GRAND BLANC, MI - Baked pork chops, antipasto salad, brown rice, and assorted veggies were neatly placed on the dinner table of the Hamo residence.

After an intense day of skating and smacking hockey pucks with the Flint Firebirds, Vili Saarijarvi's arms became tree limbs for Gabriella, 4, and Gianna, 2, as he tried to enjoy the home-cooked meal. He welcomed their silly antics, though.

Whenever he's not traveling the world for competitive Ontario League Hockey games or winning gold medals at the World Junior Championship for Team Finland, the Detroit Red Wings draft pick loves spending quality time with his billet family.

Joe and Meredith Hamo have opened the doors of their five-bedroom, 3,500-square foot Grand Blanc home to Saarijarvi and his fellow Firebirds defenseman Zack Pittman.

"It feels like family," Saarijarvi explained, while sitting at the dinner table. "Just with Joe and Meredith, they're going to be a big part of my life in the future. If I have something to tell them, I can say it and 100 percent trust them. I feel good here and very comfortable."

Meredith, 34, is the Firebirds' official billet coordinator. Joe, 39, is a huge sponsor and season ticketholder for the franchise. He works as a financial adviser for the Hamo Group of Wells Fargo Advisors in Flint Township.

Meredith is in charge of making sure the OHL hockey stars are placed in the best possible homes with compatible host families throughout their stint in Flint.

Thorough background and home checks are conducted to make sure that the process is efficient. Folks that are interested can contact the Firebirds organization directly, which will lead them to Meredith.

The majority of the athletes live in the Grand Blanc area, typically 20-30 minutes away from the practice facilities at the Dort Federal Event Center and Iceland Arena. Alex Peters is one of the few players that commute from Holly.

Players range between the ages of 16-20, so a few attend core classes at Grand Blanc High School. Firebirds center Will Bitten also takes a few online courses. Bitten is eligible for the 2016 NHL Entry Draft.

Coordinating all of the host families can get overwhelming at times for Meredith.

Living with teenage athletes, she has to wash more clothes and purchase way more groceries, but she says the guys are clean for the most part. Saarijarvi and Pittman aren't party animals.

They typically chill around the house, watch movies, and sometimes eat at restaurants when they're not occupied with team-related activities.

"I go to Sam's Club probably twice a week," Meredith said. "I try to help them out as much as I can because they're here for hockey. I'm not going to be like get down and scrub your toilet. No, they don't really have any chores. They'll bring up the garbage cans every once in a while or wash off their dishes to help out."

Meredith and Joe Hamo have been married for eight years, with two young daughters, but with the addition of the Firebirds staying in their home, they couldn't be happier.

"I love him," Joe said of Saarijarvi. "Both him and Zack have basically restructured the alignment of our family."

Saarijarvi was drafted by the Detroit Red Wings in the 3rd round (73rd overall) of the 2015 NHL Draft. Red Wings staffers typically stay in contact at least once or twice a month for updates.

Knowing Saarijarvi on the personal level as a regular 18-year-old is more meaningful to Joe than just as a Red Wings draft pick.

"I'm going to stick with Vili for the rest of his life," Joe said. "I'll know him until I'm old and gray.

"He's like the son I never had."

Saarijarvi is a native of Rovaniemi, Finland - commonly referred to as the hometown of Santa Claus.

He still regularly communicates with his parents and siblings in Finland, but has adapted to the American lifestyle. Learning English was the toughest part.

Studying movies with subtitles is how he learned to speak English. When he first arrived to North America last season to play with the Green Bay Gamblers of the United States Hockey League, he couldn't speak a lick of English.

"That was a big thing last year to learn the language," Saarijarvi spoke in his heavy Finnish accent. "In the first couple of months, I was struggling. I knew yes, no, maybe and small words. It took probably 2-3 months. Pretty much after Christmas, I was fine."

You can spot Saarijarvi driving around in his white 2006 Saab truck.

Saarijarvi has scored 23 points, off seven goals and 16 assists, in 36 games for the Firebirds.

However, Flint (14-26-3-2) is last in the OHL's Western Conference standings.

Prior to moving to Flint, he was warned about the violent activity in the inner city and the recent water crisis but tries not to worry about things he can't control. Staying in the outskirts of Flint, his biggest fear is hitting a deer or spotting a mouse but nothing serious.

The well-publicized team protest in support of Firebirds head coach John Gruden was a distraction in early November, but now Saarijarvi is trying to help the team break out of a slump.

"All that happened during the season, there were some tough times but you just have to go through those," Saarijarvi said. "Those guys that get through the tough times are going to do the best so that's what I'm trying to do."