I lost my mind at the Wings-Sens fan summit
Took a trip behind enemy lines for this one
If you asked the average Red Wings fan what they think about the Ottawa Senators and their fans, they’ll most likely shrug and go “they’re fine, I guess?”. Online, however, the reception is quite different. For some reason, when these teams play one another, both fanbases act like this is the Wings-Avs rivalry of the 90s. It’s an outright war on Twitter and Instagram. For some reason, they really don’t like each other — and it’s hard to pinpoint exactly why.
Maybe questionable plays by certain players started it. Or maybe it started when some fans wished injury or harm on former players. There are even examples of fans fabricating fake trade requests. But it doesn’t necessarily matter where it started. What matters is where we go from here. Yes, this “feud” is almost completely isolated to the Internet. But imagine what we could do if we combined our forces against a greater threat.
I decided to visit with a representative of the Sens fanbase to speak on this.
How it happened
In late February, I boarded a plane to Calgary, Alberta to attend a summit with the Third Line Plug Senscast, a show dedicated to covering all things Sens. We chose a neutral location to meet and air the grievances of our fanbases. I have to hand it to Taylor Gibson, co-founder of Third Line Plug: he sure knows how to pick a neutral location. Calgary is an exceptionally beautiful city with some fantastic food. I’d go as far as calling it the best kept secret in Canada.
Our venue? A Brazilian steakhouse. The weather? Exceptional. The vibes? Even better. Between servings of steak and pineapple, we came to a conclusion: why fight one another when we can combine our forces against the true enemy, the Toronto Maple Leafs?
Every day, our Canadian brethren are subject to discourse on Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews. I, for one, cannot stand idly by while my fellow hockey fans are forced to endure yet another puff piece on what William Nylander had for lunch. I proposed a truce amongst our fanbases, and Taylor agreed upon the condition that I make a guest appearance on the podcast. I was more than happy to oblige.
Listen to Third Line Plug feat. 313 Hockey
Steve Yzerman sent me into this podcast appearance without any material. I was left to fend for myself against the dual threat of Taylor and Tim, two titanic threats in their own right. Oh, and if that isn’t bad enough, we also spent the show watching Linus Ullmark put on the performance of a lifetime against the Wings. Take a listen for yourself to pinpoint the exact moment I lose my mind about the direction of this team (and Petr Mrazek).
Where to listen
…or visit their social media platforms to watch the mental breakdown for yourself.