Rookie receiver Cenacle hopes to make a difference as Lions face Stamps in Kelowna

B.C. Lions' Nick Cenacle (85) tries to move the ball past Hamilton Tiger-Cats' Reggie Stubblefield (1) during first half CFL football action in Hamilton on Friday, June 19, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nick Iwanyshyn

VANCOUVER — With the Lions’ receiving corps banged up by injuries, rookie Nick Cenacle hopes to step up and help make a difference when the B.C. hosts the Calgary Stampeders on Saturday in Kelowna, B.C.

Cenacle proved his value with nine catches for 120 yards and two touchdowns in the Lions 41-27 loss to Hamilton last Friday.

B.C. receivers Jevon Cottoy, Seven McGee and Stanley Berryhill are all on the six-game injury list. Veteran Keon Hatcher Sr. remains a game-time decision for the battle of 0-2 teams with a thigh ailment.

“It’s unheard of to see that many people down this early in the season,” Cenacle, a Montreal native who the Lions selected in the fifth round of the 2026 CFL draft from the University of Hawaii, said after practice this week.

“It’s a next man up mentality. They (told) me to just do you out there. I just can’t wait to prove myself again every game.”

Quarterback Nathan Rourke likes what Cenacle has shown.

“He’s got great energy,” said Rourke, last year’s CFL outstanding player and top Canadian. “He’s a very positive guy, has been learning very quickly.

“He’s a guy that we feel can get to the right spots and be where you need him to be.”

Cenacle said his 44 games at Hawaii, where he caught 122 passes for 1,295 yards and nine touchdowns, helped prepared him for the CFL.

“Being in a high-powered, high-passing offence in college helped me a lot to be accustomed to this game,” said the 24-year-old. “It’s a bigger field, there’s bigger holes. I feel like I can exploit that.”

With BC Place Stadium being used for the FIFA World Cup the game will be played at the Apple Bowl in Kelowna, which has been expanded to over 18,000 seats.

The Lions will also host a July 4 game in Kelowna against Edmonton.

Rourke is looking forward to a different sort of home experience.

“Obviously we’re not in BC Place, so it’s going to be a little bit strange,” said the Victoria native, who has completed 42 of 72 passes for 621 yards, a touchdown and an interception in two games. “We’re excited about the opportunity and I’m expecting a lot of energy.”

Neither the Lions nor the Stampeders have started the season the way they envisioned.

Calgary dropped its opening game of the season 30-28 to Winnipeg then lost 40-37 in overtime to Saskatchewan last week.

After an opening week bye the Lions lost 21-27 to Saskatchewan in Week 2.

The Stampeders also have injuries to deal with. Wide receiver Reggie Begelton is on the six-game injured. Defensive back Adrian Greene and linebacker Eric Rascoe have been ruled our for the game.

Dave Dickenson, Calgary’s head coach and general manager, said his team needs to put a full game together and not make mistakes.

“We haven’t played a good 60 minutes of offence,” he said. “We’ve got to get going right away and we’ve got to continually lock in and focus.”

He also sounded like a hockey coach when talking about the 10 penalties for 100 yards Calgary took against the Riders.

“We’re going to try to stay out of the penalty box,” he said. “I thought we had some focus penalties, some false starts. We can’t have self-inflicted wounds.”

The Lions have struggled on both sides of the ball.

BC’s offence is second-last in the league averaging 27 points a game, while the defence is also second-last giving up 36 points a game.

The Lions are tied with Calgary for giving up five quarterback sacks while having managed just one sack all season.

Defensive co-ordinator Mike Benevides didn’t mince words about his unit’s performance.

“We’ve just got to play better football right now,” he said. “The last two games are inexcusable, not good enough. We’ve got to be better.

“At the end of the day, the performance relies on me. It’s my responsibility to make sure we perform and we haven’t. That’s me, not the players. I have to make sure I put them in a position to do the best they can.”

Defensive back Jackson Findlay said the Lions need to tighten up their play.

“We’ve had too many deep shots, too many receivers making plays on us,” said the second-year player from North Vancouver, B.C. “That just comes down to being confident in our scheme and our abilities as a unit.

“It’s a full defensive effort, we need to be better and I think we will.”

Buck Pierce, B.C.’s head coach and offensive coordinator, said it’s still early in the season.

“Nobody is happy with where we are right now,” he said. “We’ve got to get better. It’s got to start in all phases.

“We’re going to continue to fight and claw. We believe in what we’re doing and have make sure we’re doing it in the right way.”

This report by Jim Morris, The Canadian Press was, first published June 26, 2026.