The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
With hockey season fast approaching, the Flin Flon Bombers are still looking for a place to stay. While about 19 players have found homes, billet coordinator Karen Bettger says more billets are needed. Training camp will be starting soon, and Bettger says "that's when we need even more people." "There are about 25 or 30 players who come for the camp, so we need to find room for them as well," she says. Bettger has been a billet herself since the early 1990s and says "the situation could be better." But she adds, "the homes we do have lined up are good homes for the players. We just need to find more of them." While some billets take in as many as three or four players, some only have room for one or two, but Bettger says "we are look for anyone who can help us out." She refers to this year's billet hunt as a "struggle." "Becoming a billet it such a good experience, it's a lot of fun," she says. And she adds, "I just really hope people will help out." Bettger, along with coordinator Sherry McConnell and Bombers coach and GM Mike Reagan, pay all hopeful billets a visit to meet with them and try to match up the players to the most suitable families. The demand for billets will decrease come January when the team roster drops from 25 players to 21, but Bettger notes that "it's sometimes easier to find homes then than it is now." Bettger also adds, "having the billets is a positive experience for both the players and the billets." Despite this year's challenges, she is optimistic. "I am confident the people of Flin Flon and the fans will come through and help us out," says Bettger.
