Warlords Hockey Academy needs billet families

The Warlords Hockey Academy, based in Oxford County, includes elite 16U and 18U hockey teams. (Submitted Photo)

Chris Abbott, Post Correspondent

International hockey players, and players from across Canada, are coming to Oxford County to join the Warlords Hockey Academy.

The academy offers two hockey programs – Oxford Warlords (A/AA) and Oxford Sabres (AAA).

“Our goal with the Sabres is higher end AAA,” said Troy Lamoure, General Manager of Hockey Operations and head of skills development for the Warlords Hockey Academy.

“We wanted to add an elite level to what we’re doing. We’re following a prep academy model, rather than the standard Alliance/OMHA AAA route.”

The Sabres can recruit international players from anywhere in the world.

“It’s a bigger scale and there’s more things that go into it, the living side of things, the schooling side of things, when players are coming from different places in the world.”

The program includes both on-ice and off-ice training.

“Other programs, you have to go to outside sources to get power skating, or if you want a shooting session, dryland session, you have to go elsewhere. We are all-encompassing, you can do all these things within the program.”

The Sabres, who have 16U and 18U teams, are coming off an extremely successful 2024-25 season. That success has opened doors – more players have applied to their programs, and other larger programs are starting to take notice.

BILLETS

Last season, the Sabres had eight billet players. This coming season, 2025-26, they will have 26 billet players, including players from Belgium, France and Iceland.

Lamoure (troylamoure88@gmail.com) said their goal is to have a centralized billet program, focusing primarily on the Tillsonburg area, which helps create player bonds, often within walking distance of each other.

“If it’s centralized, you can carpool, which makes it easier for billet family schedules.

“We want to have families that have a child in the sport, or has been through the hockey process and understands the nature of things. Nutrition is a part of it – some kids are higher on nutrition than others.

“Having that bond, that connection… it’s their second home and you’re often going to have a relationship with them the rest of your lives. You’re making an impact on that player’s journey.

“It is a time commitment, but we want families to understand that we work with all of our billet families, we want to help out as much as we can in that process.

“Our organization likes to get to know the billet family, have a few conversations, visit at their homes, sit down with them… making sure they understand they are taking in a student athlete, the ups and downs that come with that, and having that support system.

“The players are away from home and they need that comfortability, and that family atmosphere to help them make the transition into the new lifestyle they’re coming into.”

Longer term they want to provide their own private school, but currently Sabres attend Glendale High School in Tillsonburg.

“Growing up, I went to Glendale, had a great experience there, and I love the school. I like the teachers there - they are great educators. But we want to be flexible. We’re not saying ‘you have to go to Glendale…’ We want to keep it as cost-effective as possible.”

Playing in two leagues (North American Prep Hockey League and this year, United Tier 1 Hockey League), the Sabres play up to 70 games.

“The goal is to get better and better and grow the program every year… and it’s kind of grown exponentially. We want continual growth.

“We took a big jump last year, obviously had a lot of talent. I think we have moved into a true AAA program. We’ve drawn players from different AAA organizations, but we’re still looking at AA players. The difference between the good AA player and the lower end AAA player isn’t too big of a margin.”

The Warlords have 9U, 11U, 13U and 15U hockey teams.

“We have had players that have developed through that (Warlords) that have made the jump into the Sabres program. And that’s kind of the idea behind the program – people striving to make that jump into the next calibre.”

Over the last three seasons, the Sabres have recruited players from nine countries and seven Canadian provinces.

The goal is to find areas of the world where players need better development and exposure. The Sabres are looking for players who want to find a home in Ontario, the hotbed in Canada for junior hockey.

“They love hockey, they just need more of it, more structure.”

“Some people just want to come for the experience. They want to live in Canada, they want to do schooling in Ontario. They want to experience the culture, the atmosphere.”

The Sabres also have local players from centres like London, Woodstock, Brantford, and Haldimand and Norfolk Counties, and that interest has grown going into the 2025-26 season.

“It’s a cool experience for everyone, and that’s the goal when you have half a group of local players and half a group from Europe or different provinces, and it’s all different cultures, languages and lifestyles coming together.”

Warlords Hockey Academy is building its own training ice pad in Woodstock, he said, about one-third the size of an arena. During the season, they typically have three on-ice practices and two dryland sessions, and one or two games every week.

“We started with a 2,000 square foot gym, we’re now in a 6,000 square foot gym which has a synthetic ice pad, a video room, a player lounge, workout equipment… So we’re taking steps every year.”