The Mustangs are looking for homes in Meadow Lake to open their doors and take in a hockey player for their upcoming season. (file photo/Meadow Lake Mustangs)

By Nikita Ganovicheff

Home Experience

Mustangs seeking billets ahead of hockey season

Aug 20, 2019 | 3:00 PM

Hockey season is on the horizon and as the Meadow Lake Mustangs Junior A Hockey Club are signing players and preparing for their return, the organization is also looking for billet families for the 2019-2020 season.

Billet coordinator Sharon Vallee said she hopes to have 10 families wanting to share their homes for the upcoming season.

“The billet program is really about the community reaching out and helping these young guys,” Vallee said. “Some of the guys are as young as 15 and are away from home for the first time and they struggle. But if you get them with the right family then they feel like they’re right at home.”

Vallee stays in contact with billet families throughout the season to ensure both the players and families are happy.

“We’re hoping they come out of the experience as one of the family,” Vallee said.

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She said she’s received positive comments from families who took on hockey billets last year and will be billeting again.

“To me it showed that we did a good job and we’re working together to make it better. I think that most of them that came away from it said that they enjoyed having the kids in their home. They enjoyed going out to the games and it will end up being positive again this year,” Vallee said.

General Manager Glen Winkler said they expect billets to begin Sept. 1 for student players and Sept. 15 for adult players. Winkler said they’ve had players from Northwest Territories, Manitoba and Alaska in their first season.

“It’s a community team and the team will have quite a few players coming from out of town. We need billets to run the team,” Winkler said.

Winkler said the organization will try its best to help players who aren’t in school to find a job and be a part of the community.

Families offering their homes as a billet are compensated $400 a month as well as one regular season ticket.

Those interested or looking for more information on billeting can contact Sharon Vallee at 306-240-7157, sharon@nulineauto.com or through the Meadow Lake Mustangs Junior A Hockey Club Facebook page.

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nikita.ganovicheff@jpbg.ca

Twitter: @Nikitaganov