The River City Jaguars are seeking host families for the 2010-2011 Northern Pacific Hockey League season.
The team for players ages 16-20 will represent Vancouver in the Tier III Junior A league and will practice and play home games at Mountain View Ice Arena. The team previously played at Valley Ice Arena in Beaverton, Ore.
Host families receive $300 a month and two tickets to all home games.
Players will attend area schools. They arrive in late August.
The Jaguars’ main tryout camp is Aug. 27-29 at Mountain View Ice Arena. Players from Washington, Oregon, Texas, Colorado, California, and Canada will compete for a spot on the team.
League play begins in October. The regular season runs through late February, followed by playoffs which run into March.
The league’s mission is to develop players’ skills in a professional environment while maintaining their amateur status for college eligibility, Jaguars general manager Chuck Cheshire said.
The Northern Pacific Hockey League is one of the five Tier III Junior A-level amateur leagues sanctioned by USA Hockey.
Cheshire, a Vancouver resident, said that former Jaguars players have gone on to college and entry-level professional opportunities. He said the Jaguars are still seeking sponsors for the coming season.
To learn more about becoming a host family, contact the Jaguars host family coordinator, Teresa Mathies, at 360-901-2357 or by e-mail at dntmath@msn.com. To learn more about the team or sponsorship opportunities, contact Cheshire at 360-910-9806 or by e-mail at gmrivercity@aol.com.
