Ten years ago a group of fans in Ottawa, headed by Jim Boone and Jim Spendlove, recognized that there was a lack of representation for NHL fans. After all, the owners have Gary Bettman and the players have the NHLPA. This group decided to create a web site and start accepting members — for free — in the NHL Fans’ Association. Today, there are almost 30,000 members in the NHLFA.
The NHLFA is governed by a four person board of directors in Ottawa. Our primary means of elevating the collective voice of hockey fans is through our yearly Fan Report poll, which is made available only to Members. The poll (and other mini-polls) give Members the opportunity to comment on a wide variety of issues related to NHL hockey, players, rules and operations. Those results are then provided to the Members and to the media, the NHL and the NHLPA. … We have forged trusted relationships with the NHL, the NHL Players Association and many hockey media. We are respected in this industry and have gained a reputation as a valuable source of NHL fan opinion. Our credibility is our strength.
Their most recent fan poll, released today, includes the following questions:
- Should the NHL seriously explore expansion in Europe?
- Do you think the NHL should adopt larger nets to increase scoring?
- Do you like the NHL’s new form fitting, lighter weight jerseys?
- Should the NHL should revert to the old looser fitting jerseys?
As they start their second decade, the NHLFA looks to further expand their membership and an aggressive schedule of projects.
Projects that the organizers and Members of the NHLFA will tackle in the coming months include a recruitment and retention program; implementing local NHLFA chapters; advancing NHL arena promotions; coordinating an Advisory Board; developing an advertising strategy; developing the framework for an NHLFA annual conference; coordinating our annual NHL Player Awards; planning the development of a dynamic and interactive technical infrastructure for the Web site; development of rich Web content; disseminating the results of the annual Fan Report; and planning additional fan promotions.
For more information and their registration page, visit NHLFA.com.
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