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EDITORIAL: Salmon Arm Silverbacks’ quick action commendable

Hockey organization shows true colours following billet incident
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The Salmon Arm Silverbacks were required to show a bit of tough love to players who threw a party in a billet house while the owner was out of town last week. (Jodi Brak/Salmon Arm Observer)

From the daily minor occurrences to the 2016 incident of a Saskatchewan team removing a family from the billet due to having a transgender daughter, there is no drought in the flood of hockey billet horror stories.

Luckily, thanks to the quick action of the Silverbacks, the recent proceeding in Salmon Arm is far removed from the magnitude of those stories.

After recent reports arose that a handful of Silverbacks billeters threw a bash in the home of Gina Leyenhorst, the organization promptly demanded that those at fault leave Salmon Arm immediately.

Related: Salmon Arm Silverbacks make swift response to billet complaint

Leyenhorst, who was out of town at the time of the incident, returned home following reports from a neighbour that there was a crowd of people on her property allegedly consuming alcohol and jumping from a balcony into her pool.

“The biggest part for us is the standard has been set. We’re not looking to push aside the issue when guys do mess up in a situation,” Brooks Christensen, Silverbacks operations manager, told the Observer after the incident had been dealt with. “There are going to be consequences and that standard has to be set for every player on the team.”

While the exact ramifications have yet to be publicized, the organization demonstrated its commitment to upholding their standards by supporting Leyenhorst, who had willingly taken in the unofficial billets.

Billeting is a privilege that demands respect from all parties involved. And, when any one of those parties, regardless of their standing, errs, action must be taken.

That regimented response allowed the backs’ silver to shine.


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