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October 17, 2007
Eric Duhatschek
Globe and Mail
It was back in the darkest days of the lockout that the National Hockey
League Fans Association (NHLFA) received most of its notoriety, mainly as a
forum for the paying public - clients of the warring factions in the NHL and
the players' association - to voice their concerns about the state of the
game.
Still, it hasn't gone away - and according to Jim Boone, its Ottawa-based
president - the organization counts almost 30,000 members at the moment.
Recently, in an on-line poll conducted by the organization, it tried to take
the temperature of fans one some of the hot-button topics of the day.
A sampling of the results:
- More than four out of five fans surveyed (82 per cent of poll respondents)
opposed the NHL exploring the possibility of expansion to Europe, which
would be in line with the disappointing television numbers for the Los
Angeles Kings-Anaheim Ducks' opening weekend in London, England.
- Forty-three per cent thought the league should return to last year's
looser-fitting sweaters, while nearly 29 per cent voted to keep the new
ones. Seventeen per cent offered no opinion with respect to NHL fashion.
- Most respondents agreed with Vancouver Canucks' goalie Roberto Luongo, who
threatened to retire if the league considered increasing the size of the
nets. Eighty-nine per cent sided with Luongon, recommending the league keep
them as is, and forgetting about any plan to enlarge them.
- On the matter of supplementary discipline and the NHL's increased
vigilance regarding hits to the head, 66 per cent of those who answered the
poll thought the 20-game suspension given to the Philadelphia Flyers' Steve
Downie for his hit on the Ottawa Senators' Dean McAmmond was appropriate,
while 21 per cent disagreed.
- And finally, support for more outdoor hockey was high as well, with 84 per
cent supporting the idea of more games, such as the Heritage Classic, played
in Edmonton a couple of years back, or the outdoor game planned for Buffalo
on New Year's Day. Only seven opposed, the plan, while five per cent offered
no opinion.
The NHLFA has been around for nine years now and nearly 30,000 fans have
registered via the Association's Web site, www.nhlfa.com
© Globe and Mail
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