RoadRunners Boosters Go Unsung
By Jeff Hoodzow

For the amateur hockey fan, the Phoenix RoadRunners’ fan booster club is just another group looking for patrons to sign up for intermission contests as you walk through the corridors of U.S. Airways Center.
    However, the loyal contingent does much more behind the scenes for the ECHL franchise in ways the public will never see.
    Founded in 1967, the group takes it upon itself to assist the RoadRunners with a simple and dedicated mission: to encourage, support and promote minor league hockey.
    According to club president Andy Connors, the team furnishes the players’ apartments with tableware and other household items when they report to camp and stocks the team bus and locker room with snacks and other items throughout the season.
    Connors hopes the involvement continues to grow for the young team with a rich history. The group’s main goal for next year is to become more involved helping the players with emergencies and family matters.
“We think they’re a great resource to the team,” said Dan Weiss, director of broadcasting and team services for the RoadRunners. “They help in a lot of areas, sometimes kind of far down on the priority list.”
    Like most clubs, the RoadRunners’ boosters also spend a lot of time fundraising, with the lion’s share of the income coming from the Chuck-A-Puck contest, an event that has fans throwing a puck on the ice in hopes of it landing in a designated area for a chance at prizes.
    “We use the funds to pay for the player support, and to cover the costs associated with including the team in our picnic, bowling party and banquet,” Connors said.
    The team’s role has changed dramatically over time. Most of the current members of the club held the same - role with the Phoenix Mustangs, who played at Veterans Memorial Coliseum from 1997 until they disbanded in 2001.
    “During the Mustang days, most of the players were vets, and a stop in Phoenix was usually a lateral move in their career, if not a last stop before retirement,” Connors said. “I’ll be gratified to see these players further their careers, and I’ll know that the booster club was able to lend some support for them when they were just starting out.”
    However, the RoadRunners’ boosters aren’t just limited to puck-throwing contests and providing flatware.
    Before home games and throughout the season, the club doles out awards to a standout skater who records a hat trick or a goalie who posts a shutout. If one of those goals is met, the player is recognized and receives a $25 gift card from the boosters to a local electronics store.
    The stakes are raised for the player of the month honor when the player receives $50 gift card along with a framed certificate.
    Also, during the March end-of-the-season banquet, the club gives out awards for MVP, rookie of the year, defenseman of the year and forward of the year. The club also gives out a fan favorite award.
    While things haven’t been the same as the past when the team had nearly 2,000 fans and the RoadRunners outdrew the Phoenix Suns, the boosters are growing at a strong pace.
    While keeping up with the Suns might be a pipedream, the team’s presence should be felt for years to come.

Originally published in the March 2007 issue of Arizona Rubber Magazine.
Reprinted with permission.
www.arizonarubber.com