Jr Hockey is Better with Billet Better

Where do junior hockey players spend the most hours? Not the ice. Not the bus. It’s with a billet family. And a good billet home can make or break a junior hockey experience.

Set billet home expectations, cover your bases with legal docs, and prevent potential problems. Billet Better is a resource and reason for a great hockey season.

I Want to Billet Better as a…

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House Icon Representing Hockey Billet Host and Billet Home
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What People Say About Hockey Billeting

  • He showed up, 17 years old, six-foot five, looking hopeful and scared. My first billet was amazing and adorable.

    Heather R, 6x Billet Mom

  • It's tough for kids to live away from home. Billet Better helped us know what to expect.

    Andrea H, Player’s Mom

  • It's such a joy to watch the kids have their dreams come true.

    Jessica and Dean, Billet Parents

  • Players who feel at home can focus on their game.

    Steve S, Coach

  • Your recruiting tools made my job so. much. easier.

    Wanda S, Team Billet Coordinator

Read Articles About Billeting

Dear Billet Families: Why You Matter So Much

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Ideas for Saying Thank You to a Billet Host

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Billet Coordinators: Start Recruiting Hosts Now

FAQs

  • Billeting is a fancy way of saying “an out-of-town player who lives with a local family for the hockey season.” Why billeting?

    Opportunity. These young players are building skills and often don’t have a team or league near home at the level they need to develop.

    Cost. Hockey is expensive. Really, really expensive. Lessening the cost of living expenses away from home helps a player pursue their hockey goals.

    Community. A great way to support your local hockey organization and become part of a new circle of great people.

    Friendship. By far and away the first and best reason people give for billeting. Players and hosts often become part of each other’s extended families and stay in touch for years to come.

  • People who love hockey, people who’ve never seen a hockey game, families with young kids, empty nesters, single people, young married couples…you get the picture. We’ll call this list of people “billet families” just to make this conversation quicker. Anybody can offer to billet a player, but smart teams (and parents) do background checks and survey the accommodations. Another reason to get ready-to-go documentation from Billet Better.

  • As a general rule, yes (although you won’t get rich doing it). The player is responsible to pay a monthly stipend determined by the team (usually $300-500) to cover room and board. What does “room and board” include? A-ha! Billet Better package will help answer and ensure both parties agree on these expectations.

  • If a team has asked you to billet, talk to families who have done it in the past. If you're responding to an ad or volunteering to the team, you've already locked up a spot in hockey heaven. The more you know about billeting and the better you're prepared, the better your experience will be.

  • Billet Better is a resource where players and parents, billet hosts, and hockey teams can find information and helpful tools. Our free articles tackle questions and topics we hear about the most. Our for-purchase products include easy-to-use forms, info, and tools as digital downloads. Visit our product pages for Players/Parents, Billet Hosts, and Teams to find all the details.