| In 1971, ten booster club
members from Chicago, Pittsburgh and Detroit travelled to St. Louis
where they met with about thirty members of the Blueliners. The purpose
was to lay the groundwork for an organization we now know as the NHLBC.
 The NHLBC consists of over twenty booster/fan clubs representing
about 10,000 members from all over the world. Any officially recognized
fan club of an NHL team is eligible to join our organization. We also
have clubs representing teams that are no longer in the NHL, but whose
members continue the tradition of supporting hockey in their area.
NHLBC member clubs cooperate
and assist each other whenever possible. Each club sends all the other
clubs their monthly newsletters (keeping us informed as to what they're
up to and providing us with ideas on how to make our club better).
When club members travel to other NHL cities, they are often greeted
and toured around by local fans. Clubs in close proximity to one another
occasionally hold combined events (sorry, we won't be driving
to California for a softball game anytime soon).
Most NHL teams have a fan
club in the NHLBC.
The biggest part of the NHLBC occurs each August when booster
club members from various clubs attend the NHLBC Convention. What
started as a weekend gathering has grown into a week-long celebration
of hockey fans. Bitter on-ice rivalries melt away as fans from across
North America meet in a show of goodwill.
And then the party begins.
Dinners, dancing, free drinks
in the hospitality suites, souvenir giveaways, raffles, talking hockey,
staying up all night because you're having so much fun, hosted tours
of the city, guest speakers, (yeah, we have one meeting, but we
try to make it short), arena tours, free pickup and drop-off
service to the airport, all in the company of some of the best people
you will ever meet.
All this may not sound like
much, but it's difficult to explain to someone who has never been
to one. Let's just say this: attend one convention and you will never
want to miss another one.
It's a week long party.
In 1996, the NHLBC Convention came to Vancouver for the first
time. Over 350 members from across North America descended on our
city in early August. It was an unimaginable amount of work, but based
on the rave reviews we received it was a huge success. Just like every
other convention, those who attended had a great time.
The 2006 Convention will be held hosted by the Buffalo Sabres Booster Club and held
in Buffalo, New York (for more information, visit the NHL Boosters web site). Plans are well underway to make sure each city
is ready for the hundreds of hockey fans who will descend upon their hosts.
If you would like to hear
personal stories about these conventions, you will just have to join
the booster club. Only booster club members are permitted to attend,
so join today.
Join us in Buffalo in August, 2006. |
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