BC Lions

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British Columbia Lions
File:CFL Lions.gifFile:BC Lions.jpg
Division West Division
Founded 1954
Home field BC Place Stadium
Based in Vancouver, British Columbia
Colours Orange and Black
League Canadian Football League
Head coach Wally Buono
General manager Wally Buono

The British Columbia Lions are a Canadian Football League team based in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Team facts

Helmet design: White background, with a black "BC" and a profile of a mountain lion's head (orange)
Uniform colours: Orange, Black and White.
Stadiums: Empire Stadium (1954-1982), BC Place Stadium (1983-present)
Western regular season championships: 9 — 1963, 1964, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1999, 2004, 2005
Grey Cup finals appearances: 8 — 1963, 1964 , 1983, 1985, 1988, 1994, 2000, 2004.
Grey Cup wins: 4 — 1964, 1985, 1994, 2000
2006 Regular Season Record: 1 wins, 0 losses, 0 ties. (See 2006 CFL season).

Franchise history

The 1950s

In 1951 a group led by Ken Stauffer and Tiny Radar, were inspired by Vancouver Sun columnist Andy Lyle's article to start a football team in Vancouver. To try to get a team in Vancouver, the ownership group sent their representatives to the off-season Western Interprovincial Football Union (WIFU) meetings to initiate Vancouver’s bid for a team. The representatives (Radar and Orville 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 set out to sell memberships at $20 each.

Even 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 Regina voted against the idea of a fifth team. The group in Vancouver, however, did not give up and continued their efforts to have a franchise in the WIFU.

On January 22, 1953, the first annual meeting of the club was held. In that meeting, Arthur E. Mercer was hired as the first team President of the Vancouver franchise. Later in the year Mercer, Bill Morgan, Bill Ralston and Whit Matthews went back to the WlFU meetings. This time they sold the idea of a fifth team on the West Coast, and Vancouver was granted a conditional franchise, on the requirements that:

  • They would provide a 15,000 seat stadium.
  • Sell at least 6,500 season tickets.
  • And guarantee travel expenses for the visiting teams.

All the pieces began to fall into place when it was announced that Vancouver would host the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games, and that it would mean the building of a new stadium – Empire Stadium. 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.

During the rest of 1953, a fan contest was held by all of the local media to pick the new nickname of the football franchise. In this contest, a new nickname was chosen because it represented a local landmark and legend of the area. The nickname of the team was based on, The Lions, a twin mountain peak that can be seen towards the north of Vancouver, British Columbia. The twin mountain peaks name was based on legend that the mountains looked exactly like two lions and that they were guarding the city. Through this landmark and legend, alone, the "Lions" nickname became the ultimate winner in the fan contest to become the new name of the franchise.

After the fan contest, it was later revealed that the Vancouver label will not be part of the team name. Even though, the franchise is based in Vancouver, and the "Lions" name was based on a local landmark and legend, Annis Stukus decided to reject the idea of naming the team as the Vancouver Lions. Instead, Stukus decided that the team name should be representing and embracing the entire Province of British Columbia. In the end, Stukus introduced the team to the entire Canadian football world as the British Columbia Lions.

File:BC LIONS 50's.jpg
B.C. Lions logo from 1954-1968

In their 1954 inaugural season, Stukus sold football fever on the streets of Vancouver and put together a team that made history when they stepped on the field of Empire Stadium for their first ever home game against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Saturday, August 28, 1954.

In that game, Byron (By) Bailey scored the first ever touchdown in B.C. Lions history in an 8-6 loss to the Blue Bombers. Throughout the 1954 inaugural season, the B.C. Lions were only able to manage a 1-15-0 regular season record. The team was able to get their first franchise win against the Calgary Stampeders on September 18 at Empire Stadium, with By Bailey scoring the winning touchdown, in a 9-4 B.C. Lions victory. On that night, the win caused the B.C. faithful to start celebrating on the streets, however, celebrations was not common for Lion's fans during the 1950s.

In 1955, during their second year as a franchise, the B.C. Lions were not able to make the playoffs, but were still able to show signs of improvement, finishing with a 5-11-0 regular season record. Even with the improvements, B.C. Lions fans were surprised at the move of the team directors to ask Annis Stukus to step down as the team's Head Coach in October of 1955. While, fan reaction to his dismissal was loud and divided, Stukus still asked the fans to continue their support of the B.C. Lions. Annis Stukus' assistant Clem Crowe, was later named as the new Head Coach of the B.C. Lions for the upcoming 1956 season.

In the 1956 season, the Lions would finish fourth in the West, posting a 6-10-0 regular season record, with Clem Crowe as their Head Coach. Although this was a one game improvement from the 1955 season, they were still not able to make their first playoff appearance in franchise history.

After the 1956 season, Bill McMahan became the new team President of the B.C. Lions. As the new team President, Bill McMahan was then able to bring back Kelowna native, Herb Capozzi from the Montreal Alouettes, and hire him as the new General Manager. However, the B.C. Lions continued to struggle on the field, finishing the 1957 regular season with a 4-11-1 record, missing the playoffs for the fourth straight year.

A year later, the on-field performance went from bad to worse for the Lions as they opened the 1958 season, with five straight losses. The team's on-field struggles caused Capozzi to fire Clem Crowe as the Head Coach and replace him with interim Head Coach, Danny Edwards, who returned after playing with the club during the 1957 season. The team was only able to manage three wins during the year, causing them to miss the playoffs, once again. Although it was a season to forget, rookies, Tom Hinton and Sonny Homer, showed promising signs of being future football stars.

During the off-season, General Manager, Herb Capozzi was trying to improve the team for the 1959 season. He tried to fulfill those goals by:

  • Hiring Wayne Robinson from the Winnipeg Blue Bombers to become the new Head Coach of the B.C. Lions.
  • Bringing in a corps of veteran players to add more experience and success to the team.
  • Signing new rookie running back, Willie "The Whisp" Fleming to the team, adding more youth along with Tom Hinton and Sonny Homer.

These moves in the end proved to be successful. The Lions managed their first winning season with a 9-7-0 regular season record and were able to make their first playoff appearance with a final game triumph over the Calgary Stampeders at Empire Stadium. The Lions first playoff appearance ended with two straight losses to the Edmonton Eskimos. However, the team's future looks very bright heading into the 1960s.

The 1960s

The high hopes of the Lions heading into the 1960 season faded when the team finished with a disappointing 5-9-2 record, which again eliminated them from play-off contention. It was disappointing considering that the team added rookie talents Steve Cotter, Lonnie Dennis, Jim Catphin and Neal Beaumont to the team that had a strong core of veteran and young players from the previous season. The only positive for the Lions happened at the end of the season when Neal Beaumont won Rookie of the Year honours in the WIFU, becoming the first Lions player to win a major Canadian football award.

The Lions started the 1961 season by signing Minnesota Viking Tom Brown to a contract, but the team continued performing poorly on the field. In September, the team made a major trade with the Calgary Stampeders, which was considered to be a major gamble by the Lions. In the trade, the Lions got quarterback Joe Kapp in the deal in exchange for four of their players to be sent to the Stampeders. A week later, Wayne Robinson was fired from his job as Head Coach and was replaced by Assistant Coach, Dave Skrien. The year ended with a dismal 1-13-2 record.

In 1962, Dave Skrien made an immediate impact as Head Coach of the BC Lions. Even though the Lions finished the season with a 7-9 record, there were noticeable improvements. After eight years of hard work, the Lions were on the verge of success for the first time.

Before the start of the 1963 season, new optimism was voiced at the chances that the BC Lions could be a strong contender for the Grey Cup, which was to be played at Empire Stadium. Through a veteran roster that was headlined by Joe Kapp and Willie Fleming, the Lions would end up finishing the season in first place (for the first time) with a 12-4 record. After a 2-1 series victory over the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the Western Finals, the Lions would play in the Grey Cup game against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. However, the Lions momentum would be sidelined as a series of injuries along the way effected the team's performance in the Grey Cup. In the Grey Cup game, star running back Willie Fleming was injured after he received a late, out of bounds hit by Ti-Cat defensive tackle Angelo Mosca, which was a big blow to the Lions' Grey Cup chances. Hamilton won the 51st Grey Cup with a 21-10 victory, but the following year, the Lions would get their revenge. After the season, Joe Kapp became the first B.C. Lion to receive the Jeff Nicklin Memorial Trophy as the Most Valuable Player of the Western Conference and Tom Brown became the first Lion to win the Schenley award as Defensive Player of the Year. In addition, Dave Skrien became the first Lion's Head Coach to receive the Annis Stukus Trophy as Coach of the Year, and Peter Kempf also became the second Lion to win the Dr. Beattie Martin Trophy for Rookie of the Year honours in the Western Conference.

After achieving an 11-2-3 regular season record and defeating the Calgary Stampeders in a three-game series in the Western Conference Finals, the Lions would advance to meet the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in a Grey Cup rematch at Toronto's Exhibition Stadium. In the rematch, the Lions would get their revenge as Bill Munsey, app and Willie Fleming would give a two-touchdown, two-way starring performance. With the addition of two field goals and an extra touchdown by the field goal unit, the Lions won the Grey Cup for the first time in franchise history with a 34-24 victory. The win would end 11 years of waiting for the British Columbia faithful. At the end of the 1964 season, Tom Brown was named back-to-back Schenley award winner as Defensive Player of the Year and won the Jeff Nicklin Memorial Trophy as the Most Valuable Player in the Western Conference.

Any hopes of the B.C. Lions becoming a dynasty team after their Grey Cup championship season, quickly disappeared in the 1965 season as the team started to recede back to the basement of the Western Conference. Before the beginning of the season, By Bailey left the team and the entire roster was starting to age as the Lions finished the season with a 6-9-1 regular season record, which caused the franchise to miss the play-offs. It was clear that Head Coach, Dave Skrien would never again experience the same success as he achieved the previous two seasons.

The situation for the Lions went from bad to worse in the 1966 season, as the team would win only one game for the first time since the 1961 season. Due to the dreadful team performance, Herb Capozzi was fired as the Lions' General Manager, just two years after he took the franchise to consecutive Grey Cup appearances; Capozzi was Lions' G.M. for nine seasons. In addition, Willie Fleming and Tom Hinton decided to retire, and Joe Kapp left the team to continue his playing career in the NFL.

In the 1967 season, Denny Vietch became the new General Manager of the club. Denny Veitch's first move as General Manager was to fire Dave Skrien as the club's Head Coach, after the Lions lost their first three games of the season. In the fourth game of the season, Veitch named Jim Champion as the team's new Head Coach, but the Lions would end up finishing the season with a 3-12-1 record. The only two positives for the club were rookies Jim Young and kicker, Ted Gerela, who would end up winning the Dr. Beattie Martin Trophy as the Western Conference's Rookie of the Year.

In the 1968 season, CFL legend, Jackie Parker was hired as an Assistant Coach for the B.C. Lions and even came out of retirement to suit up in a Lions uniform for eight games as the quarterback. However, the Lions finished the season with a 4-11-1 record; seven of those games were lost by less than a touchdown, showing some indication that the team is improving.

Eleven games into the 1969 season, after stumbling to a 1-10 record, Head Coach Jim Champion was fired and replaced by assistant Jackie Parker. The Lions responded by winning four of their last five games, and with a 5-11 record took third place in the Western Division. The Lions made the playoffs, but lost to Calgary 21-35 in the semi-finals. Individually, Dave Easley won Western Division and CFL Rookie of the Year honors, and wide receiver Jim Young was a Schenley Finalist.

The 1970s

In 1970, the first artificial turf in Canada was installed at Empire Stadium. Jim Young became the first Lion to win the Schenley Outstanding Canadian Award, but the team finished fourth place in the Western Division at 6-10, and missed the playoffs.

The 1971 season began with a major off-season restructuring that saw Head Coach Jackie 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/TV personality Carl Weathers, at linebacker. Running back Jim Evenson finished the season with 1,237 yards to lead the Western Division 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. Lions' great Jackie Parker became the first Lion player inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.

In 1972, the Lions added new players such as defensive back Rocky Long, running back Johnny Musso, linebacker Ray Nettles and center Al Wilson, but finished fifth in their division with a 5-11 record. Jim Young won his second Schenley Award as Outstanding Canadian.

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

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

The Lions began the 1975 season with a change at quarterback, as Eric Guthrie and Peter Liske platooned at the position, replacing Don Moorhead. The Lions lost five of their first six games before a major change was announced in August. General Manager Jackie Parker and Head Coach Eagle Keys were both dismissed, with Bob Ackles moving up from his assistant General Manager post and Cal Murphy elevated to Head Coach. The Lions played .500 football the rest of the season, but finished in fifth place in their division with a 6-10 record.

The Lions' 1976 season concluded with a 5-9-2 fourth place finish. Individually, John 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 Glen Jackson and kicker Lui Passaglia were two other bright spots in an otherwise disappointing season.

A complete off-season overhaul in the coaching staff brought Edmonton assistant Vic Rapp in as the 10th Head Coach of the Lions as they opened their 1977 season. A revamped Lions lineup included rookies Leon Bright, John Blain, Ken Hinton, and quarterback Jerry Tagge, as well as several newly acquired veterans. The Lions last-minute heroics earned them the nickname "the Cardiac Kids." The Lions finished with a 10-6 record, good enough for second place in the Western Division (the first time the Lions finished higher than third place since 1964). The Lions opened the playoffs with a 33-32 upset of the Winnipeg before losing to Grey Cup finalist Edmonton in the Western Division Finals. Wide receiver Leon Bright captured the CFL's Most Outstanding Rookie award, and Al Wilson became the first Lion to win the CFL's Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman award.

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 Lions missed the playoffs. 1978 also saw the emergence of rookie quarterback Joe Paopao, the "Throwin' Samoan."

The Lions' 1979 season began with Jerry Tagge at quarterback, but he eventually missed the second half of the season with an injury that would also end his playing career. Led by Joe Paopao, the Lions lost five, but finished third with a 9-6-1 record, making the playoffs. The Lions lost to the Calgary Stampeders in the semi-finals, 37-2. 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 1980s

The Lions failed to make a consecutive playoff appearance in 1980, despite a winning 8-7-1 finish. Off the field, the decision was made to begin construction of a new indoor stadium in downtown Vancouver.

In 1981, the Lions returned to the playoffs with a third place divisional finish and a 10-6 record. The Lions again upset Winnipeg in the semi-finals, 15-11, before losing a 22-16 heartbreaker in the Western Division Finals to eventual Grey Cup champion Edmonton. Paopao and second-year quarterback Roy Dewalt, had wide-out Ty Grey as their deep-threat receiver, while rookie defensive back Larry Crawford led the CFL in interceptions. The Labatt Brewing Company became the Lions' major sponsor in a marketing agreement that brought much needed financial stability to the team.

Standout wide receiver Mervyn "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 winning 9-7 record, the Lions finished fourth in their division, but did not reach the playoffs. The end of the season saw the dismissal of Head Coach Vic Rapp and his coaching staff. Lions' running back great Willie "The Whisp" Fleming was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.

In January, 1983, former Edmonton defensive co-ordinator Don Matthews was named the Lions' new Head Coach. The quarterback-receiver combination of Dewalt to Fernandez led the Lions' attack, while the defense set a new CFL record of 42 interceptions. The Lions finished 11-5 for the second-best record in team history and returned to first place for the first time since the 1964 season. B.C. Place Stadium, the new home of the Lions, opened in June, 1983. The Lions stormed into the playoffs, defeating Winnipeg in the Western Division finals, 39-21. The Western Division champions hosted the Toronto Argonauts in the 71st Grey Cup, ending a 19-year absence from the classic. Unfortunately, B.C. Place fans watched the Argonauts defeat their hometown team in a taught, 18-17 contest.

In 1984, the Lions' biggest trade since the Joe Kapp deal brought CFL All-Star James "Quick" Parker to the Lions' defense from Edmonton. The Lions again finished first in the Western Division with a league leading 12-3-1 record, but the second straight first place finish was dampened by the late season loss of quarterback Roy Dewalt to injury. In a repeat Western Finals matchup at B.C. Place, Winnipeg triumphed 31-14 and went on to win the 72nd Grey Cup. Average crowds in excess of 40,000 in each of the first two years at B.C. Place reversed the team's financial fortunes, with stockholders receiving early repayment. Lions' greats Joe Kapp and linebacker Tom Brown were inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.

The Lions' 1985 season began with much promise. Mervyn Fernandez shattered several team receiving records and second year receiver Jim Sandusky broke the 1,000 yard mark. Rookie defensive tackle Mike Gray was the most visible of several rookies. With depth and few injuries, the final season record of 13-3 was the best in team history, bringing the Lions their third consecutive first place divisional finish. The Lions avenged their prior year's playoff defeat by handling Winnipeg 42-22, despite that fact that the Blue Bombers had won both regular season meetings and wide receiver Fernandez was out with a leg injury. One week later, the same Lions line-up met Hamilton at the Olympic Stadium in Montreal. 21 years of waiting ended with a 37-24 Grey Cup championship victory over the Tiger-Cats in the 73rd Grey Cup. Quarterback Roy Dewalt won the Grey Cup's Most Valuable Player award on offense, while defensive end James "Quick" Parker took home the Grey Cup's Most Valuable Player award on defense. Kicker Lui Passaglia was named the Grey Cup's Most Valuable Canadian. Don Matthews won his first CFL Coach of the Year award. Mervyn Fernandez became the first Lion to win the CFL's Most Outstanding Player Award and defensive tackle Mike Gray won both the CFL's Most Outstanding Rookie award and the Jackie Parker Trophy. The CFL champions returned to Vancouver for a victory celebration that swept across the entire province.

Defending their championship in 1986 proved even harder than winning it the year before, as the Lions battled the Eskimos, Blue Bombers, injuries, and the CFL's newly extended 18 game regular season. The Lions reached the halfway mark at 7-2 losing at Edmonton, and at home to Calgary. The Lions then ran their record to 9-2 before hitting a four game losing streak, started by back to back losses to Edmonton. The Lions rebounded to win back to back games against Winnipeg to finish the season 12-6, and second in the Western Division. Under the new playoff format, the Lions met the Bombers for a third straight week, winning the Semi-Finals 21-14, before travelling to Edmonton for the Lions' first Western Final road game in four years. The Lions lost their fourth game of the year to the Eskimos 41-5, ending the Lions' hopes of defending their title in front of a home crowd at B.C.Place. Off the field, the big news of the year was the departure of GM Bob Ackles to the NFL's Dallas Cowboys, ending Ackles' 33 year association with the Lions. Ackles was replaced by former Montreal General Manager Joe Galat in August, 1986.

The Lions began their 1987 campaign without the services of stand out wide reciever Mervyn Fernandez, who left during the offseason to join the Los Angeles Raiders. The season began with a four game winning streak, but the team seemed to lose focus through the middle of the season, looking invincible in one game and lethargic the next. Entering the last half of the year, the Lions were still in contention for first place but not playing like a team driving for a title. When the team suffered a three-game losing streak, General Manager Joe Galat fired Don Matthews, the winningest coach in Lions history with just four games to go. The Lions instantly responded to new Coach Larry Donovan, winning the final four games including a thrilling come-from-behind 33-32 victory over Edmonton at Commonwealth Stadium that many observers called the CFL's greatest comeback ever. The win gave the Lions first place in the Western Division for the fourth time in five years with a 12-6 record. Home field advantage at B.C. Place in the Western Finals wasn't enough however, as the Lions fell to the eventual Grey Cup champion Eskimos, 31-7.

The CFL's competition cap forced the Lions to start the 1988 season with 22 new faces in their lineup, one of which was star quarterback Matt Dunigan, acquired in a trade with Edmonton. Despite the large number of new players, the Lions jelled and finished the regular season with a 10-8 record. The Lions entered the playoffs with momentum and were touted as Grey Cup favorites. The Leos managed hard-earned playoff victories on the road at Saskatchewan, beating the Roughriders, 42-18 in the Semi-Finals, before defeating the Eskimos in the Western Division Finals at Commonwealth Stadium, 37-19. That set the stage for the 76th Annual Grey Cup Game against the Blue Bombers, in front of a crowd in excess of 50,000 in unseasonably mild but windy conditions at Ottawa. The lead changed hands several times during the hard fought contest. The Leos drove to the Winnipeg seven-yard line in the final minutes only to have Matt Dunigan's pass deflected by two defenders and intercepted to snuff out the drive. The Bombers went on to win the Cup, 22-21.

Buoyed by their Grey Cup appearance the previous season, the Lions entered the 1989 season with much optimism. However, the team opened the campaign with a loss to Edmonton in Commonwealth Stadium, followed by three more losses before Coach Larry Donovan was fired and replaced by General Manager Joe Galat. After dropping their fifth straight game to the Eskimos, the Lions put together a four-game winning streak, fueling playoff hopes. Unfortunately, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers shattered those hopes in back to back games, rolling over the Leos 53-34 in Winnipeg, and then edging the Lions 24-20 in an overtime contest in Vancouver. The Lions never did get back on track, finishing the year with a disappointing 7-11 record, and missing the playoffs for the first time since 1982. Bright spots included running back Darrell Wallace, who won the Western Division's Jackie Parker Trophy as Most Outstanding Rookie (Wallace was second in the CFL in total offensive yardage), and wide receiver David Williams, who made the Western Division's All-Star Team. Quarterback Matt Dunigan also won the CFL Players Association Outstanding Community Service Award.

2005 Season

Before and during the 2005 season there was some controversy as to which quaterback should be the starter, Casey Printers or Dave Dickenson. Printers was the CFL's 2004 season Most Outstanding Player, but Dickenson was a veteran star destined for the Hall of Fame. Many felt that both were deserving. In any event, the team ultimately chose to go with Dickenson, despite his having been somewhat injury prone in the later part of his career.

The Lions came out of the gate roaring (pardon the pun). Led by Dickenson and an outstanding receiving corps, the team strung together a modern day record of 11 consecutive wins. The record-breaking win came on September 17, when B.C. pulled off a stunning fourth-quarter drive to beat the Montreal Alouettes 27-26. However, their bid for an undefeated season came to a halt the very next week on September 24, when the Edmonton Eskimos defeated the Lions 37-20 at Commonwealth Stadium. The Lions only won one of their remaining seven games of the regular season. On November 20th, the Lions lost in the Western Final to the Edmonton Eskimos. The game ended with a controversial non-call on the last play of the game. Quarterback Casey Printers threw a touchdown toss to slotback Geroy Simon. Simon was interfered with and couldn't catch the ball.

Players and Builders of note

Retired numbers

Not to be forgotten


Current Stars

BC Sports Hall of Fame


BC Lions Wall of Fame at BC Place Stadium

Located at Level 2 Inner Concourse Between Sections 11 and 10.

Canadian Football Hall of Famers


See also

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