They go for the excitement. They go for the entertainment. Most important though, they go for the family.
Debbie Stroomer’s family sits in the stands of Hap Parker Arena a few rows up from the penalty box and the blue line. It’s where they have sat for years, cheering for Powell River Kings. It’s where they hope to sit for many more years to come.
The family of fans includes Debbie’s parents Elly and John Hewitt, her husband Jerry, daughter Ashleigh, son-in-law Sean, son Andy, daughter-in-law Jodi and two grandchildren, Jaxon and Annika. “We enjoy this location behind the boys on the blue line,” said Jerry. “It might be a little dangerous because of flying pucks, but it’s the best place to be.”
The number of seats that Debbie’s family needs at the arena has changed over the years, but Debbie and Jerry have been sitting in these same seats more or less for the past 20 years. It has become a family tradition—a tradition that they will continue on Saturday, September 22 when the Kings play Cowichan Valley Capitals in their first home game of the season.
“People who sit around us have watched our kids grow up,” said Jerry. Watching games at the arena has turned into an opportunity to watch hockey with friends and be a part of the Kings’ community.
“I really like the atmosphere,” said Jodi. “Everyone’s really excited to be there.”
Jerry, who grew up loving hockey, played two years of bantam hockey at the arena in his younger days and started bringing his family to watch the Kings when his children Ashleigh and Andy were small.
Once the Stroomers had met people at the games who were big supporters, they started volunteering for the team’s booster club to help raise money. Then after the booster club was dissolved they both served on the society’s board of directors.
“I’ve been on and off the team’s board of directors for years,” said Debbie. “And on the billeting committee too.” She hasn’t missed more than a dozen home games in the years she’s been going. Jerry has missed a few more because of the shifts he has to work at the mill.
“I only started going to the games because he [Jerry] was leaving me at home,” said Debbie. “He was going with his brothers to watch. From there the kids started playing. I started playing hockey. Jerry refereed games and went back to playing for a few years.”
When Debbie saw her first National Hockey League game in Vancouver after watching the Kings play, she was shocked by how different the game was, Jerry said.
“It was Pittsburg-Vancouver. Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr were playing and Debbie was shocked by how slow it was,” said Jerry. “Guys were just barely cascading over the boards. When the Kings do a line change they’re leaping over the boards. Both blades are hitting the ice at the same time and they’re gone.”
The team’s organizers approached them about billeting Kings players at their home during the season. Debbie and Jerry started taking billets during the 1994/95 season.
“It was kind of neat having hockey billets in the house all the time because it was like having siblings,” said Andy. ”Some guys were pretty awesome to have around.”
During 15 years of billeting, Debbie and Jerry had 18 different players stay at their home. “Some for a few weeks, some for up to three years, but most for one season,” said Debbie. “From August until the playoffs are over. This is the only way this hockey team can exist in this town. There would be no other way to house them all.”
Jerry explained that having billets stay with them formed lasting relationships. Some players keep in touch years after hanging up their skates.
”It’s like watching your kids play hockey,” said Jerry. ”You have a stake in it. You’re trying to cheer them on. You have that personal connection to them.”
