CHIPPEWA FALLS — It’s only a preseason game, but the Chippewa Steel hope to see how this year’s squad is looking on ice as they attempt to silence the Mallards.
In what is being billed by the team as “Duck Hunting Season,” the Steel will face off against the Minnesota Mallards Friday at the Chippewa Area Ice Arena. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m.
“We want our fans to show up dressed in their best camouflage/hunting gear as we take on the Minnesota Mallards,” said Steel media spokesperson and director of partnerships and marketing for the team Brayden Burt. She added that $5 tickets can be purchased online or at the door for the preseason game.
Burt added that “Also, when purchasing tickets for the other games throughout the season, tickets are available at a discounted rate when bought online for the season and season tickets are also on sale. We are really looking forward to the start of the season and to see how the season goes. This (past) week in training camp has been great and we are really excited…”
Burt also mentioned that billet families are definitely always needed for players.
Hosting, or “billeting,” a player is a hockey tradition. From youth players in Canada to junior players in the United States to the AHL and the NHL, billeting has helped many young athletes get acclimated to their new cities, schools and teams. A billet family is a host family where a player lives during the season. It’s the player’s home away from home.
Host families receive a monthly stipend to offset some of the typical expenses incurred while hosting. Most billet families will likely say, though, that the real benefit to being a host family is the satisfaction in impacting someone’s life in such a positive way and, of course, the lasting relationships formed with these young players and their families.
“Billet families are always needed. Being a billet family leads to long lasting relationships between the family and the player as well as helping to create a welcoming environment for the players to call home for the season,” Burt said, adding that “While some players have been able to stay with their billet family for more than one season, some stay for weeks or even days but they still are a part of the team and family. No matter how long the players are with the Chippewa Steel, our billet families are able to welcome them into their homes and provide them with the support that is needed to become a part of the Chippewa Steel family.
“So many of our families have had a great experience and the players are able to bring a positive energy into their homes. These players become a part of their families and are able to become a vital part of the Chippewa Steel family. If anyone is interested in learning more about becoming a billet family or has questions about how being a billet family works, please reach out to Kristen Haats, who is our billet coordinator, at haatsbillet@gmail.com,” Burt concluded.
Following a week of training camp, the Steel are priming up for what is always a long North American Hockey League (NAHL) season that begins for real Sept. 13 when the local team travels to Eagle River to take on the Wisconsin Windigo. The Steel’s home regular season opener is set for Sept. 20 when they host the Kenai River Brown Bears. They take on the Minnesota Wilderness at the Chippewa Area Ice Arena the following night with puck drop on that Saturday evening set for 6 p.m.
The Leader-Telegram reached out to second-year Steel head coach Chris Ratzloff to comment on both the training camp and the upcoming season, but did not hear back from him as of press time.
Tickets for Friday’s game are $5 and can be purchased online ahead of time at ticketscandy.com/e/pre-season-vs-mn-mallards-6182
In other Steel news, the team announced over the long holiday weekend that forward Grant Denuccio has announced commitment to play for the Air Force Academy next season.
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