The Grey Cup Playoffs are finally here. And round one for the BC Lions represents a matchup both familiar and ripe with juicy storylines. The first big step on this November journey is a home date with the Calgary Stampeders.<\/p>\n
Ironically, it was a convincing win at Calgary in mid-September that helped pave the way for a brilliant finish to the Lions\u2019 regular season, one that saw six straight victories after a 5-7 start to solidify home-field advantage in this big game on Saturday.<\/p>\n
They may have gone 2-0 against their West Division rivals in the regular season, but they know that\u2019s all in the past. With more, we present 5 Things To Know: playoff edition.<\/p>\n
Western Semi-Final: Saturday, November 1: Calgary Stampeders at BC Lions.<\/p>\n
Kickoff: 2:30 pm PT, Save-On-Foods Field at BC Place.
\nTV: TSN\/RDS.<\/p>\n
Stream: CFL+ (U.S. and International).<\/p>\n
Radio: 730 CKNW\/Sher-E Punjab Radio Am 600\/Sirius XM Canada Talks 167.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
1. Rivalry Renewed<\/p>\n
Saturday marks the 16th playoff meeting and 18th playoff game overall between these Western combatants. The BC Lions\u2019 Grey Cup history includes three wins over Calgary in playoff action: they prevailed 2-1 in a best-of-three Western Final series in 1964 and took down the Stamps in both the 1994 and 2000 Western Finals.<\/p>\n
More recently, the Lions took down Calgary at home in both the 2022 and 2023 Western Semi-Finals. Who can forget Nathan Rourke\u2019s big return from foot surgery in the 2022 win? His former teammate, Vernon Adams Jr, did a number on the Stampeders the following season.<\/p>\n
It will be a real treat for football fans nationwide to watch these two elite quarterbacks play in a winner-take-all battle. By virtue of beating the Stampeders twice over the course of their six-game winning streak, the Lions earned home-field advantage after both teams finished with identical 11-7 records. It\u2019s time to capitalize.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
2. Opening Up The Hatch<\/p>\n
One man who is no stranger to big moments against Calgary in November is Keon Hatcher Sr. The West All-CFL selection and the league\u2019s receiving leader loves these types of games. And the Stampeders sure know that. Look no further than the 2023 playoff game and his 195-yard outing, second-highest in team playoff history behind Mervyn Fernandez. He also broke the 2022 meeting wide open with a touchdown toss from Antonio Pipkin. Since that 2022 playoff game. Hatcher\u2019s numbers against the Stamps are staggering: 44 receptions for 883 yards and five touchdowns.<\/p>\n
Rourke and the Lions\u2019 offence made CFL history, averaging 8.01 yards per play in the regular season. If they dictate the game and play from in front, they\u2019ll be hard to take down in a high-scoring battle.<\/p>\n
The BC Lions Western Semi-Final depth chart is here!\u2063\u2063\u2063\u2063 \u2014 BC LIONS (@BCLions) October 31, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n 3. Pass Protection Looms Large<\/p>\n One of the more refreshing anecdotes of this 2025 season has been the vastly improved offensive line that has given up a CFL-low 20 sacks, six fewer than the next total allowed. With upwards of ten total changes to the line after various injuries, that makes it even more impressive.<\/p>\n The big battles up front will involve containing Calgary\u2019s stout defensive line that boasts West All-CFL selections Clarence Hicks and Jaylen Hutchings. Allowing Rourke the time to operate will set up the offence for the success they\u2019ve enjoyed most of this season.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 4. The Lions\u2019 Backbone Looks To Strike<\/p>\n A major catalyst to the Lions\u2019 first win over Calgary in September was a pair of interceptions off Adams Jr. in the opening quarter. This secondary, led by Mike Benevides and Ryan Phillips, boasts a great mix of youth and veteran savvy. With Garry Peters and T.J. Lee occupying the boundary side and Robert Carter and Ronald Kent on the field side, they\u2019ll once again look to exploit Adams Jr. and his penchant for stretching the field.<\/p>\n With the Stampeders riding their own mini three-game win streak, their offence has gotten back to being balanced with CFL rushing champion Dedrick Mills. Limiting the backfield production and forcing Adams to use his receivers will result in a fascinating chess match. Former Lion Dom Rhymes led the team with 886 receiving yards this season, while Adams didn\u2019t throw one interception during the Stampeders\u2019 three-game win streak.<\/p>\n 5. What They\u2019re Saying<\/p>\n \u201cYou want to see your character when you\u2019re tested and things aren\u2019t going your way. Even in the last couple of weeks, when we\u2019ve been winning games, we found ourselves in a position where we\u2019re not playing our best. We\u2019re in a hole; one side of the ball isn\u2019t playing up to our standard and then we\u2019ve rallied and got it together. I think that those are all things we can look back at earlier in the year, when we didn\u2019t come out on the winning side of those thigns, those moments built some character and built some toughness. So, it\u2019s been good.\u201d- Rourke on how the team has grown after some ups and downs in the regular season.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s a ball player, he\u2019s s dog. I expect him to come out here with a different mindset. I know losing the last two games and the way he left BC, he wants to come in here with a big chip on his shoulder and get a win, no matter what it takes. I know he\u2019s going to fight really hard and make sure he\u2019s locked in this week more than ever to try and get a win. We\u2019ve got to just match his intensity, you know? Us winning the last two games doesn\u2019t really mean nothing in my book if you come out here and lose this game.<\/p>\n
\u2063
\u2063\u2063\u2063\u2063\u2063\u2063\u2063\u2063#BCLions<\/a> | @PlayNowSports<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/kqxt1BQRiR<\/a><\/p>\n