Blizzard Billet Insider: The Jensen Family

The 2013-2014 season for the Brookings Blizzard men’s hockey team has come to an end, and this means more than just packing away those skates and sticks. These young hockey players, hailing from all over the nation and the world, will also be saying goodbye to their Brookings area host families.

From August to April, folks known as “Billet Families” offer their homes and daily lives to players for varying lengths of time.

The reasons Billet families choose host players are as unique as they are, and so we’ve been asking some of them to share a little about the experience. Here’s the Jensen family!

Q: How many seasons have you been a Blizzard host family? Please list the players you've hosted.

A: We have hosted both seasons that they have been in Brookings.

Sean Mostrom (2012-2013 season)
Erick Majerle (2012-2013 season)
Cody Marooney (2012-2013 season)
Conor Andrle (2012-2013 season)
Eric Brenk (2012-2013 & 2013-2014 season)
Jono Lindquist (2013-2014 season)
Christian Fosse (2013-2014 season)
Beau Michaud (2013-2014 season) and planning on 2014-2015 season

Q: How did you become interested in being a Blizzard host family? 

A: Our oldest was starting hockey last year at age 6. Neither of us had played hockey, and we heard the Blizzard were short billet families. We have plenty of room, so we offered to help out. It all happened in about 4 days.

Q: What's your favorite part of hosting Blizzard hockey players?

A: Watching our kids interact with our players and all the other players that we get to know. Adding to our family with the players and their families.

Q: What's your favorite memory(ies) from the 2013-14 Blizzard Hockey season?

A: Welcoming Eric Brenk back for a second season as our “oldest”. Traveling to Cloquet to watch the Blizzard take on the Wilderness. We got see all our Blizzard boys play, see Brenk play for his new team and meet the Michaud family. The morning of the Super Bowl, we went from having a few of the players out for the game, to the whole team out for the game.

Q: Who are the members of your family and what do they love about hockey? Do you or your kids play hockey? If so, how long have you/they been playing and at what levels? 

A: Tim & Lynal, Egan (7) and Max (5). This is Egan’s second year in hockey. He loves everything about it. He is playing AAA with Legends Hockey this summer. He’ll be a Mite in the fall. Max started this year as a Termite. He likes to skate and he loves playing street hockey and knee hockey with the Blizzard players. According to Max, he needs to get a little bit bigger to play hockey on the ice.

Q: Any closing remarks?

A: I love watching hockey because of the constant action. Plus, the families that we have met so far in Ranger and Blizzard hockey have been some incredible people!