This is a new feature in the Mercury that will run every second week throughout the 2019-20 Estevan Bruins season. Thanks to the caring billets who provide a home away from home throughout the season, and to MasTec for sponsoring this profile.
Billet name: Andrew Tait
Billet since: 2006
Current billet: Eddie Gallagher
Long before he was a billet parent, Andrew Tait knew what it took to be a good billet parent.
He witnessed it when he was playing junior hockey in B.C. with Grand Forks and Fernie. He lived with a retired couple, and Andrew said they were “unreal.”
“I had pretty good role models of how the boys were treated and how you had to treat your billets to get that respect, and it was awesome,” said Andrew.
When he moved to Estevan more than a decade ago, he thought billeting would be good way to give back to the hockey community. His son Boston wasn’t born yet, and the Bruins were short billets, so billeting seemed like a good idea.
“I just enjoy having the guys around,” said Andrew. “I have a younger son, and these guys are good role models for the community. I’m a single parent. My son looks up to some of these guys. It’s good just to give back, and it’s my way of giving back.”
Boston has great interactions with the players. Andrew has had numerous players stay at his house over the years, and hasn’t had a bad billet. And all of them have treated Boston like a sibling, so Boston calls them his “billet brothers.”
He recalled that when Boston was playing hockey in Winnipeg, one of Andrew’s former billets Eric Baldwin came out to watch, impressive considering that Baldwin last played for the Bruins in 2012.
“You get connected to some of these young guys, and they’re part of your family for a long time,” said Andrew.
Some great players have stayed at his home over the years, but they have also been great members of the community.
Second-year forward Eddie Gallagher is currently residing at the Tait household. Hunor Torzsok was at Andrew’s home, but he was traded to B.C. last week.
There’s a lot of work associated with being a billet parent, but he finds he’s more connected to the game and the club, and there’s also the thrill of when a billet scores the game winner or does something else to help the team win.
Andrew said he would recommend billeting to other people, because the billet becomes part of the family.
