Battalion goalie uses relationship made with billet family as motivation during games

North Bay Battalion goaltender Domenic DiVincentiis – the Dom’inator – is the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) goalie of the week for the second week in a row and for the third time this season.

He told CTV News he credits his motivation to the special relationship he has made with his billet family, the Carellos, who he lives with during the season.

North Bay Battalion goaltender Domenic DiVincentiis says he enjoys spending time with his billet family, Peter and Tanya Carello and their two daughters Ruby and Sloan. (Eric Taschner/CTV News Northern Ontairo)

When he is not stopping pucks, you can find him spending family fun time with Peter and Tanya Carello and their two daughters Ruby and Sloan.

DiVincentiis has quite a busy life from goalie to acting like a big brother to the girls.

“They (the girls) have a lot of stuffed animals and they love to bury me in them and jump on me with them,” he said with a chuckle.

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The Carellos’ home has been his home since the start of last season.

“Really making him feel part of our family was important to us,” said Tanya.

“We have dinner together pretty much every night and that’s important to us to have that family setting.”

The Carellos have been billets for North Bay Battalion players since 2019. DiVincentiis is the third member of the Troop to live with them. At one time, the Carellos even had two players living with them at the same time.

“We were some of the very first fans when the team moved from Brampton,” said Tanya.

“It was an opportunity to give back to the greater hockey community.”

The family got to all of the Battalion home games to cheer the team and DiVincentiis on. They have even travelled to watch the team play on the road a handful of times this season.

DiVincentiis admits moving to North Bay from his hometown of Bolton, Ont. was a difficult adjustment at first.

“Moving up here was definitely tough at first. Their first language is French so it was obviously different. But you learn to grow a relationship with them,” said DiVincentiis.

Tanya said being a ‘mom’ to a hockey goalie can be difficult but rewarding. The family is enjoying the friendship her daughters have made. She described DiVincentiis as a role-model for her children.

“The more time you put into it, the more you get out of it,” she said.

“Just him coming home and having that welcoming presence and getting lots of hugs is a two-way street for our girls.”

As for the ‘Dom’inator,’ he said he appreciates having four extra fans cheering him on motivating him to be the best he can be.

“I tell the girls before I leave for every game to come down for handshakes with the other players,” he said.

“It’s great to see them before the game. It brings a lot of joy.”

It is a family situation all are proud of and one they say they hope continues to blossom.