For immediate release                                                                                                                February 12, 2013

(Saint John, NB): The Saint John Mill Rats, presented by Rogers, are seeing their star guard, Anthony Anderson, head overseas for the remainder of the season.  Anderson has signed with Al-Jaysh in Qatar for tournaments in March and April. He completed his buyout requirements and was given his release from the club effective today.

He was in many eyes the leader for the NBL Canada's Most Valuable Player this season. Anderson was in the top 5 in seven different statistical categories in the League.

"Anthony has been with our team from the beginning (2007) and has been fiercely loyal to our organization.  Myself and Coach Cooper sat with him to discuss the situation, and we all came to the conclusion that it was best for him not to turn this opportunity down," stated Mill Rats President & General Manager. "He felt torn because this is a great opportunity to win a championship here now, but these other opportunities don't always come along when its convenient."

Mill Rats Head Coach David Cooper feels the club is in good hands with the arrival of 6'7 guard Julius Hodge along with the other core players. "We will definitely miss 'Double A' and we wish him the best, but I also feel strongly that we have enough talent here to get the job done, and I know AA will be cheering us on from abroad."

The Mill Rats are on the road Feb. 17th and 18th as they take on the Halifax Rainmen and the Summerside Storm. 

The Mill Rats are back in action at Harbour Station on Thursday, Feb. 21st as they host the Summerside Storm! Game time is 7pm. It is also "Pink Jersey" night and fans are reminded to come out and wear pink. The jerseys will be auctioned off and all proceeds will go towards the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. 

National Basketball League of Canada founded in 2011, is a Canada's only

professional basketball league. There are currently 8 teams, with 2 divisions:

Central and Atlantic. The NBLC is committed to being one of the leading professional

basketball leagues in the world. The NBLC provides Canadians, international

athletes, coaches and officials the opportunity to participate in the game they love at

the professional level. The NBLC is dedicated to raising awareness of the sport of

basketball throughout Canada, by providing fans with an exciting and entertaining

experience.

For more information on the league, please visit www.nblcanada.ca