B.C. Lions premiering two new cornerbacks in opener against Riders

Photo courtesy: Zachary Peters/B.C. Lions

The B.C. Lions will open their season on Saturday in Regina with two newcomers at cornerback.

C.J. Coldon, who joined the team as a free agent after being released by the Ottawa Redblacks in April, is an experienced addition and has long been pencilled in on the field side. However, the absence of veteran Garry Peters, who was officially ruled out on Thursday and placed on the six-game injured list, has forced the team to start rookie Tyson Russell at boundary corner in his first CFL game. The 23-year-old played collegiately at Vanderbilt, where he made 92 tackles, five pass breakups, and one interception in 44 games.

Also debuting for the Lions on defence are a pair of former All-CFL performers, Darnell Sankey and Casey Sayles. Sankey is expected to command the middle linebacker spot after coming over from the Montreal Alouettes, while Sayles will add to a deep defensive line after his unceremonious release by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Rookie linebacker Parker McKenna is also expected to contribute to the new-look unit, though he remains listed behind Canadian Ben Hladik on the depth chart.

On the other side of the ball, the Lions remain mostly intact from last season, save for left tackle, where Kory Woodruff will take over for the departed Jarell Broxton. Brandon Yates will step in at Woodruff’s old left guard spot, continuing the trend of four American starters along the offensive line.

Primary kick returner Seven McGee is also expected to take on a larger role this season, replacing Ayden Eberhardt in the starting lineup. Canadian Kieran Poissant will rotate in as needed to allow the American speedster to stay dangerous on special teams. The Lions will have a new long snapper as well, with Cam Foran replacing Kyle Nelson.

The team has placed a pair of Canadians on the reserve roster to begin the year, scratching rookie receiver Nick Cenacle and linebacker Terrence Ganyi. Notably, the team has no players on the one-game injured list for their opener, but begins with 10 players already on the six-game list: receiver Nate Demontagnac (shoulder); offensive linemen Andrew Peirson (shoulder), Josh Coker (knee), Josh Donovan (ankle), and Isiah Cage (knee); defensive lineman Tomasi Laulile (undisclosed); defensive backs Garry Peters (knee), Cristophe Beaulieu (knee), and Jett Elad (hip); and kick Mark McNamee (hip).

The B.C. Lions (0-0) will visit the Saskatchewan Roughriders (0-0) at Mosaic Stadium on Saturday, June 13, with kickoff scheduled for 7:00 p.m. EDT. Both teams were on a bye in Week 1. They last faced each other in the 2025 Western Final, where Saskatchewan prevailed 24-21. The Riders went on to win the 112th Grey Cup.

The weather forecast in Regina calls for a high of 18 degrees with a mix of sun and clouds. The game will be broadcast on TSN in Canada, CBS Sports Network in the United States, and CFL+ internationally. Radio listeners can tune in on 620 CKRM in Regina, 730 CKNW in Vancouver, and Sher-E-Punjab Radio AM 600 for Punjabi coverage in B.C.