Darnell Sankey believes lack of Grey Cup experience makes B.C. Lions ‘even more deadly’ to Riders

Photo courtesy: Steven Chang/B.C. Lions

The Saskatchewan Roughriders enter the 2026 CFL playoffs as the defending Grey Cup champions, but all that experience might be overrated.

That’s the view of B.C. Lions linebacker Darnell Sankey, who believes his squad will have an edge during Saturday’s Western Semi-Final because so few of his teammates have tasted the ultimate victory.

“I think, honestly, that makes this team more hungry. I think that a lot of guys here are itching to feel that. We have a lot of veterans on this team who have never won a Grey Cup, and I think that makes this team even more deadly,” he told reporters on Friday.

“No disrespect to Saskatchewan, but I just feel like a hungry dog is always going to find a way to eat. That’s something I’ve always said. The guys that we have here, I feel like I don’t have to preach much to about being hungry. I think that it’s proven. Our season, how it started and how it’s been going, I think that it shows.”

The Lions have the second-longest Grey Cup drought in the CFL, having last hoisted the trophy in 2011. In the 15 years since, all eight other franchises have reached the title game at least once, while B.C. has not been back.

Their current roster is equally sparse with championship experience. While 44 players on the Riders’ roster have won a ring, most courtesy of last season’s success, only seven members of the Lions can say the same. Sankey, who won with the Montreal Alouettes in 2023, is one of just five who will be in uniform on Saturday, but he hasn’t felt the need to overemphasize that point to motivate those around him.

“Ever since I got here, I always just felt like this is a team of people who really dream about it, who really truly put in the work,” he explained. “In other organizations, you have to pull guys sometimes along to believe in what you believe in. But here, I tell guys, ‘Hey, we’re meeting after practice on this day, at this time,’ and they’re there, and it’s no question.”

The West Division All-CFL selection believes that buy-in is fueled by a hunger unique to teams that have yet to achieve their final goal. His counterpart in Saskatchewan, Jameer Thurman, disagrees, bristling at the notion that the Riders are somehow sated by their accomplishments from last season.

“I don’t think that’s the case because I’m hungrier than ever now,” he said. “Everyone loves the feeling of winning. Everyone’s always chasing that. If you win, I don’t understand; I don’t see how that correlates. Everyone’s always hungry, especially when it comes to playoff time, because we’re trying to get a ring on our fingers.”

Head coach Corey Mace, who has accumulated four pieces of Grey Cup jewellery in four different roles across three different franchises, echoed that sentiment. While he acknowledged that the Riders were a hungry group last year ahead of their first title, not much is different this time around.

“I can tell you that the mindset for us hasn’t really changed. We’re not ignorant to the fact that we have experience in big games; however, we are very hard on ’25 has nothing to do with this team. This team is just as hungry as the team that was here last year,” the Port Moody, B.C., native claimed.

“There’s really only one thing that really makes you feel like it’s worth it. Those guys worked their ass off in the offseason. They worked their ass off through the year. They’re hungry.”

In his own way, Sankey understands that Grey Cup virginity does not equate to desire. After all, he has drunk out of the iconic chalice and is no less thirsty than he was before.

However, his new ambition seems fixated on making sure those around him can have the same experience, especially longstanding veterans like T.J. Lee, who has played 12 seasons without a championship appearance to show for it.

“I’ve had the amazing opportunity to lift a Grey Cup before, and that feeling is unmatched. It’s like an addiction. I can’t describe that feeling, and I feel for guys like that, who have put their heart and soul into an organization, into football in general,” Sankey said. “That would be something truly special that we should be able to do for them.”

The fact that B.C. will need to silence the defending champions to get one step closer to that goal does not daunt the 32-year-old in the slightest.

“I respect them,” he insisted. “I’m not gonna sit here and act like they’re not a great team, but I just feel like we’re better.”

The B.C. Lions (10-8) will host the Saskatchewan Roughriders (10-8) for the West Semi-Final at BC Place Stadium on Saturday, October 31, with kickoff scheduled for 4:30 p.m. ET. The teams met three times during the regular season, with Saskatchewan winning the matchup in Regina, and B.C. winning both games in Vancouver.

The game will be broadcast on TSN and RDS in Canada and CFL+ internationally. Radio listeners can tune in on 620 CKRM in Regina and 730 CKNW (English) or Sher-E-Punjab Radio AM 600 (Punjabi) in Vancouver.