BC Lions

BC Lions

Founded	1954
Based in	Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Home field	BC Place
Head coach	Rick Campbell
General manager	Neil McEvoy and Rick Campbell (Co-GMs)
Owner(s)	Amar Doman
League	Canadian Football League
Division	West
Colours	Black, orange, fog grey, white[1][2][3]
Nickname(s)	Leos
Mascot(s)	Leo the Lion
Grey Cup wins	6 (1964, 1985, 1994, 2000, 2006, 2011)
Division championships	10 (1963, 1964, 1983, 1985, 1988, 1994, 2000, 2004, 2006, 2011)
Division titles	13 (1963, 1964, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2011, 2012)
Website	bclions.com
Current uniform
2024 BC Lions season

The BC Lions are a professional Canadian football team based in Vancouver, British Columbia. The Lions compete in the West Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL), and play their home games at BC Place.

The Lions played their first season in 1954, and have played every season since, making them the oldest professional sports franchise in British Columbia. They have appeared in the league's Grey Cup championship game 10 times, winning six, with their most recent championship occurring in 2011.

The Lions were the first

Founded: 1954

Name: The team is named for the Lions, a pair of mountain peaks overlooking the team's home city of Vancouver

Helmet design: Black background, with an orange

mountain lion

's head

Uniform colours: Black, orange, fog grey, white^[1][2]

Nickname: The Leos

Mascot: Leo the Lion

Fight song: "Roar, You Lions, Roar"^[5] composed by Dal Richards and His Orchestra

Stadiums:

BC Place Stadium

(1983–2009, 2011–present)

Main rivals: Montreal Alouettes (Labour Day Classic) and Saskatchewan Roughriders

Western Division 1st place: 13—1963, 1964, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2011, and 2012

Western Division championships: 10—1963, 1964, 1983, 1985, 1988, 1994, 2000, 2004, 2006, and 2011

Grey Cup championships: 6—1964, 1985, 1994, 2000, 2006, and 2011

2023 regular season record: 12 wins, 6 losses

Ownership

The BC Lions Football Club is owned by businessman Amar Doman, who was introduced as the club's owner on August 18, 2021.^[6] As of late 2020, the BC Lions Football Club executive committee consisted of two people:

• Rick LeLacheur, team president
• George Chayka, vice president of business

Franchise history

Before the Lions

Compared to the rest of the country, senior football arrived late in British Columbia. Rugby unions had been organized in all of the

However, it was not until 1926 (after the sudden collapse of the

In 1951, a group led by Ken Stauffer and Tiny Radar were inspired by Vancouver Sun columnist Andy Lytle's article to start a new football team in Vancouver that would play in the WIFU. The ownership group sent Radar and Orville Burke to represent them at the off-season WIFU meetings to initiate Vancouver's bid for a team. Radar and Burke were told to return to the meetings the following year with a $25,000 good-faith bond if they could generate sufficient interest in the Vancouver area. The first meetings were held at the Arctic Club in November and a committee headed by Burke and Harry Spring of the Meraloma Rugby Club, set out to sell memberships for $20 each.

Though Burke, Vic Spencer, and John Davidson offered the good-faith bond to the WIFU in 1952, the idea of having a Vancouver team was rejected when both Winnipeg and Saskatchewan voted against the idea of a fifth team. The group in Vancouver, however, did not give up their efforts to have a franchise in the WIFU.

On January 22, 1953, the first annual meeting of the club was held, and Arthur E. Mercer was confirmed as the club's first president. Later in the year, Mercer, Bill Morgan, Bill Ralston, and Whit Matthews went back to the WlFU meetings. One of the founding members included

All the pieces began to fall into place when it was announced that Vancouver would host the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games. That entailed the building of Empire Stadium, which seated 32,300 people and would be more than suitable for the new WIFU team once the Games concluded. By Easter of 1953, Annis Stukus was then lured away from the Toronto Argonauts to return to the West to become the first public relations manager, general manager, and head coach of the franchise.

Naming the team

During the rest of 1953, a fan contest was held by all of the local media to pick the new team's name. Lions was chosen because it represented a local landmark and legend of the area. The Lions are twin mountain peaks that rise northwest of Vancouver, and according to legend, resemble two mountain lions (cougars) guarding the city.

After the name was chosen, Stukus decided that the team should represent and embrace the entire province of British Columbia, introducing the team to the Canadian football world as the British Columbia Lions or "BC Lions" for short.

Native to BC, the mountain lion has a strong connection to team's brand, as it is renowned for speed, courage and strength, and carefully respected as a remarkable, but dangerous predator. The new team's logo combined this animal with the black and orange colours of the Meralomas.

Notable seasons

The BC Lions have won 13 Western Conference/West Division regular-season championships and played for the Grey Cup 10 times, winning six.

First seasons (1954–1960)

For their

In 1955, the team improved to a 5–11 record, eking out fourth place ahead of Calgary, but missing the playoffs. In October, the team's directors asked Stukus to step down as the team's head coach. While fan reaction to his dismissal was loud and divided, Stukus asked the fans to continue their support of the BC Lions. Stukus' assistant Clem Crowe was later named head coach for the upcoming 1956 season.

In 1956, the Lions again finished fourth in the West and missed the playoffs, despite improving to 6–10 in Crowe's first year.

During the offseason, Bill McMahan assumed the role of team president. One of his first duties involved him bringing back Kelowna native Herb Capozzi from the Montreal Alouettes as the new general manager. BC continued to struggle on the field, finishing the 1957 season with a 4–11–1 record, missing the playoffs for the fourth straight year.

1958 marked the beginning of the CFL era, but the Lions lost their first 5 games, en route to a league-worst 3–13 record. The team's on-field struggles compelling Capozzi to fire Crowe as the head coach and replace him with Danny Edwards, who returned after playing with the club during the 1957 season. Although it was a season to forget, rookies Tom Hinton and Sonny Homer showed promising signs of being future football stars.

Capozzi improved the team for the

The high hopes of the Lions heading into 1960 faded and the team finished with a 5–9–2 record, which eliminated them from playoff contention again. It was disappointing considering the addition of rookie talents Steve Cotter, Lonnie Dennis, Jim Carphin, and Neal Beaumont to a strong core of veteran and young players from the previous season. The only positive for the Lions was Beaumont winningWIFU Outstanding Rookie of the Year honors, becoming the first Lions player to win a major CFL award.

Dave Skrien and the first Grey Cup title (1961–1967)

The Lions started the 1961 season by signing former Minnesota Golden Gopher Tom Brown, but the team continued performing poorly on the field.

In September, in a trade that was considered a major gamble, the Lions received quarterback Joe Kapp from Calgary, in exchange for four players. A week later, Robinson was relieved of his duties as head coach and replaced by assistant Dave Skrien. The year ended with a 1–13–2 record.

In 1962, Skrien made an immediate impact in his first full season as head coach, finishing with a 7–9 record. After eight years of hard work, the Lions were on the verge of success for the first time.

1963 Grey Cup finalists

Before the 1963 season, there was optimism that the Lions could contend for the Grey Cup. With a veteran roster headlined by Kapp and Fleming, the Lions surged to their first regular-season conference title with a 12–4 record. After a 2–1 series victory over the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the Western Conference finals, the Lions lined up in the 51st Grey Cup, held at Empire Stadium, against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. However, their momentum stalled as a series of injuries in the championship game affected the team's performance. Star running back Fleming was hurt after he received a late, out-of-bounds hit by Tiger-Cat defensive tackle Angelo Mosca. This proved to be a huge blow to the Lions' chances of victory. Hamilton took the Grey Cup, 21–10.

In the offseason, Kapp was awarded the Jeff Nicklin Memorial Trophy as most valuable player of the Western Conference, Tom Brown won the CFL's Most Outstanding Defensive Player Award, and Skrien won the Annis Stukus Trophy as coach of the year, the first time any of those three awards had been handed to Lions players. Fullback-kicker Peter Kempf became the second Lion to win the Dr. Beattie Martin Trophy for rookie of the year honours in the Western Conference.

1964 Grey Cup champions

After achieving an 11–2–3 regular-season record in 1964, and defeating the Calgary Stampeders in a three-game series in the Western Conference finals, the Lions advanced to meet the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in a Grey Cup rematch at Toronto's Exhibition Stadium. BC got their revenge, as Kapp, Fleming, and Bill Munsey, who gave a two-touchdown, two-way starring effort, helped the Lions to their first Grey Cup victory, 34–24. The win ended 11 years of waiting for the British Columbia faithful. At the end of the 1964 season, defensive lineman Tom Brown was named a CFL All-Star, a back-to-back Schenley Award winner as CFL's Most Outstanding Lineman Award, and won the Jeff Nicklin Memorial Trophy as the most valuable player in the Western Conference. Joining Brown as All-Stars on defence were Mike Cacic, Dick Fouts, and Munsey. Kapp and tackle Lonnie Dennis were named CFL All-Stars on offence.

During the offseason, Bailey left, and the roster was beginning to age. Any hopes of the BC Lions becoming a dynasty quickly disappeared in 1965, as the team fell to fourth in the west with a 6–9–1 record, missing the playoffs one year after being on top of the CFL world. It was clear that head coach Skrien would never again experience the same success as he achieved the previous two seasons.

The situation went from bad to worse in

In the 1967 season, Denny Vietch became the new general manager of the club. His first move was to fire Skrien after three straight losses to start the season. Veitch named Jim Champion as head coach, and the Lions ended up finishing the season with a 3–12–1 record. The only positives for the club were two rookies; wide receiver Jim Young and kicker Ted Gerela, who ended up winning the Dr. Beattie Martin Trophy as the Western Conference's rookie of the year.

Instability at coach (1968–1976)

Following Skrien's departure, the Lions went through five head coaches between 1968 and 1976, qualifying for the playoffs only three times. Champion remained as head coach in 1968, and CFL legend Jackie Parker was hired as an assistant coach, and even came out of retirement for eight games at quarterback. The Lions finished the season with a 4–11–1 record, again missing the playoffs.

Eleven games into the 1969 season, with a 1–10 record, Champion was fired as head coach and replaced by assistant Jackie Parker. The Lions responded by winning four of their last five games to finish 5–11, tied with Edmonton. By virtue of winning the season series, BC won the tie breaker and squeezed into the playoffs, where they fell to the Stampeders, in Calgary, 35–21 in the semifinal. Individually, Dave Easley won CFL and Western Division rookie of the year honours, and Young was a Schenley finalist.

In

The 1971 season began with a major off-season restructuring that saw head coach Parker elevated to general manager, and replaced by former Saskatchewan coach Eagle Keys. Don Moorhead was recruited at quarterback, and a total of fifty-three different players put on a Lions uniform in a year of change, including movie and TV personality Carl Weathers at linebacker. Running back Jim Evenson finished the season with 1,237 yards to lead the Western Conference in rushing, and won the Eddie James Memorial Trophy. The Lions again finished the season at fourth place in the West Division with a 6–9–1 record, missing the playoffs for a second consecutive year. Parker became the first Lion player inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.

In

The Lions' fortunes improved during the 1973 season, as they posted a 5–9–2 record, good enough for a third-place finish in the Western Conference and a playoff berth, their first in four years. The Lions lost in the semi-finals to the Saskatchewan Roughriders 33–13. Linebacker Nettles won the CFL's Outstanding Defensive Player Award.

In 1974, the Lions showed continued improvement in posting an 8–8 record, and returned to the playoffs for the second straight year. They faced familiar foe Saskatchewan in the semi-finals, where they lost again, 24–14. Second-year running back Lou Harris replaced injured Musso to lead the Lions in both rushing and receiving, winning CFL All-Star honours in the process. Stukus became the first Lion inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame as a builder.

The Lions began the

The Lions' 1976 season concluded with a 5–9–2 fourth-place finish. Individually, Sciarra became the second Lion to win the Schenley Award as the CFL's most outstanding rookie, while Bill Baker won the Schenley Defensive Player Award. Harry Spring became the second Lion inducted into the Hall of Fame as a builder. Rookies and local talents, linebacker Glen Jackson and punter-kicker Lui Passaglia were two other bright spots in an otherwise disappointing season.

Returning to contention (1977–1982)

A complete off-season overhaul in the coaching staff brought

In 1978, the Lions finished the season at 7–7–2 and in fourth place in their division. Rookie running backs John Henry White and Larry Key provided a much improved rushing game, but depth was still the missing ingredient, as the Leos missed the playoffs. 1978 also saw the emergence of rookie quarterback Joe Paopao, the "Throwin' Samoan."

The Lions' 1979 season began with Tagge at quarterback, but his season—and his career—were ended by a knee injury. Led by Joe Paopao, the Lions skidded down the stretch, losing five games in a row. Despite this, the team finished third in the Western Conference with a 9–6–1 record, making the playoffs. In the semi-finals, the Lions were blasted 37–2 by the Calgary Stampeders. Jim Young retired at the end of the season, and Norm Fieldgate became the second Lions player to be inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame. Rising costs and an aging Empire Stadium cast a shadow over future prospects. To head off a crisis, the directors, led by past-president Jack Farley, developed a plan to sell stock and seek a strong partnership with a major corporate sponsor to keep operations viable while waiting for the construction of a new stadium in downtown Vancouver.

The Lions failed to make the playoffs in 1980, despite a winning record of 8–7–1. Off the field, the decision was made to begin construction of a new indoor stadium in downtown Vancouver.

In

Standout wide receiver "Swervin'" Mervyn Fernandez was among the rookies who joined the Lions in 1982, winning the Jackie Parker Trophy as the Western Division's most outstanding rookie. Despite a 9–7 record, the Lions finished fourth in their division and failed to make the playoffs. As in the previous four seasons, the Lions got off to a fast start only to stumble badly after Labour Day. In most cases after this point in the season, the Lions lost crucial divisional games by a very large margin. Due to this disturbing trend, head coach Vic Rapp and his entire coaching staff were dismissed at the end of the season. Lions' running back great Willie "The Wisp" Fleming was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.

A New Home, the New Western powerhouse (1983-1987)

In January

In 1990, Pezim's first full season as owner, he made big changes to the look of the team. The team ditched its predominantly orange and white uniform design to black with silver helmets and pants. Under new head coach Lary Kuharich and general manager Joe Kapp, the Lions generated a good deal of preseason hype in 1990 with the signings of West Virginia University quarterback Major Harris, who was fourth in 1989 Heisman Trophy balloting, and quarterback Doug Flutie. Minority owner Mark Gastineau even returned to active duty, but was released after playing only four games.^[9] However, the publicity did not translate into on-field victories and turmoil plagued the team. Two coaches left early in the season amid controversy. The Lions tied their first game against Calgary in the dying seconds of the contest as Doug Flutie tossed a "hail Mary" pass to Ray Alexander in the end zone. The Lions kept close in every game, winning a tight one against Winnipeg at home on a last-second Passaglia field goal, while losing to Hamilton in the final seconds in the next contest. The eastern road trip to Ottawa and Toronto, during which the Lions lost both games, spelled the beginning of the end for the new coach and general manager. The following week, the Leos dropped another one to the Argos, 49–19, and one week after that, another former Lions great, Jim "Dirty Thirty" Young, was behind the bench as interim head coach. Bob O'Billovich took over as vice president of football operations and head coach on September 14, 1990, and promptly guided the team to a strong 34–4 victory over Hamilton. The Lions gained stability as the season wore on, and although they missed the playoffs, "Obie's" charges went 4–3 over the last seven games of the season, and their strong finish fuelled hopes for a much brighter 1991 season. Highlights of the year included Lui Passaglia's new professional football scoring record, as he booted his 2,238th point, finishing the year with 2,312 points. Lui also became the longest-playing Lion in history, appearing in a total of 236 games, overtaking Al Wilson's previous mark of 233 games.

The

The "new" 1993 edition of the BC Lions, under the guidance of head coach Dave Ritchie and general manager Eric Tillman signed a number of proven CFL veterans, including Danny McManus, James "Wild" West, Rob Smith, Less Browne, Tyrone Jones, Sean Foudy and CFL All-Star Vic Stevenson, winner of the 1992 DeMarco-Beckett Trophy as the Outstanding Offensive Lineman in the West Division. The team also added promising rookies, such as running back Cory Philpot, draft pick Tom Europe, and Derek Grier. A contract dispute with Jon Volpe kept him from training camp, but he was back in the fold by the second game of the season. The Lions struck quickly with wins over Saskatchewan and Toronto before grinding to a halt in Winnipeg after only three days rest between road games. However, the Leos lost only two more games through July, August, and mid-September, cruising to an 8–3 record, the Lions' best start since 1987. Quarterback Danny Barrett broke the CFL's single-game passing yard record, completing 30 passes for 601 yards, eclipsing the previous mark of 586 yards set back in 1954 by Alouettes legend, Sam "The Rifle" Etcheverry. The Lions entered the September 18, 1993 game against Calgary in a battle for first place in the Western Division. However, Doug Flutie and the Stamps prevailed, 40–21. The Lions went on to win only two of the next seven games, sliding to a 64–27 pounding against Sacramento in the regular-season finale, for a 10–8 finish. Nevertheless, the Lions made the playoffs after a one-year absence, facing Calgary in the West Division semi-final game on November 14, 1993. Despite generating twice as much offence as the Stamps, the Leos could not score a touchdown and fell 17–9.

1994 Grey Cup champions

The Lions entered the

The

Staying in contention (1996–2002)

The Lions began the

Expectations were high for the CFL champion Lions in 2001, but the team ultimately never seemed to jell. Quarterback Damon Allen struggled, and the team hovered around the 0.500 mark all season. Finishing at 8–10, the Lions did make the playoffs, but were immediately bounced by Calgary in the Western Division semi-finals, 28–19. Matt Kellett became only the second full-time field goal kicker in 26 years, as he replaced the legendary Lui Passaglia. Rookie middle linebacker Barrin Simpson led the team in tackles and was named a first-team CFL All-Star, as well as the CFL's Rookie of the Year and Jackie Parker Trophy winner. Cornerback Eric Carter was also named to the CFL's 2001 All-Star team.

Bob Ackles returned to the Lions as president and CEO before the 2002 season, which saw the Lions finish at 10–8 for a third-place finish in the Western Division, and the return of Adam Rita as head coach. The Lions faced Winnipeg in the Western semi-finals, falling 30–3 to the Bombers. Individually, Eric Carter and Barrin Simpson repeated as CFL All-Stars, while slotback Jason Clermont won CFL's most outstanding rookie award, as well as the Western Division's Jackie Parker Trophy. Fullback Sean Millington won the Dr. Beattie Martin Trophy as the outstanding Canadian Western Division player, for the 3rd time. This was the last season that Damon Allen played for the Lions, as he finished as the franchise's all-time leader in passing yards, pass completions and passing touchdowns.

Buono era (2003–2011)

The 2003 season marked the beginning of a new era, as Wally Buono replaced Adam Rita as head coach and GM. The Lions also acquired former Stampeders and NFL QB Dave Dickenson through free agency, which prompted Lions QB Damon Allen to leave for the Toronto Argonauts. The Lions finished in a 3-way, 2nd place tie at 11–7 with Western Division foes, Winnipeg and Saskatchewan, and faced the Eastern Division's Toronto Argonauts by way of the CFL's "cross-over rule." The Lions closed out the season with a 28–7 loss to the Argos in the Eastern Division semi-finals. Barrin Simpson appeared as a CFL All-Star for the 3rd year in a row, joined by newcomers Ray Jacobs on defence, and electrifying slotback Geroy Simon on offence. Wide receiver Frank Cutolo won the CFL and Western Division rookie of the year awards. Offensive tackle Steve Hardin won the CFL Player's Association Outstanding Community Service Award.

The

Before and during the

2006 Grey Cup champions

The 2006 season saw Casey Printers go off to the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs; however, a new quarterback controversy of sorts threatened to develop. During the off-season 2005s third-stringer, Buck Pierce won the back-up role and early season injuries to Dave Dickenson forced him into action. Pierce's best game as the starter was on October 6 against the Calgary Stampeders, where he threw 25 for 31 for 297 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception. He began the game with one incomplete pass, and then hit his next 14.

The Lions in the off-season also acquired former Roughrider

In their first game of the season, against Calgary, starter Buck Pierce left the game with injury, meaning Jarious Jackson took over as starter. After losing their next game to the Roughriders, the Lions won three straight, synonymous with Stefan Logan's debut with the Lions and Joe Smith sitting these games out. On July 25, Geroy Simon surpassed Jim "Dirty 30" Young as the Lions' all-time receiving yards leader, in a game against the Montreal Alouettes.^[13] After electing not to attend Bob Ackles' memorial, Joe Smith began to estrange himself from the organization and only played in four of the first nine games of the season. While also posting unimpressive numbers, the Lions saw fit to trade their former star running back to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers for their former star running back, Charles Roberts on Sept 1, 2009. Shortly after, Roberts reached the 10,000 rushing yard mark for his career on Sept 13, 2009, against the Saskatchewan Roughriders in his first game as a Lion.

After a Labour Day loss to the

The

The season was notable for the team's use of five different quarterbacks – Buck Pierce started the year but gave way after injury to Jarious Jackson. When Jackson was injured, 3rd string QB Travis Lulay was pressed into action. Former Lion and league MVP Casey Printers then signed to the practice roster on October 8, and suited up as the third-string QB on October 9 in a game versus the Edmonton Eskimos. He then became the starting quarterback on October 24, in a 33–30 overtime loss to the Saskatchewan Roughriders.^[14] In the season finale on November 6 against Edmonton, Printers was knocked out of the game with a broken thumb.^[15] In the last regular-season game 5th string quarterback Zac Champion played more than two quarters when Buck Pierce also went down.

Losing to each of the other 3 Western teams in successive games meant BC finished fourth and last. However, Hamilton defeated Winnipeg in their last game of the season, enabling the Lions to cross over to the Eastern Division's play-off format (ahead of both Winnipeg and Toronto). The Lions faced the Tiger-Cats in the Eastern semi-final in Hamilton on November 15 and won in overtime. The Lions then advanced the Eastern final against the Montreal Alouettes, but lost 56–18.

The 2009–10 offseason saw the club lose even more veterans, many who were cut by

After the bye week, Printers returned and won three out of the five games he started, but due to his turnover-filled back-to-back performances, he was replaced with Lulay as the starter in game 13 against Winnipeg, which the Lions won. After Lulay had a minor injury in the following game, again against Winnipeg, Printers came into the game to protect a 21-point lead. The Blue Bombers stormed back to tie the game and force overtime, which was decided by Printers' game-clinching interception. It was Casey's last game with the Lions as Buono released him soon after the game. Consequently, Lulay became the starting quarterback, finishing the season 4–5 as a starter. The Lions won their last three games to qualify for the playoffs after Edmonton lost their final game of the season, but lost in double overtime to the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the West semi-final game.

2011 Grey Cup champions

The

Despite a questionable lineup, the Lions, as well as many fans and critics alike, believed that the team was good enough to win the

Head coach Wally Buono announced shortly after the Grey Cup that he would step down as head coach but would remain as vice president and general manager.^[18] The BC Lions were named The Canadian Press Team of the Year for 2011 in voting by sports editors and broadcasters across Canada.^[19]

Missed opportunities and near-misses (2012–2019)

Defensive coordinator Mike Benevides was promoted and announced as the team's new head coach on December 13, 2011.^[20] Several veteran players left the team or were released prior to the start of the 2012 season. Defensive back Tad Kornegay was released by the Lions while all-star linebacker Solomon Elimimian and defensive tackle Aaron Hunt signed with the Minnesota Vikings and the Montreal Alouettes, respectively. The Lions did, however, manage to resign veteran cornerbacks Dante Marsh and Ryan Phillips during the free-agency period, as well as all-star defensive back Lin-J Shell and cornerback Byron Parker.

On December 19, 2014, Jeff Tedford was named the 25th head coach in franchise history^[21] after Mike Benevides had been let go November 20.^[22] The 2015 season saw the emergence of rookie quarterback Jonathan Jennings, who took over as the starter from Travis Lulay midway through the season. The 2015 season was the only one for Tedford, as he resigned after only one season where he led the lions to a 7–11 record, finishing third in the west and losing to Calgary in the playoffs. Upon Tedford's resignation, Wally Buono announced that he would return as head coach in 2016.

In Buono's first season back at the helm of the Lions, he guided the team to its first second-place finish in the West since 1986, with a 12–6 record, and defeated the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the West Semi-Final, only to lose to Calgary in the West Final. The following season, the Lions missed the playoffs for the first time since 1996, finishing in 5th and last place in the West with a 7–11 record. On November 30, 2017, Buono stepped down from his position as general manager, being replaced in that stead by Ed Hervey.^[23] Buono stayed on as head coach in 2018, but he also announced it would be his last season as coach for the team. The team finished 9–9, returning to the playoffs as a crossover team, losing to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the East Semi-Final 48–8. On December 18, 2018, DeVone Claybrooks was named Buono's successor at head coach for the Lions. He lasted only one season, finishing in 5th and last place in the West with a 5–13 mark, with Claybrooks fired on November 5. Former Ottawa Redblacks coach Rick Campbell was named the new head coach of the Lions on December 2, 2019.

A new era, a new owner (2020–present)

In October 2020, owner David Braley died, but left in his will funds for the BC Lions so that the team could continue to operate for several seasons.^[24] On August 18, 2021, the BC Lions were bought by Amar Doman, who runs two private companies in British Columbia, Futura Corporation and CanWel.^[25][26] After the cancellation of the 2020 CFL season, the Lions returned to play along with the rest of the CFL in 2021. However, the team languished in the shortened season, with a seven-game losing streak in the second half proving fatal to the team's season, and they finished 5–9, good for fourth in the West. 2022 saw the Lions return to the playoffs for the first time since 2018, guided by new quarterback Nathan Rourke, who led the team to a 12–6 and second place in the West. The Lions downed the Calgary Stampeders in the West Semi-Final, but their season ended at the hands of the two-time defending Grey Cup champion Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the West Final game. The 2023 season saw a similar finish, a 12–6 second-place finish in the West, defeating the Stampeders in the West Semi Final game, but losing again to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the West Final game.

Current roster

Current coaching staff

Players and builders of note

Retired numbers

The BC Lions have ten retired jersey numbers, second only to the Montreal Alouettes for the most in the Canadian Football League.

Canadian Football Hall of Fame

BC Sports Hall of Fame

BC Lions Wall of Fame

Located at Level 2 Inner Concourse between Sections 11 and 10 at BC Place Stadium.

Football operations history

50th Anniversary Dream Team

Selected by fan balloting in 2003

Season-by-season records

Radio

The BC Lions radio network consists of 15 stations:^{[citation needed]}

• CKGO Vancouver (Flagship Station, 730 AM)
• CFAX Victoria (1070 AM)
• CKFR Kelowna (1150 AM)
• CHNL Kamloops (610 AM)
• CJNL Merritt (1230 AM)
• CINL Ashcroft/Cache Creek (1340 AM)
• CHNL-1 Clearwater (1400 AM)
• CHNL-FM Sorrento/Shuswap (107.1 FM)
• CHNL Logan Lake (106.7 FM)
• CHNL Blue River/Valemount
• CFNR Terrace/Thornhill (92.1 FM)
• CFNR Kitimat/Nass Valley/Queen Charlotte Islands (96.1 FM)
• CFNR Prince Rupert (98.1 FM)

Notable broadcasters for the BC Lions include Canadian Football Hall of Fame inductee John Badham.^[32]

Mascot

Leo the Lion is the mascot for the BC Lions.

See also

• BC Lions all-time records and statistics
• Canadian Football Hall of Fame
• Canadian football
• Comparison of Canadian and American football
• List of Canadian Football League seasons

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to BC Lions.

• Official website
• BC Lions page at Vancouver Sun Online Archived 2016-03-31 at the Wayback Machine
• BC Lions page at TSN.ca
• BCLionsDen.ca—Lions Fans Feast Here
• LionBackers.com – an Essential site for BC Lions Fans
• TSN Radio 1040 BC Lions Broadcaster Archived 2014-09-08 at the Wayback Machine
• BC Lions Official Merchandise

• BC Lions page at Oursportscentral.com
• Official Facebook Page
• Official Twitter Account
• BC Lions page at The Pro Football Archives