Fort McMurray wildfire shows bond between Oil Barons hockey players and billet

The Graham family, Brian, Kelly and 11-year old Brandon, are a billet family for the Fort McMurray Oil Barons, of the Alberta Junior Hockey League.

They’re also among the thousands forced to evacuate their home in Fort McMurray because of wildfires.

Unable to return to their home, the roles have been now reversed.

READ MORE: Photos of the Fort McMurray wildfire through the eyes of evacuees

Shane Fraser, one of their billets this past season has welcomed the Grahams to his family home, 30 minutes east of Strathmore.

“It’s nice to know you’re helping out in some way. To just be able to help anyone going through a struggle like that,” said the Oil Barons forward.

Amidst the disastrous wildfire in northern Alberta, the tightly knit hockey community across the province has come together.

“It’s just unreal, that all the hockey players, even the ones we didn’t billet are even checking in on us, make sure we’re okay if we need anything,” said Graham.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "It's just unreal, that all the hockey players, even the ones we didn't billet are even checking in on us, make sure we're okay if we need anything," said Graham.

Teammates Will Conley and Connor McCallum are also from Strathmore, and share that unique bond between player and hockey family.

READ MORE: ‘This is insane’: Dramatic video shows Fort McMurray residents fleeing raging wildfire

“Very shocking, kind of a sense of helplessness that I felt,” said McCallum upon learning the severity of the fire. “I was worried about my little billet brothers… and Jamie and Barb (billet parents). It was good to see they were all safe.”

“Besides your own parents, your billets are definitely the most supportive people you’ve got,” said Conley. “You live with them for eight months of the year, you want to be there for them, you miss them, they become your family.”

And like a family, they’re there when times are tough.

“They become your kids. They spend more time with us than they do with their families when they’re playing hockey, so you start raising them as you’re own kids,” said Graham.

“It’s awesome, just being able to have someone to call your brother,” said Brandon. “I’m an only child and it’s just nice to have somebody there who you feel is part of your family.”

WATCH: Ongoing video coverage of the Fort McMurray wildfire

2:48 Convoy helping Fort McMurray evacuees escape wildfire zone

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• Rachel Notley: We are working to help wildfire evacuees in a number of ways
• Rachel Notley: Evacuated residents will be able to retrieve items when it’s safe
• Alberta premier Rachel Notley says every available resource has been routed to help with wildfire
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Fraser is just trying to keep his little billet brother busy, a distraction from the harsh reality back home.

“Just playing baseball with Brandon, just trying to do what we can. He noticed the sign that said Drumheller, so we might take him to see the World’s biggest dinosaur, and hit the Royal Tyrrell Museum,” said Fraser.

Oil Barons players have been messaging since the fire started, already planning to return to their home away from home and assist in recovery efforts, as soon as it’s safe to do so.

“When you go there you feel like it’s a community that accepts you, so I feel like I’m part of Fort McMurray now too, so to go and help out when everyone is back in, I just feel like it’s something I should do.”

“We’re a pretty big part of that community, people kind of rally behind us,” said Conley. “It would just be good for us to be up there and be present, be around our billets and be around our friends, just help out in the community as much as possible.

While the bonds are forged by billeting, in the end it’s just families helping families.