VANCOUVER - The B.C. Lions have agreed to a contract extension with defensive lineman Aaron Hunt, the CFL club announced Thursday.

“Extending Aaron’s time a Lion was a priority for our club this off-season,” Wally Buono, the Lions general manager and head coach, said in a statement. “His ability as an interior defensive lineman is something we value tremendously and he’s an integral part of our pass rush and overall defensive success the past two seasons.”

The six-foot-three, 270-pound Hunt was the CFL’s outstanding rookie in 2007 and last season registered eight sacks to be named a West Division all-star for the second straight year. He also registered a team-high 11 pass knockdowns in 2007.

“B.C. is where I want to be now and in the future,” said Hunt. “Our core group on both sides of the ball is right up there with any team in the league, and I know we have all the tools to compete for a championship.”