BOW VALLEY – It’s crunch time for local hockey clubs looking to find billet homes for players.
The Canmore Eagles junior A club is in need of four billets – or homes away from home – and Banff Hockey Academy (BHA) Bears is searching for three billets for the upcoming 2019-20 season and school year.
It's an “immediate need,” said Andrew Milne, Eagles head coach and general manager.
“It’s going to come to head soon when I have to communicate to parents that their players and where they’re staying – and that’s always a challenge of mine – you know, you made the hockey club, but you’re staying on the floor in a furnace room,” he said.
Milne said community members have been stepping up in the interim, but the team is desperately searching for billets.
“We’re in that cry out for the year, where we think we have a good hockey club and great kids, great players, and we’re active members of this community … we just need a couple community members to help us,” he said.
Each Eagles billet family receives $350 per month, plus a 15 per cent discount at Save-On-Foods grocery store and season tickets to watch the Eagles at home. Billets are responsible for providing healthy food for breakfast and lunch each day.
Those interested in becoming billet families can contact the Eagles at [email protected].
The Eagles first game of the season is Sept. 18 in Calgary against the Canucks.
BHA is searching for three billets, preferably in Banff, for the program with high school aged student-athletes who compete in the Canadian Sport School Hockey League and attend Banff Community High School.
BHA billets receive $400 per month and are responsible for providing healthy food for breakfast each day.
Those interested in becoming billet families can contact BHA at [email protected] or by phone at BHA’s office: 403-760-0833.
The BHA female prep team’s first game is Sept. 27 at 1 p.m. at Banff Fenlands arena against the St. Mary’s Flames. The male prep team’s first game is Sept. 27 at 6:15 p.m. at Edge School, just outside of Calgary.
