NHL Fan to Host Stanley Cup Finals Gathering

The NHL Finals begin Saturday and fans everywhere will be gathering in sports bars, and in rec rooms to cheer on their favorite teams. Things will be no different in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where NHL fan Todd Blanchard has invited several friends over to watch game one. “It’s a gathering, not a party”, said Blanchard, who rents a one bedroom basement apartment. “If you go around claiming it’s a party, everyone in the city will show up, but if you label it as a gathering, people will assume it’s an invite only type of thing.”

Blanchard’s last sports themed gathering was a self proclaimed disaster. “The last time I had friends over to watch sports was game three of the 2005 World Series between the White Sox and Astros. What a debacle it turned out to be when my friend Carl surprised everyone by bringing his girlfriend. She just sat there and said nothing all night, and worst of all she wasn’t even invited.” Blanchard says it’s still up in the air as to whether or not Carl will be invited this time around. “I’m still undecided. For all I know he’ll end up showing up with a car full of people, and there won’t be enough chairs.”

To try to avert word of the get-together, Blanchard has formed a top secret e-mail invite list, as well as a facebook group where only invited people can join. “So far, it’s me, my dad, and my friends Danny and Peter. My place only has room for around six people, and I want everyone to be more than comfortable.”

Blanchard has also created a short list of strict rules his invitees must follow if they hope to watch the game in his recently renovated apartment. “If you’re gonna bring beer, make sure it’s cans. Bottles are a pain in the ass to clean up. I guess cans are just easier to get rid of.” Watching the game at Blanchard’s won’t be free however, as he says they’ll be a small charge for attending the gathering. “I still haven’t decided how much I’ll charge. I guess I’ll figure out how much my cable bill is, and do the math depending on how many people show. Plus it cost money to heat the water if people are gonna be washing their hands. I’m not made of money.”

The toughest part of the planning process so far for Blanchard has been deciding between classic Lays BBQ chips or the other type of BBQ chips Lays makes. At present time, no one has responded to Blanchard’s invite.