3,000 fans with a 123-119 over the Five.

London Lightning head coach Jerry Williams speaks to his team before practice on Tuesday Nov. 26, 2024. (Brent Lale/CTV News London)Fans and season ticket holders were excited to welcome them home for their first game at Canada Life Place (CLP) Thursday, but that game, along with two others on Nov. 29 and Dec. 3, were postponed.

“The venue formerly known as the Budweiser Gardens has changed ticketing programs and the Lightning, for the first time ever, are really going to leverage the partnership differently by working with them,” said David Magley, president of the BSL. “The games didn’t get loaded and they weren't able to promote it. I don't know who whose reasoning that is, but it doesn't really matter. It just means that we have to make an adjustment.”

When contacted Tuesday, CLP general manager Kelly Austin told CTV News, “It was not a Ticketmaster issue, and it was a joint decision with the Lightning to reschedule the games.”

Fans enter Canada Life Place in London, Ont. prior to a London Knights game. (Source: TSN) “You’ve just got to move on,” said Williams. “We want the games to be this weekend, but it's not going to happen.”

Whatever issue with the tickets has been resolved, as seats are now available for the new home opener on Dec. 8.

“You've got, in my mind, one of the best venues (CLP) in North America for a league of our size that London plays in,” said Magley. “We have the absolute best program as well as fan bases over the years and the Lightning. If either one of them made a misstep, that's okay, because they haven't made many.”

In year two, the BSL has increased from six teams to eight. Magley believes it will continue to increase in popularity and feels the franchises should double by year four.

A ball goes through the hoop at London Lightning practice on Tuesday Nov. 26, 2024. (Brent Lale/CTV News London)“Next year probably 12 teams, and 16 teams the following year,” said Magley. “We'll probably have television that'll be stronger, and our live streaming will be better and it'll just be really good. But it just takes a little time to build that.”

Back at Lightning practice, Williams is settling into his new surroundings in London.

“I love it here, and I feel like this is my home,” said Williams, who won multiple championships in the ABA, and moved from Newfoundland where he coached last season. “I want to be here for the long term. Where I was at before you can't go out. You can't do certain things because people know who you are because it was small. But here you could go out, you could do your thing and, and the people are nice when they see you.”