Mike Beamish
Vancouver Sun

VANCOUVER -- The most difficult thing about winning a championship is keeping the team together.

Mostly, so far, so good for the B.C. Lions.

Following re-signings by defensive tackle Khalif Mitchell and receiver Arland Bruce, the Grey Cup champions announced Monday that veteran linebacker Anton McKenzie has agreed to a two-year (plus option) contract extension which will keep him in B.C. through the 2014 season.

McKenzie, 31, has spent the past three seasons with the Lions after leaving the Saskatchewan Roughriders as a free agent following the 2008 season.

He was eligible to become a free agent again on Feb. 16, but had no intention of moving on unless the Lions were not keen in having him back. No fear of that happening. He was made a priority signing and agreed to contract terms last Wednesday.

"No, I didn't want to go any-where else," McKenzie said in a telephone interview. "I was trying to sign as soon as possible after the season ended. It was not part of my decision whether Solly [MLB Solomon Elimim-ian] was going to be back or not. I wanted to come back, no matter what."

Elimimian, a CFL all-star in his second season with the Lions, signed with the NFL Minnesota Vikings earlier this month. The Lions also expected to lose Mitchell, another all-CFL player, to the NFL but he rejected a multi-year contract with the Miami Dolphins to stay in B.C.

Head coach Mike Benevides said he would consider moving McKenzie to Elimimian's vacated spot or keep him at the short-side linebacker position, where he has proven to be exceptional at pass coverage and uncommonly good at stopping the run.

"Absolutely," Benevides said. "I've had that discussion already with him. I think Anton never gets enough credit for the way he plays. He can play both positions [middle and outside linebacker].

Schematically, in our league, both of those positions have a lot of similarities. There are some differences. But the CFL is such a passing league they need to be interchangeable pieces."

With Elimimian out of the picture, the Lions will tap their import depth at linebacker - Adam Leonard, Adam Bighill, Amara Kamara - or possibly go with an all-Canadian pairing of James Yurichuk and Joash Gesse to replace him.

What is most reassuring for Benevides is that the Lions will make it through the off-season with only one loss to the coaching group - Barron Miles, now defensive backs coach with the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

Offensive coordinator Jacques Chapdelaine, D-coordinator Rich Stubler and special teams coach Chuck McMann already have re-upped for next season, despite offers from other organizations within and outside the CFL.

A slew of returning assistants - Melvin, Dan Dorazio (offensive line), Mark Washington (defensive backs), Travis Moore (receivers) and Kelly Bates (offensive assistant) - will provide added continuity, when their continued involvement is announced on Wednesday.

"Not one, not two, but every single man had an opportunity to be somewhere else," Benevides said. "It's flattering, because the situation of winning a champion-ship means there's an inordinate amount of pressure [to repeat]. But they want to be here. There's a tremendous amount of loyalty built into their decisions."