By Lisa Schick

An unexpected family

Jan 15, 2011 | 9:59 AM

Trevor Klassen and his wife Pam began just because they wanted to help out the Raiders – they ended-up gaining another member to their family.

Ryan Button was a defenseman with the Prince Albert Raiders for three-and-a-half years. During that time he stayed with the Klassen family.

It was the first time the Klassens acted as a billet family and they didn’t really know what to expect. Klassen and Button agree that they hit it off quickly.

Looking back on when Button first arrived from Edmonton, he was 16-years-old and Klassen said Button was young, “he was a kid still.”

Klassen said that in the years he was with them, they got to watch him grow up.

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“Over the time that he spent with us he really matured and grew a lot and became a young man,” he said.

One of Button’s favourite memories from his time with the Klassens was having “mini-hockey battles” with their kids and some of the neighbourhood kids.

Klassen said Button was “awesome” with the kids and took to them right away,

“He’s been like an older sibling to them,” he said.

Klassen said Button fit in, and that some of the best memories he has are when they spent time together as a family. Button would occasionally come to Prince Albert early in the summer and go on trips to the lake with the Klassens.

On Monday, Button was traded from the Raiders to the Seattle Thunderbirds. He left right away.

When asked about leaving the Klassens, Button said it was difficult.

“There were tears shed by both sides,” he said.

Klassen said Button became a part of their family and when they found out he was being traded the good-bye was very difficult, especially for the kids.

“We knew it was going to be hard, but we didn’t expect it to be as hard as it was,” he said.
Button may be living 1,850 kilometres away from the Klassen family right now, but he knows that he’ll see them again.

“We’re going to definitely stay in touch and (I’m) going to visit them lots during the summer whether it’s them coming to Edmonton or me going to P.A,” he said.

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