The Lions have posted their 2023 training camp and Fan Fest schedules. As usual, all events will be held at Hillside Stadium in Kamloops.
Rookie camp opens on Wednesday, May 10 with an hour-long walkthrough. There are morning and afternoon practices on May 11 and a morning practice on May 12.
Regular camp opens on Sunday, May 14 with a walkthrough practice from 8:30 a.m. to 12 noon. The remainder of camp is a mix of single and double practices, sometimes in the morning and some in the afternoon. Camp ends with a morning practice on May 30.
Fan Fest will be held on Saturday, May 20, which is in the middle of the long weekend. This year it begins with a scrimmage from 2 p.m. to 3:45 p.m., followed by an autograph session and the Play with the Pros event for kids. The only other full practices that weekend are on Friday and Monday mornings.
There are no practices on the following weekend due to the team travelling to the first preseason game in Saskatchewan on Saturday, May 27.
As usual, I hope to be there every day.
Training camp schedule
Training camp 2023
Moderator: Team Captains
-
Hambone
- Hall of Famer
- Posts: 8217
- Joined: Mon Nov 01, 2004 10:25 pm
- Location: Living in PG when not at BC Place, Grey Cup or Mazatlan.
Global FB John Levi-Kruse is projected to be the long snapper. Keiran Burnham is listed as a kicker but is one of those all-discipline kickers. He is both a punter and place kicker who earned a few USports Awards as a punter including 2nd team All-Canadian in 2019.
https://www.bclions.com/players/john-levi-kruse/
https://www.bclions.com/players/keiran-burnham/165786/
You're as old as you've ever been and as young as you're ever going to be.
-
Hambone
- Hall of Famer
- Posts: 8217
- Joined: Mon Nov 01, 2004 10:25 pm
- Location: Living in PG when not at BC Place, Grey Cup or Mazatlan.
Doll was excellent IMO. He had a loyal following in his parents who I often saw both sporting their Doll #40 Lions jerseys at BC Place, Grey Cups and other CFL venues. I guess he must have won his dad over as he played 31 games over 3 years with the Stampeders.
That he wasn't re-signed seemed puzzling but perhaps that was less about a desire for BC to bring him back and more about him having interests outside of football that he wants to pursue.......unless he felt a pure longsnapper with no other responsibilities deserves considerable more than the $75K-$85K range. Initially I thought maybe they might hand the chore over to Mackie who if memory serves right was also taking reps at LS during camp last year. Regardless there are always guys out there with LS experience looking for work when injuries or ineffectiveness occur.For what it's worth Levi-Kruse wasn't signed until a month after Doll became a free agent. If he makes the club he also offers some depth at FB and H-Back. The only other FB depth BC has behind Mackie is rookie Dylan St.Pierre out of U of Ottawa. He recorded 4 carries for 20 yards and 45 catches for 444 yards in 33GP over 4 years for the Gee-Gees,
You're as old as you've ever been and as young as you're ever going to be.
There are 19 DBs on the roster as of today (another one just signed). Not sure if they're all coming to Kamloops, but that is how many are signed. 
To create roster space, the Lions released running back Tavien Feaster today (who was formerly with the Als).
DH
To create roster space, the Lions released running back Tavien Feaster today (who was formerly with the Als).
DH
Roar, You Lions, Roar
The Lions opened rookie camp last year with 21 DBs on the roster so this year's number isn't out of line. Here's a position-by-position comparison between 2023 and 2022 (brackets).
DB 19 (21)
DL 17 (22)
FB 3 (2)
K/P 5 (4)
LB 9 (10)
OL 14 (14)
QB 3 (5)
RB 5 (6)
WR 18 (18)
Unless something is missing from the online roster at bclions.com, the Lions will need to bring one or two more QBs to camp.
-
Hambone
- Hall of Famer
- Posts: 8217
- Joined: Mon Nov 01, 2004 10:25 pm
- Location: Living in PG when not at BC Place, Grey Cup or Mazatlan.
Didn't those 5 last year include the USports intern? I don't know if Isaac Harker participated in the rookie camp but he was released the day before main camp opened. That left them with Rourke, O'Connor, Thomson and the intern whose name escapes me for Day 1 of camp. They didn't bring another one (Pipkin) in until after Thomson was injured late in the first pre-season game. I doubt they will bring in two more at this point but wouldn't be surpised if they add one at least until after the first preseason game. With the 3 vets in Adams, Evans and Davis there really isn't a spot on the 46 to compete for and it's unlikely they will use a PR spot for a 4th QB.B.C.FAN wrote: ↑Sat Apr 29, 2023 12:09 pmThe Lions opened rookie camp last year with 21 DBs on the roster so this year's number isn't out of line. Here's a position-by-position comparison between 2023 and 2022 (brackets).
DB 19 (21)
DL 17 (22)
FB 3 (2)
K/P 5 (4)
LB 9 (10)
OL 14 (14)
QB 3 (5)
RB 5 (6)
WR 18 (18)
Unless something is missing from the online roster at bclions.com, the Lions will need to bring one or two more QBs to camp.
You're as old as you've ever been and as young as you're ever going to be.
Kevin Thomson, Michael O’Connor, Isaac Harker and UBC intern Garrett Rooker took reps in rookie camp last year. Harker was released before main camp opened, when Nathan Rourke joined the other 3 QBs. None of those players are with the team this year.
They didn’t have a PR qb last year, 3rd and 4th string was fully paid last year. They ran with 50ish players fully paid last year. With the usfl and xfl around you can’t really put your Americans on PR.Hambone wrote: ↑Sat Apr 29, 2023 2:45 pmDidn't those 5 last year include the USports intern? I don't know if Isaac Harker participated in the rookie camp but he was released the day before main camp opened. That left them with Rourke, O'Connor, Thomson and the intern whose name escapes me for Day 1 of camp. They didn't bring another one (Pipkin) in until after Thomson was injured late in the first pre-season game. I doubt they will bring in two more at this point but wouldn't be surpised if they add one at least until after the first preseason game. With the 3 vets in Adams, Evans and Davis there really isn't a spot on the 46 to compete for and it's unlikely they will use a PR spot for a 4th QB.B.C.FAN wrote: ↑Sat Apr 29, 2023 12:09 pmThe Lions opened rookie camp last year with 21 DBs on the roster so this year's number isn't out of line. Here's a position-by-position comparison between 2023 and 2022 (brackets).
DB 19 (21)
DL 17 (22)
FB 3 (2)
K/P 5 (4)
LB 9 (10)
OL 14 (14)
QB 3 (5)
RB 5 (6)
WR 18 (18)
Unless something is missing from the online roster at bclions.com, the Lions will need to bring one or two more QBs to camp.
They have some intern qb coming in this year again.
-
Hambone
- Hall of Famer
- Posts: 8217
- Joined: Mon Nov 01, 2004 10:25 pm
- Location: Living in PG when not at BC Place, Grey Cup or Mazatlan.
They didn't have a 4th string last year. The intern was only there for about the first 10 days of camp then it was back to UBC. He didn't even participate in drills for the 4 days I was at camp. The only times they had 4 healthy QBs on the roster was for the 3 games after Thomson returned from the 6G and the final regular season game when Rourke returned.
Games 1-6: Rourke, O'Connor & Pipkin on the 46, Thomson on the 6G.
Games 7-9: Rourke, O'Connor & Pipkin on the 46, Thomson on the 1G.
Games 10: O'Connor, Pipkin & Thomson on the 46. Rourke on the 6G.
Games 11-17: Adams, O'Connor & Pipkin on the 46. Rourke on the 6G.
Game 18: Rourke, Adams & Pipkin on the 46, O'Connor on the 1G.
As for the PR and Americans the PR is where CFL teams keep their next man up American starters. Typically 5-7 of the 10 PR spots are held by Americans. Ratio dictates that. Once you deduct the 7 NAT starters and QB from the 24 starters it leaves 16 of the 20 Americans as starters with the remaining 4 being DIs. In the case of BC and several other teams 2 of those DI spots are usually taken up by a kicker and kick returner. That leaves 2 spots for backups the 16 American starters. Typically what happens is when a Canadian starter gets hurt he gets replaced by another Canadian on the active roster with a Canadian coming off the PR to fill the backup hole. When an Americans gets hurt unless one of the DIs happens to play that position the replacement goes straight from PR to starting.
You're as old as you've ever been and as young as you're ever going to be.
1g (heathy scratch) or 6g is how they go with 50ish fully paid. 4th string QB, NT fox, backup rb, some other guys were carried that way all last year.
My guess is they will do the same this year. Of course, looks like the won’t carry a 4th stringer. Maybe just bring guys in during the year to look at.
My guess is they will do the same this year. Of course, looks like the won’t carry a 4th stringer. Maybe just bring guys in during the year to look at.
According to the transactions list at cfl.ca, two B.C. receivers have quietly retired: American Josh Pearson, who sang the national anthem at a home game while on the injured list last year, and national Jacob Scarfone, who dressed for 17 games and got a lot of playing time as the sixth receiver.
The Lions also released national linebacker Jacob Firlotte, who gave an inspiring speech to the team on the significance of Orange Shirt Day.
The Lions also released national linebacker Jacob Firlotte, who gave an inspiring speech to the team on the significance of Orange Shirt Day.
just signed a qb from San Diego/CSU. Judd Erickson.Qman wrote: ↑Tue May 02, 2023 10:08 pm1g (heathy scratch) or 6g is how they go with 50ish fully paid. 4th string QB, NT fox, backup rb, some other guys were carried that way all last year.
My guess is they will do the same this year. Of course, looks like the won’t carry a 4th stringer. Maybe just bring guys in during the year to look at.