It’s time once again for Saint John area families to consider hosting a player from the Saint John Sea Dogs for the upcoming season.
Shelley Rinehart and her partner Richard have been a billet family since the inception of the franchise.
Rinehart says they’ve had 17 or 18 players stay in their home over the life of the team, possibly a few more during training camp.
We asked her what the benefits are of being a billet family.
“Those boys are teenagers and they’re typical teenagers … but they don’t have a typical teenage life,” says Rinehart. “They have practice and they have games and they really benefit from a family atmosphere.”
Rinehart says it’s a really great experience, especially if you have little kids who are into hockey.
“The boys have their preferences and the billeting tries to match very well,” she says, “so if somebody doesn’t like dogs, they don’t put them in a house that has dogs.”
Rinehart says they’re in touch with all of the players who stayed with them — some of whom are parents now — and she calls it a great hockey family.
