The West Bend Power hockey team is the focus of an engaging discussion featuring Kris Marion, the team's Business Operations Manager, and three of its players: Jake Sherry, Oliver Schroeder, and Monte Gould. Kris shares insights into the team's transition from being the Milwaukee Power to the West Bend Power, highlighting the positive impact of local ownership and community support. This episode dives into the structure of junior hockey leagues, explaining how these young athletes, aged 17 to 20, are preparing for potential collegiate careers and beyond. The conversation also covers the rigorous demands of junior hockey, from daily practices and games to balancing personal lives and community involvement. Each player shares personal motivations and aspirations, providing a window into the dedication required to pursue hockey at this level. Kris discusses the importance of community engagement and the role of billet families in supporting out-of-town players, emphasizing the strong bonds formed between players and their host families.

Takeaways:

• The West Bend Power hockey team is a junior league team based in Wisconsin that provides young players an opportunity to advance to collegiate hockey.
• The team, formerly known as the Milwaukee Power, moved to West Bend and is now owned by local proprietors, emphasizing community involvement.
• Junior hockey serves as a crucial stepping stone for players aged 17 to 20 who aspire to play at the collegiate level and potentially beyond.
• The team fosters a strong sense of community and engagement, with players actively participating in local events and volunteer activities.
• Billet families play a vital role in supporting the players by providing them with a home away from home during the hockey season.
• The West Bend Power's games are a significant local event, bringing a minor league atmosphere to the community with a dedicated fan base.

Links referenced in this episode:

• westbendhockey.com

Happy Tuesday.

People don't celebrate Tuesday enough, you know?

It's the most neglected day of the week, in my opinion.

It's like the Gen X of days.

And you might even be listening to this on a Wednesday or a Thursday because, you know, it's a podcast.

You might be neglecting Tuesday yourself.

Anywho, thank you for listening to 15 minutes with fuzz.

My name is Fuzz Martin and this is a podcast about the positive things like Tuesdays that are happening in and around Washington County, Wisconsin.

This week, Chris Marion joins and returns to the podcast from the West Bend power hockey team.

Last time she was on, it was called the Milwaukee power hockey team.

And this time it's called the West Bend power hockey team to talk about their upcoming season, their successful first season as the West Bend power.

And we're also joined by three players, Jake, Sherry, Oliver Schroeder and Monte Gould.

And with that, here are 15 minutes on the West Bend power with Chris Marion and Jake Oliver, and Monty right here on 15 minutes with fuzz.

All right, Chris, welcome back.

It's been a little while.

Can you, for those who are just tuning in and maybe haven't listened to every episode of the show, give us a refresher on what the West Bend power is?

Zachary?

Yes, so the West Bend power, we are a junior hockey team.

So junior hockey, meaning young men who are in that 17 to 20 year old age gap, and they are looking to get recruited to pick collegiately.

Okay, so tell me about the levels.

So it goes, you play like, hockey's got kind of got a different track than a lot of different sports.

It's not like your traditional sports, where players go right from high school to college.

Yeah.

So hockey players will either play high school or triple a, and then they will move on to the junior ranks.

And there are junior teams all over the country at different levels, different cities.

So junior hockey is really a big deal.

And that is the step before college for these players.

And then if they go to college, then go to college, play hockey in college, and then after that, if they go on beyond that, is that then like NHL or IHL?

More.

More like probably the minor leagues.

Okay.

Yeah.

But it depends on the level of collegiate hockey.

Our.

Our players at the NA three level, we are looking to advance them up to the NAHL level, the level two.

Okay.

Or eventually get them a college opportunity at the division three level.

Okay.

So you are the Na three hl.

Can you tell us about that league, how there it's.

Is it a nationwide league?

It is.

It's it's all over the country.

There's different divisions.

We play in the central division.

Okay.

So the teams in our division are West Bend, obviously.

Toma, St.

Louis, Missouri, Peoria, Illinois, Wausau, Wisconsin, and then Rochester, Minnesota.

Okay.

And then this year we will play Mason City, Iowa, and Alexandria, Minnesota.

So kind of located centrally.

But there's also divisions out west, down south, out east.

So there's leagues all over.

We play in the central division here.

And then when you get to the playoffs, then you start to play across the division.

Correct.

That is our ultimate goal, is to get to the Fraser cup at the end of the season.

We also do have a league showcase in Minneapolis in December where all of the teams across the country come and play each other.

So that's a really fun event as well.

Sure.

And last year, you guys made it to the Fraser cup.

We did.

We did.

We made it to the Fraser cup this year, our goal is to get a little farther than we did last year at that tournament, but that is the first time in franchise history.

So just backing up a little bit more.

Last year was actually technically our first year as the West Bend power.

Right.

Some of people may be familiar with us.

When we came to West Bend three seasons ago, we were the Milwaukee power.

The previous ownership group.

We started down in Milwaukee.

Milwaukee, when the franchise began, transitioned over to West Bend.

And last year, actually, we were purchased, the team was up for sale, and we were purchased by local west bend owners now.

And so we.

We flipped our brand, our colors, and officially, our West Bend power now.

So this will be our second season as the West Bend power.

And you play at the kettlemarine ice.

Kettlemarine ice center, which is on Main street, correct.

Very easy to get to.

Yeah.

And it holds a few hundred people, right?

Oh, a few thousand, actually, no.

Okay.

In the rink.

And I will tell you, at our playoff games last year, we were definitely bursting at the season.

Oh, excellent.

Yeah.

So we have a really good, loyal fan base.

The games are a lot of fun.

We kind of bring that minor league feel right here in West Bend, so you don't have to travel to Milwaukee to get to an admiral game.

You can come and enjoy that fun night out with your family here in West Bend.

Excellent.

And your job is the business operations manager.

So what do you do in that role?

What's your.

What's your position here?

Basically anything that the coaches don't do.

We have a hockey operations staff, so their job is to coach these guys, recruit them, get them here and win games and ultimately get them to the Fraser cup.

That's their on ice job.

So anything off ice I manage, which is basically, you know, our game day staff.

Game day is a really big part of what we do.

Tickets, sponsorships, we obviously like any other sports team, we need that, you know, that backing.

So sponsorships, tickets, I manage all of our community engagement and community involvement.

Our team is very, very involved in the community.

Our players give back and that's part of kind of our culture and who we are is giving back to our community.

So I oversee a lot of that.

So all the stuff that doesn't involve coaching these guys.

Yeah, yeah, absolutely.

And the season's underway right now.

So as we're recording this, not as this comes out, but you've got a game coming up this weekend.

We do.

This weekend is our home opener.

Yep.

Couple games under our belt.

So we started out on the road.

We kick off at home this weekend 27th, 28th and then we have a very front loaded home schedule.

Okay.

So September, October, November, we're home, I think just about every weekend.

So all of our games can be found on our website, westbendhockey.com.

and like I said, 22 home games and 22 away, plus our league showcase.

And then ultimately we hope the Fraser cup.

Sure.

And you guys, like you said, you guys have been a big part of the community.

How's the West Bend community been back to the western power?

Fantastic.

And it shows.

I mean, if you look at other tier three teams, you know, they aren't packing the stands like we are.

And that says a lot about our community.

They've really bought in and we actually come up, we've come up with the tagline our team, our town, because that is so true.

I mean, this is your town.

I mean our.

Your team here in the, in West Bend.

And.

And giving back is very important to us because of the support we receive.

Excellent.

So speaking of the team, we've got three players with us today.

Jake, Oliver and Monty.

Good morning, gentlemen.

Welcome to 15 minutes with us.

Could you guys please introduce yourselves?

Hi, my name is Jake Sherry.

Thank you for letting me.

Come on.

I want to thank you and thank my lord and savior Jesus Christ because you guys have invited me on and that's awesome.

Yeah.

Thanks for coming on.

I'm Oliver Schroeder.

Happy to be here.

Yeah, nice to meet you.

I'm monte Gould.

Philip brothers with Oliver.

Excellent.

So can you guys tell us your positions and where you're from?

I'm monty again.

I play defense, and I'm from Harrod, Wisconsin.

Oliver played defense.

And from Hudson, Wisconsin.

Jake.

I am a forward and I am from Mesa, Arizona.

So you guys are obviously, we were talking about how that kind of, you come up through the ranks in this and, you know, kind of play in club leagues and high school and now junior and hoping to get into college hockey.

Where did each of you guys play before you came to the west bend power and then kind of also piggybacking on that.

What's.

What's your next step?

Goal.

Like, where do you guys want to get to?

I previously played for the El Paso Rhinos.

They're another Na three team.

Okay.

And prior to that, I played for the Texas Roadrunners.

Okay.

And the goal is obviously college.

The highest level we can get at the most amount of, like.

Yeah, just the highest level we can go to.

I previously played for Hudson, a couple different aaa teams also, but yeah, just growing up, played for my hometown and then ended up getting recruited to come here.

And it's my second year here.

Great.

I just grew up playing high school hockey in Hayward, and then when that wasn't going on, just triple A in the fall and the spring and different travel teams.

This is my second year.

Two of you guys played on the Fraser cup playoff team, right, last year.

What was that experience like for you guys?

I mean, obviously, any level of any sport, obviously when you make it to the playoffs, it's a lot of fun and high energy.

But what was that like, making it to Fraser cup?

Yeah, it was great.

It was great being part of that.

Just brotherhood created a good bond between the guys and it was just a great time.

Yeah, piggyba, piggybacking off of that.

Um, just like, compared to high school, like, from going from the state championships in high school, compared to the Fraser cup, it was a lot different.

Like, it was a lot more intense and obviously better hockey.

Like, we got better players.

They're older, faster, stronger.

Sure.

It was definitely just a real experience and a place I want to get back to this year.

Earlier, you had mentioned being Billet brothers.

Can you explain for people who aren't in hockey what Billet brothers means?

Yeah.

So obviously we're not from around here, so we get recruited to come play here.

And then the team, we end up taking like this super long survey.

I think it was twelve to 15 pages at least.

It wasn't quite that long.

It felt like.

It felt like it for sure.

But you take the survey and you go basically over your whole life, like, what you do when you eat and the team matches you up like a fam with a family that kind of lives the same way with you.

Okay.

They basically matchmaker with you.

Sure.

And then depending on the family, it could be one guy, it could be four.

It just depends on how much room they have.

So Monty and I ended up getting placed in the same spot.

If you go back and look on our thing, it asked if, like, we knew anyone from the team, and I said I knew Monty.

Cause we previously played on a couple travel teams, but apparently he forgot who I was, even though we played on the same line.

But it happens.

I was at dinner with my family and I had to get it done quick, so I just filled out the answers and I didn't even think to put Ali down.

So he just makes a big deal out of it.

Yeah.

Well, now you guys know each other for sure, right?

Basically, it's like almost becoming an exchange student with a family for a season.

That's what most people can relate it to, host families.

You know, Northwoods baseball leagues do that as well.

But it's any of our out of area players, they need a place to live when they, when they're playing for the season.

So we have some really, we have really, really great billet families, and they open up their homes and let the boys live there, and basically they become part of the family.

And, Chris, you're always looking for Billet family.

Always looking for billet families, because we do have a lot of movement.

Junior hockey is a very fluid team throughout the season, so players are coming and going, so we're always looking for billet families.

Billet families get in free to all the games, and they also receive a stipend.

So they do get some money to help offset some of those grocery bills that these boys rack up.

But it's a really, really fantastic experience.

But really, it's the.

It's about the bond, and it's about becoming part of that, of that family.

It's a really cool.

Do 20 year old hockey players eat a lot or.

Yeah, two of them in one house.

Yeah.

Very good.

So, obviously, this is a challenging sport, and you guys are all in, you know, out there putting in the work and paying your dues.

What, what keeps you motivated to keep getting out on the ice every day and putting in the work?

I would say my family is a big motivator.

My faith, that's a probably, those are definitely the biggest two.

I mean, going and playing for someone bigger than yourself, that's obviously a heavy motivator.

And it's what keeps me going.

Very good.

Yeah, definitely my family.

Just the thought of playing at the kettlemarine ice center in front of our home crowd, there's so much energy in that rank, and it's just such a great game.

Yeah, definitely my family, like, obviously, we're playing for the name on the front of our jersey.

Like, that's who we play for.

But I.

We're also playing for the name on the back like this.

For me, like, this is the first person in our family that kind of going off and doing something like this.

Like, I've had other cousins go and play college sports, but, I mean, I feel like I'm really taking it to it.

And then also just the love of the game.

Like, you can't get enough of it.

There'll be times in the offseason where you're sitting at home and you're just itching to get back on the ice.

So if there are young players maybe listening that are, you know, that want to do what you're doing someday, what kind of advice could you give to those who want to play at your level and hire someday?

Just keep going.

Like, there's always going to be a reason to quit.

There's always going to be, like, something that's in your way.

But if you keep going and keep pursuing and you'll eventually reap what you're sowing.

So keep working hard.

Keep going.

Very good.

Chris.

How does the Westman power team and management help foster a positive environment for the players here and.

And keep the balance of hockey and the personal lives and keep them going?

It is a grind.

I will say, as fun as, as a fun experience, it is for the fans to come and experience that.

You know, that Friday and Saturday night out, we enjoy that.

But these boys, it is a grind.

I mean, these boys work.

They are here.

This is their job for one, two or three years, depending on their age level.

And they are very disciplined, and we preach that.

They are at the rink very early every morning.

They start off with getting prepped to go on the ice.

They're on the ice for an hour and a half, and then they do video, they do off ice conditioning, and then most of them will go on and work somewhere part time and, or take some part time classes.

So they have a very structured schedule.

Again, part of that is being out in the community.

We have an event this week.

We try to keep.

Keep ourselves active and volunteering, and that's kind of fostering, again that culture of giving back to our community.

So not only that, part of it, but the discipline, you know, work hard, play hard, have fun.

But.

But really, you know, it is a grind.

It's a long season and just, you know, kind of keeping them motivated on a personal level as well is important for us.

Absolutely.

Well, obviously you got a long season ahead of you.

How it goes until when?

Like we go till March.

Regular season is September through March and then playoffs start at the second weekend in March.

And we hope we're going all the way to the end of March this year again getting to that Fraser cup.

But we again, we 22 home games at Kettlemarie.

Nice center.

Our regular season Friday, Saturday nights always 730.

We have a lot of exciting things happening.

Make sure you're following us on social media, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Tick Tock west bed hockey because we always are announcing what we have going on before all of our home games.

This year the great outdoor supper club is going to be putting out meals.

Great.

So if you can come right to the game and have dinner right at the game.

Bar opens at five, food starts at five and the puck drops at 730.

So always fun, fun stuff going on.

We have a lot of theme nights that will tie in and then we tie in with special groups in the area as well.

You know, like a hockey fights cancer weekend.

We have a humane society night, we have a mental health awareness night.

We have a lot of things going on.

So really important to follow us on social media and keep up on everything we have going on so you don't miss out on any of the fun.

Sure.

So it's West Bend hockey.com.

Westbend hockey.com is the website.

You can get tickets there.

The schedule becomes a sponsor.

You got your email address on there.

Get in touch and if you want to become a billet family, awesome.

Chris, thank you so much for coming in.

And Jake, Oliver, monty, good luck with your season.

Great putting in the work and great meeting you guys.

Thanks for having us.

Thank you again to Chris Marion, business operations manager for the West Bend Power, along with Jake, Sherry, Oliver, Schroeder and Monty Gould.

I love Gould.

I'm sorry for joining me on this week's episode of 15 Minutes with Fuzz.

Get to the Kettlemarine Ice center to see a game or 20 this season of the West Bend power.

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And new episodes come out on Tuesdays.

Because we love Tuesdays.

And with that, we'll talk to you next Tuesday right here on 15 Minutes with Fuzz.