The B.C. Lions have lost one star linebacker for the season but they’ll get another back in the lineup on Sunday.
Canadian standout Ben Hladik will make his return against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats after missing last week’s game with a thumb injury. The fourth-year man out of UBC has been the Lions’ best defensive player this season, racking up 27 tackles and an interception in three appearances.
In 2023, Hladik became just the fourth Canadian player to ever record 100 tackles in a season. Through 53 career games, the 25-year-old has amassed 189 defensive tackles, 13 more on special teams, seven sacks, four interceptions, and a forced fumble.
The move comes after the Lions lost his American counterpart, Josh Woods, to a season-ending knee injury last week. The 26-year-old had recorded 21 defensive tackles and one on special teams through four games.
Hladik will take Woods’ position in the middle, while fellow Canadian Bo Lokombo will start at weak-side linebacker for a second straight week.
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Rookie Canadian receiver Ezechiel Tieide (knee) will be the only other player to exit the lineup this week, heading to the one-game injured list. American defensive back Jordan Perryman will dress as a backup after losing his starting corner job after three weeks.
The team’s 2024 first-round pick, offensive lineman George Una, continues to be the only healthy scratch. All-star receiver Keon Hatcher, veteran defensive back T.J. Lee, and Canadian defensive linemen Nathan Cherry and Francis Bemiy Jr. all have two games remaining on their stint on the six-game injured list, but all practiced fully this week.
The B.C. Lions (3-1) will visit the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (0-4) on Sunday, July 7 at 7:00 p.m. EDT.
Graphic courtesy: B.C. Lions
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