The B.C. Lions re-signed linebackers Ben Hladik and Isaiah Messam to contract extensions on Monday.
Ben Hladik is six foot four and weighs 235 pounds. The 26-year-old from Vernon, British Columbia, in 2025 made 47 tackles, eight tackles for loss, one sack, one interception, and one forced fumble in 18 games. In the Grey Cup playoffs, Hladik made four tackles.
The B.C. Lions drafted Hladik in the third round (22nd pick) of the 2021 CFL Draft. In his rookie season, Hladik made two tackles and six tackles on special teams in 14 games. A year later, he made 59 tackles, six tackles on special teams, two sacks, two interceptions, and one forced fumble in 18 games.
In 2023, he made 101 tackles, one tackle on special teams, five sacks, and one interception in 18 games. In 2024, Hladik made 66 tackles, three sacks, one interception, and one forced fumble in 14 games.
Collegiately, Hladik played three seasons at the University of British Columbia (2017-19) with 189 tackles (124 solos, 65 assists), 28 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, one interception for 50 yards, one touchdown, six pass breakups, two forced fumbles, and seven fumble recoveries in 28 games for the Thunderbirds. He was named First Team All-Canadian in 2018 and Second Team All-Canadian in 2019.
Isaiah Guzylak-Messam is six foot and weighs 220 pounds. The 30-year-old from Hamilton, Ontario, in 2025 made two tackles on special teams in eight games.
The B.C. Lions drafted Guzylak-Messam in the fourth round (34th pick) in the 2018 CFL Draft. In his rookie season, he made eight tackles on special teams in ten games. A year later, he made 37 tackles, 14 tackles on special teams, and one sack in 17 games. In 2021, he made two tackles on special teams in two games.
In 2022, he made 16 tackles on special teams in nine games. In 2023, he made one tackle and seven tackles on special teams in 11 games. In 2024, Guzylak-Messam made five tackles on special teams in 14 games.
Collegiately, Guzylak-Messam played four seasons at Wilfrid Laurier University (2014-17) with 82 tackles (65 solos, 17 assists), five tackles for loss, 11 pass breakups, and two interceptions in 24 games for the Golden Hawks. He was named Second Team OUA All-Star in 2017 and helped the Golden Hawks win the 2016 Yates Cup.
