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Powell River Kings seek host families for players

COVID-19 has implications on accommodations for junior hockey team
Desiray Fenrick
Powell River residents Susan Auchterlonie [left] and Ross Zohner
HOME BASE: Powell River residents Susan Auchterlonie [left] and Ross Zohner [right] have opened up their home to Powell River Kings’ defender Ian Kern, who recently returned to town for the team’s extended training camp. Desiray Fenrick photo

Powell River Kings’ players have arrived and are gearing up for the upcoming BC Hockey League (BCHL) season, however, the club is still looking for billet families for a few players.

“Every year can be a struggle in a small town, but this year due to COVID we had a lot of families back out,” said Nadine Porchetta, director of business operations. “They were either close to grandparents or had children in the home who were going back to school, already expanding their bubble. It can be a difficult thing to open up your house.”

Billet families usually receive season’s passes, but this year with limited capacity the team will only play in front of 50 spectators. The hockey club is still working out the details of some options that can be offered instead.

At the moment a few people have stepped up to temporarily house players, but the Kings are still looking for eight permanent billet families.

“Our club can’t be functioning the way it should be without our billets,” said Porchetta.

Ross Zohner and Susan Auchterlonie made the decision to billet a player for the first time this year as a way of giving back. Auchterlonie’s daughter went away to school and lived with another family, so they wanted to do the same thing for someone else. They also know lots of people who have had billets or are associated with the Kings’ program.

“We have the space and it’s nice to have someone else around the house; I have also never learned to cook for only two people and Ross didn’t like eating leftovers all the time,” joked Auchterlonie. “The billet experience has been great so far. Ian [Kern] has been wonderful; he is very respectful, appreciative and is clearly dedicated to achieving his goals. I’m sure he is representative of all of the players. It is a nice opportunity to contribute in a small way to his future success.”

Kern, who is from Vancouver and entering his second year with the Kings, said things are going well into the second week of practices. He worked at a long-term care home all summer and said COVID-19 is nothing new to him and that he’s used to dealing with it.

Similar to many organizations, the BCHL has put strict measures in place for protection of players and staff. A detailed document outlines all on- and off-ice protocols.

Some of the changes include: all players arriving from across the border must have proper documentation of a negative test result and a proper quarantine plan; schedules are being altered to keep teams from unnecessary travel out of their regions; all players and staff will complete a daily health checklist to monitor symptoms; and face shields are to be worn at all times on ice.

Auchterlonie said they’ve kept their bubble small since March and tightened it up again in September.

“With respect to COVID concerns, it wasn’t really a big issue for us,” she added. “The Kings are doing everything they can to minimize risk, which is all we can ask.”

Anyone interested in becoming a billet family can contact Porchetta at 604.223.0311 or [email protected].