REGINA —

No longer does James Yurichuk have any emotional connection to the B.C. Lions, the ties cut from the time he returned to the West Coast as a member of the Argos.

He won a Grey Cup in B.C., built relationships and can always look back with affection at his run as a Leo, but it’s business and Yurichuk’s business is to help anchor an Argos cover unit that will have its hands full trying to contain Chris Rainey, an elite returner and a big-time playmaker capable of going the distance each time the football is in his hands.

Rainey returned two for TDs last year when he joined B.C. midway through the season and broke free a couple of weeks ago in the Lions’ season opener against visiting Calgary.

For Yurichuk, Thursday’s game also marks the first time he’ll see Wally Buono along the sideline as head coach of the Lions.

Buono’s final game prior to his return this season came in the 2011 Grey Cup, the hometown Lions beating Winnipeg to cap Yurichuk’s third year in B.C.

In Toronto’s previous two visits to BC Place Stadium, Buono was up in the press box area overseeing his management role.

“It was a good experience to be under his coaching expertise for three years,’’ said Yurichuk, who has never missed a game in this his eighth season. “He’s an old-school coach who taught me some good things when I was there.”

There are those who felt Buono was almost too old-school when it came to his approach with players.

He turned 66 this past February and hasn’t lost it in leading the Lions to a comeback win over the Stamps followed by a beatdown of the host Ticats last Friday night.

Buono wants to be physical, especially along the line of scrimmage, and he wants his special teams to be explosive.

That’s where Rainey enters the equation.

“You can’t allow him to get into his full stride,’’ said Yurichuk. “Once he gets into the second level, he’ll make players miss and once he’s past you it’s hard to catch him.

“We’ve got to put a full press on him and make sure we swarm him like bees.”

In Yurichuk’s opinion, there’s no denying Rainey’s status as an elite returner.

“He’s got a chance to pop it each time he touches the ball and we all know that,’’ added Yurichuk. “Our goal is to cover him relentlessly.”

When he first joined the Argos, Yurichuk looked forward to hooking up with his old friends in B.C. He still relishes each time he meets Jason Arakgi, a fellow Canadian who is always among the league leaders in special teams tackles.

Thursday will be no exception.

“He’s one of those elite special teams players in our league,’’ said Yurichuk of Arakgi. “We know we have a challenge with him and Rainey and Rolly Lumbala.”

The Argos’ special teams had a punt blocked in Week 1, one partially blocked in Week 2 and has yielded in excess of 200 return yards in each game.

The cover units were better last Thursday in Toronto’s win over the Riders with Larry Taylor returning two punts that would set up the game’s first major and a second that led to an Argos field goal.

“Our special teams coach (Kelly Jeffrey) gave us a good kick in the ass and we got our stuff together,’’ said Yurichuk. “Now we’ve got a huge challenge because so far B.C. is the best in the league.”

BISHOP A QUICK STUDY

The strength to Ken Bishop’s game is his strength, a strong interior lineman whose low centre of gravity is suited to take on blocks and fill gaps when executing his assignment.

Normally, it takes an American a few games, sometimes even a few months, to make the transition from four-down football to the three-down variety, acclimating to the pace of play and embracing the new rules.

Bishop has caught on quickly.

“I think the game is pretty much the same as down south,’’ said Bishop. “It’s a little bit quicker in terms of turnaround from offence to defence and special teams, but I feel I bring a lot of good stuff to the game, strength, my speed and the combination of both.”

Conditioning is another issue newcomers to the CFL grapple with when exposed to the game for the first time.

“You have to be in better shape seeing that the field is longer and it’s wider, meaning you have more room to run sideline to sideline. And then there’s the quicker turnaround when you get off the field and have to go on, but I’ve been able to do a lot after practice to get myself in shape. I think I’ll be good.”

As a defence, the Argos were much better in Week 2 versus the Riders than they were against the Ticats in the opening week.

Bishop says it’s just a matter of more practice time and more time being together to promote a better awareness of understanding roles and assignments.

fzicarelli@postmedia.com