The Sharks will have an information booth on billeting Wednesday evening from 5-7 p.m. at the Discovery CO-OP Mall. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Martin Martinson

Billet Info Available

AAA Sharks looking for billets for 2023-24 season

Aug 9, 2023 | 2:32 PM

The Battlefords AAA Sharks are circling the waters on the start of a new hockey season, now just a month away. However, before the puck can drop, the team is in search of billet homes for six more players ahead of the season.

Erik Marcoux, who along with his wife Jenn are the billet coordinators for the team this season, said long before taking on the role, they saw first-hand the value billeting can have, not only for the team and player involved, but the family opening their home as well.

“It’s a great experience. My wife and I have four daughters and we’ve billeted seven girls over six years and they’re all part of the family,” he said. “They’re sisters that my daughters wouldn’t have otherwise. We keep in touch, and they’ll always be a part of the family.”

He said while there are some important stipulations for those interested in billeting to abide by, such as ensuring a safe and comfortable place for the players to stay and providing a nightly supper, for the most part, it’s just treating them as one of the family.

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“You take in a player, they go to high school, they have practice three times a week, they play games on the weekend, and the main thing is to make sure they have supper on the table,” Marcoux said. “They’re a part of your family, so we’ve taken our billets to movies with us before, or they hang out in the backyard around the fire with us. They’re just a part of the family.”

The 17 Sharks’ players billeting this year is six more than the previous high from recent seasons, with a renewed emphasis on keeping the team together in the community, rather than players commuting from outside the Battlefords.

“In years past the girls from outside the city had the option of driving or billeting, but this year we just felt for a number of reasons, including a team culture perspective, that it would be best to have everybody in the Battlefords,” new Sharks’ head coach Nolan Horbach said.

He also added that with just a single player returning from last year’s team, the Sharks will feature a number of new faces this year from across the province.

“Just looking at our roster there are some girls from the area, Rabbit Lake, Rosetown, Dalmeny, Saskatoon and then you start to spread out into Big River, Yorkton, Melville, and White City, with lots from Regina too, so we really are coming from all over.”

The AAA Sharks will have a table set up at the Discovery CO-OP Mall in North Battleford Wed., Aug. 9 from 5-7 p.m., to provide billeting information/answer any questions. For more information on billeting with the team, those interested can also email AAAsharksbilleting@gmail.com or call/text (306) 441-2183.

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Martin.Martinson@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @MartyMartyPxP1