Have your say: How can Senators fans defend their rink against the Toronto hordes?
Let’s suppose a visitor is new to the city, if not new to the planet. His name is Frank and he’s in town for the NHL all-star weekend, and then sticks around for several days, long enough to take in the Ottawa Senators-Toronto Maple Leafs game at Scotiabank Place on Saturday.
OTTAWA — Let’s suppose a visitor is new to the city, if not new to the planet.
His name is Frank and he’s in town for the NHL all-star weekend, and then sticks around for several days, long enough to take in the Ottawa Senators-Toronto Maple Leafs game at Scotiabank Place on Saturday.
At the all-star fest, Frank is bowled over by the adoration, bordering on deification, of Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson. The mere sight of Alfredsson’s countenance on the new arena scoreboard, let alone the sight of him scoring two All-Star Game goals, results in standing ovations and cheers that threaten to blow the roof off the building.
What feats Alfredsson must have performed here, the visitor thinks to himself. Even rival all-stars are banging their sticks on the ice in tribute. Coaches on both benches are clapping.
In terms of hockey and its heroes, this Alfredsson fellow must walk on water.
Six days later, Frank walks into the same building, sees Alfredsson’s face on the same scoreboard screen and hears the worst sorts of catcalls and boos rain down on him. Not once. Not twice. But every time his face is shown or he touches the puck or throws a bodycheck.
What the . . .? Has Alfredsson murdered someone in the interim? Has he been shamed on social media? What could he possibly have done to turn fans against him when they adored him so last week?
“Well, Frank, it’s like this,” an Ottawa resident would explain to the stranger. “The Leafs are in town, see, and they have an older franchise, with a lot of fans in the Ottawa Valley, and they don’t much like Alfredsson (because of a clever mimic of Mats Sundin and a hit on Darcy Tucker . . . 10 years ago!), and there’s so damned many of them in the building when Toronto pays a visit, they have the ability to drown out the home crowd.”
“Oh. I see.”
The words express understanding. The visitor’s look expresses pure bewilderment.
Sometimes it takes an outsider to help locals see things for what they are. Even the most diehard of Senators supporters were taken aback by the atmosphere on Saturday night, during a rare 5-0 thrashing by the Maple Leafs, a beat down that seemed to render Senators fans mute, and chased more than a few of them out of the building entirely.
A 15-year Senators season-ticket holder was so disgusted by the behaviour of Ottawa and Toronto fans, but mostly Toronto fans, she wrote to tell me she doesn’t even feel it’s safe for a fan to attend a game alone when the Leafs and Montreal Canadiens are in town “since the corridors are bedlam before the game and after.”
This serious Senators supporter has heard some fellow season-ticket holders say they may not renew next season, just to avoid the Leafs/Habs fans who take over the building. Keep in mind, the Leafs and Canadiens visit three times each, filling every last seat, filling the cashboxes, but annoying hometown supporters to no end.
Twenty years in, we thought the Senators’ fan base was growing to the point that they it would soon dominate its own house, regardless of the opponent. Saturday’s horror show was a reminder that the day of Senators fans asserting themselves at home is far, far away.
Perhaps Leafs fans were in payback mode after some Ottawa fans behaved badly during the NHL All-Star Fantasy Draft, mercilessly booing Toronto forward Joffrey Lupul every time he approached the microphone. Whatever the case, Saturday felt like a Leafs home game, except if you’ve been to one at the Air Canada Centre, the wine-sipping patrons there make only a fraction of the noise.
Or maybe the invading army was reacting to the juvenile “Leafs suck” in-game video feature that an eight-year-old must have put together.
Can both sides in this Battle of Ontario clash please grow up enough to lift this debate to the high school level?
Senators players would really rather not talk about the issue. Alfredsson has repeatedly said the booing doesn’t bother him and that he enjoys the energy of a Leafs and Habs games in Ottawa.
Still, what a difference a week makes.
“I don’t even pay attention to it anymore,” says Senators centre Jason Spezza. “It has always been that way, since I’ve been here, the Leafs fans are always 50-50 here. To be honest, it doesn’t even register anymore.”
Spezza believes the hometown fans will gradually grow and win out, and that in a one-sided game, “Sens fans know they’ve got to get out and beat traffic.”
Newcomer Kyle Turris, a former member of the Phoenix Coyotes, says that in a playoff series against Detroit three-quarters of the building was supporting the visiting Red Wings. But they didn’t boo, and certainly didn’t deride Coyotes captain Shane Doan.
“They were just chanting ‘Go, Wings, Go,’ ” Turris said.
The season-ticket holder who wrote was discouraged that “the thugs and hooligans are ruining Senators games and no one can or has the chutzpah to do anything about it!”
She had a good expression for the “gold category” Leafs and Canadiens dates at Scotiabank Place: “high priced, but high anxiety as well.”
Steep prices combined with an annoying atmosphere might explain why some home fans literally yield to the invading blue and white army.
wscanlan@ottawacitizen.com
Twitter.com/HockeyScanner
The Senators organization really has no one to blame but themselves.
For years the organization has fixated on the Leafs to the point where many Sens fans derive their identity not from cheering FOR the Sens but from cheering against the Leafs.
The t-shirts, the songs, the idiotic scoreboard taunts, what did they think would happen?
We’re dealing with a fan base from a city 10 times larger than Ottawa where for the price of a Leafs ticket you can buy a Sens ticket, a hotel room and a tank of gas. Of course they are going to come.
The Senators marketing staff has done itself no favours by continuing to push this rivalry to the point where Leaf fans now attend games out of spite, simply to get a rise out of Sens fans.
Stopping this situation is completely within the Sens control if they want to start actually making the tough decisions and weaning themselves off of what is essentially blood money from Leafs and Habs fans.
The Sens marketing is killing their own season ticket base by continuing to turn a blind eye to the situation.
As for Leaf fans themselves, asking them to be civil is like asking a dog to ride a bike.
Until the Sens org. gets serious about building a franchise identity that is unique and positive, rather than relying on cheap tactics and Leaf fan dollars, this will continue.
Those boo’s at All Star are no different then the boos leafs fans give Alfredsson. Why can’t both teams fans see that they are BOTH guilty of doing the exact same thing… quite chirping at each other. Your both bad.
You want to be a good example of a hockey fan then lead by example… and remember the organization or players do not car as much as you do. It’s always the fans that react to these stories. It’s the media’s job to do fabricate these… and get a rise out of you… and they do a pretty good job at it. Ticket sales are ticket sales. (i wonder what Spencer’s marketing background is?)
Players are well aware that the business they are in includes trades etc… Here’s a thought how about a Sens player being traded to the Leafs team or vice versa.. why not? Whatever can make your team stronger right?!. You would feel pretty ridiculous for having cheered against that player before. Or is all suddenly forgiven?… probably
Having said this I do think that during the All Star what team you play for shouldn’t matter. That player has obviously done something well enough during the season to be invited participate… but again do you really think Lupul cared as much as you? When is the last time you played in an NHL All Star game?.. didn’t think so
Enjoy the games…
If the Sens are interested in keeping Leaf fans out (which I doubt), they might consider including extra tickets to Sens – Leafs games for season ticket holders. So, every season ticket holder gets an opportunity to add as many tickets to these games as wanted. (Hopefully, they will then re-sell to Sens’ supporters). In time, there will be fewer and fewer Leaf fans in Ottawa so this issue will go away.
I could not have said this better, There is way to much hype about being a Leaf Hater than a Sens lover. “The Shed” in box 108 is this perfect example with their LEAFS SUCK chanting at EVERY game. I dont get it. More focus needs to be put on cheering the Home team WIN or LOSE.
Support your team. Minnisota vs the Sens the Heatly Sucks or Heatly Douche bag chant was louder than that of GO SENS GO.
Personally (and if someone in the Sens org. is monitoring this, I know I would be if I were them) I would come right out and publicly dismiss the whole leafs suck shtick. Make it to be of so little improtance no one cares (media could really help). Make it about wanting Sens fans at a 20 year franchise they now really have a first generation fan base to start tapping. kids have only now been watching them their whole life. It shouldnt be about the sucks it should be about how good you are.
As for comments on bad fans they are at every game. Habs, Leafs, Sens, Boston, I have seen fights with them all. Leafs are pointed out because it makes good media. There are just as many on each side they are amplified if their team wins.
I am a season ticket holder and I have gone to more games than I ever thought I would, and some things baffle and bug me.
People flee the building like its on fire winning or losing, just to beat parking, Spezza was Quoted in the Ottawa Citizen that he understands that fans must leave early to beat the parking. Seriously its not an issue if you wait for 10-15 minutes,
I am discusted every time I watch the “SENS” fans leaving at the 5 minute mark. worse if they are losing look at the Blues game jsut the other night, it was empty. Last I checked the last few minutes can be the most exciting.
Finally I would like to point out I am a Leaf fan first. and a Hockey Fan, thats why I save and have tickets. I wear my Jersey when my team plays. Once in a while I will cheer the opposing team just to get some excitement building in a sens Fan.
I take my kids to games and they love it. but to point out the rude fan its not all I have had Sen fans insult my Daughter (6) while wearing her “Go Leafs” Shirt at games and just on the street. it goes both ways.
And Finally jsut on a more fun not to all Sens Fan that likes to point out it has been since 1967 that the Leafs won the Cup. You are correct, thank you I dont understand why you think this is so negative, when was it raised last in Ottawa? I dont get the insult.
Proud Ticket holder and Proud Leaf fan.
Thank you for financially supporting the Senators franchise.
Why are you subjecting your daughter to these insults?
I couldn’t agree more. I’ve stopped going altogether to Leafs and Habs games. I’m at the age now were I’m supppossed to now let that kind of chirping and cheering bother me but it’s not cheering at all. It’s ignorant and harmfull comments and when it’s gets personal like that I can’t help it. You see kids yelling at there elders and it’s really gets to me, so much so that I wanna punch the Leafs or Habs fan in thhe face. So to keep myself from doing something I might regret, although thinking its the right thing to do, I avoid the whole situation together. I love the cheering and the rivalry but it’s really getting out of hand. I don’t know about a way to resolve this issue because here in Ottawa we can go see a game almost any time there playing in town, and the Leafs fans can’t see there team ever because of all the corporate seats sold there doesn’t leave a lot for there average fan…. But last but not least, we gotta get them out of “Our Building n Our Town”. Good luck with solving this problem and if it ever changes I’d be glad to return and cheer on a great team and a pretty good town.
“This serious Senators supporter has heard some fellow season-ticket holders say they may not renew next season, just to avoid the Leafs/Habs fans who take over the building”
Those people aren’t real fans then. Can’t just sell the tix for the Toronto/Montreal games? There are takers.
Well,
sell tickets to Toronto game only through season sit owners or with Ottawa/Gatineau area ip, etc etc so many way to reduce the number of leafs fans. Put games with TML and Habs for sale for public like week before game etc . Sell it through fan clubs
You know the problem with that, that makes the Sens orginzation look even weaker! Oh to prevent fans from other teams buying up tickets to our rink lets restrict the purchase of just those tickets!
Boo Hoo, I am an active support of the Tronoto Maple Leafs, I grew up watching them play hockey and I moved to Ottawa before it had an NHL team!
Some would say I should turn traitor and become a Sens fan, I say why should I? This is a free country I can root for who I want and buy tickets to those games fairly because I live in Ottawa as do most of the leaf fans who go to games.
As for how the crowd behaves I think the whole rivalry things is stupid and media feed! Sens and Leaf fans can be equally as annoying on game day like last Saturday, I know I was there in my leafs Jersey, and even though I got in no ones face I was made fun of by Sens fans, I do not even respond to that as I believe it is not worth it.
Sens Fans need to get over it this hockey and with the 2 cities being so close of course your going to get lots of the Habs and Leaf fans at the game!
Suck it up Ottawa quit whining!
I’ve lived in a few Canadian NHL cities, and while living there I cheered for the home town team. Now I live in Ottawa, I cheer for the Sens. How on earth does the word “traitor” gets into the equation on who you cheer for? It’s a hockey game! Just cannot understand someone who lets their life be defined by a hockey team.
Not sure I buy the “these are all Ottawa Leaf fans” argument. Guy I know in my neighbourhood is a Leafs fan. Every time the Leafs are in town his driveway is a parking lot of cars from Toronto and his house if full of Torontonians who cannot/will not buy tickets to Leafs home games.
When I’m at a Sens game I know there will be visiting team fans wearing their jersey. I have no problem with that. They cheer their team. They cheer and applaud their team’s goals and good plays. They don’t make a point of booing or jeering the home team. In a word, they understand that they’re guests, in the Sens home and act accordingly. The price of a ticket doesn’t change that.
When the Leafs get into the playoffs, and it’ll happen eventually, I will cheer them on because I love to see as many Canadian teams represented as possible. I don’t hate the Leafs. I do think they have some deep seated problems, not the least of which is that their fans have shown them that they don’t have to win games to make millions of dollars.
As for Leaf nation…. Guys, get a life! No hockey fan I know hates you…. but they do think you’re a joke.
I want to agree with your perspective on the absurd “rivalry” but the reality is that the Maple Leaf fans are becoming too much like the hooligans of English soccer. They do not “enjoy” the hockey they “enjoy” the opportunity to display their drunken bravado. Ottawa DOES have an inferiority complex when it comes to the Maple Loaves and it IS deserved, after all, they have beaten/destroyed the Senators in EVERY playoff series which is where it really counts. So, Senator fans will have to suck it up until the Sens do win something meaningful just as the Leafs have done in the meaningful PAST…was it 1967?????:????????
There is a simple solution for this “”serious Sens fan” ,notice the word SERIOUS…Sens fans, buy out your own stadium ..Duh!! and lead by example …stop the annoying LEAFS SUCK..how about cheering on your own team ..be careful what you focus on …..it’s a hockey game
As a season ticket holder I also sell my Leaf game tickets. The fans are too aggressive – I have been heckled for wearing my team’s jersey in my team’s building. I sit in the 300′s and there have been fights where both women and men have been removed by security (Leaf fans) for their behaviour on more than one occasion.
While the Hab fans are loud and proud they do not get obnoxious and/or aggressive, they still remain sane, happy and fun.
Then I guess we can thank people like you for the invasion of stupidity in our building
I agree. I avoid leafs games just because of the fans. Busloads come in from Toronto and are rude, drunk and abusive. Ottawa fans reply in kind, and the entire experience is unpleasant. Habs fans also come in by the busload. But while they support their team loudly, tend to be quite polite. They seem to be appreciative of being able to come to a game for a reasonable price. While a leafs fan will deliberately spill beer on someone wearing a sens jersey, a habs fan is more likely to strike up a conversation than try to start a fight.
And I’m sure that not once has a ‘Sens Fan’ been thrown out for unruly behaviour. There are going to be ‘classless’ fans wherever you go, just look at the NHL All Star Week! Leafs got booed even at fan fair and some of the comments were down right disgusting! (i.e. the Wade Belak comment during the draft) and many other comments while I was at Fan Fair. It’s part of the game and if you can’t handle it then sell your ticket as you are doing but don’t whine about it
That is soooooo true! “While the Hab fans are loud and proud they do not get obnoxious and/or aggressive, they still remain sane, happy and fun.”
As long time season ticket holders, I no longer go to Sens/Leafs games. I was dressed as a centurion one year with plastic body armor. A leaf fan asked me if my armor was real and proceeded to punch me in the stomach.
My husband now takes one of our four adult children and insists they wear a Sens jersey.
Anyways, thanks for sharing that bit about the Habs fans. I’ve had some of my best audience moments with Habs fans.
THey are disgruntled civil servants with jobs they hate so they take it out on the Senators.
Trouble is no one would employ them in their native Toronto and Montreal
so they come here bitter
That comment is just plain stupid
The other thing needed is more security for these games in the concorse after the game. I have a 3 year old son who adores Alfie. He pretends to be Alfie or one of the other Sens almost every day while playing hockey at home with his ministicks. We waited awhile before leaving our seats to ensure that most of the yahoos had left the area so he didn’t need to be exposed to the drunken masses. I understand the cheering after the game. The Leafs were the better team by far on that night. Once we left our seats and walked down to the concorse my son wanted to go to the cutouts (like every other game) and put his face in the goalies mask and on Alfie’s body. Unfortunately I will not be letting him put his face anywhere near the Alfie cut out again. As we were at the goalie cut out a group of Leaf fans came over (and even though there was a child there) one of the guys (I won’t call him a man due to his actions) continued cursing and dropped his pants and put his bare ass on the Alfie cut out. I had to go find an usher since there was no one in the area. Why was there not security in an area that there may have been problems such as that? We all know how the Leaf fans feel about Alfie for who even remembers what reason. It is unfortunate that one classless individual has defiled something many kids enjoyed. I am all for the cheering and cat calls, the Leafs were the better team that night. But to do something like that, let alone in the presence of a child is what makes all Leaf fans look bad. The organization needs to ensure there is enough security for these games. We are season seat holders and I find the Leaf fans are the most crass and classless. Other than the annoying chants the Habs fans are respectful and friendly regardless of the outcome.
And our usher was talking to some Leaf fans who had gotten tickets, bus ride and an overnight stay at a hotel for $200 which is less than what it would cost them to go to the ACC. Maybe the organization should look at limiting these package deals for fans from the other cities. I think the games will still sell out.
It sucks that your son had to witness 1 drunken idiot, but to say all Leafs fans are like that? Come on, wake up! As a Leafs fan who attends most Leafs games in Ottawa, I have witnessed just as many drunken idiots wearing Sens colours as I’ve seen wearing Blue and White. I’ve had guys throw garbage at me when I stand to cheer Leafs goals, I have been threatened numerous times, I even had a guy climb over 3 rows of chairs in an attempt to attack me for cheering for a Leafs goal. So Sens fans, don’t think you are innocent in all this, there is going to be drunken idiots at any sporting event regardless of what team they are cheering for! The only way to stop this is A) Stop selling alcohol of B) Don’t allow anyone in the building during the game. Neither are plausible
My goodness, fans cheering, booing and chirping at a sporting event?!? What’s next, people dancing and singing along at concerts? Restaurant kitchens opening past 9 on a weeknight? This is madness people. Madness. And it must stop.
Having lived in Ottawa, and more importantly having left, I can certainly see how any signs of life would upset residents of the National Capital Region.
Spoken like a true (and bitter) Torontonian. Thanks for leaving, don’t come back.
Babble : Ottawa has tried swagger but it didn,t work! Ottawa is small town . Even ex-sens players find new life when they leave. Don,t be so upset
Leafs fan…..bleed the blue! I’ve been attending games across the continent for over a decade in cities like Montreal, Vancouver, Buffalo, Detroit, Boston, and I can tell you the crowds attending Sens games are not an accurate representation. We’re extremely passionate about hockey and in most cases the culture of the Toronto Maple Leafs has been engrained through generations.
Spencer C said it best, “The Senators organization really has no one to blame but themselves.” Go to a leafs/sens game in the Big Smoke and you do not see the same petty tactics. It’s irritating and envokes the appropriate reaction.
One parting note for these sens “fans” that threaten to leave. You’re organization is two consecutive losing seasons away from getting shipped to Las Vegas so swallow Saturday nights beatdown by the beautiful blue buds and go buy your girlfriend a Kyle Turris jersey for Valentine’s Day.
Shame on you for fanning the flames. You’re a thug if you think that trashing another person’s home hockey team makes you a big man (overcompensation problems). Shame also on the Sens fans who took shots at Lupul during the fantasy draft – he’s having a career season and it’s an inspiring hockey story. He deserved to be there, and to be given the same respect we gave to everyone else.
Leaf fans love their team, and so do we – those are both 100% positive things in a world marred by uncertainty, unkindness and strife. Let’s become the class acts we know we all are – choose to be positive!
GO SENS GO!
Well put, Reasonable Sens Fan!
“Big Smoke”? Everyone is supposed to assume that this is Toronto? For the record, the phrase “Big Smoke” is a nick name that’s used by a number of cities around the world, including Sudbury. So, are you a Wolves fan?
As for the theory that Leafs fans are scrupulously well behaved everywhere but Ottawa…. give me a break. Just watch a telecast of a Leafs/Sens game from Toronto and listen to the boos and jeers directed at the Sens, especially Alfredsson. I’ve talked to friends who winter in Arizona. They say that of all the visiting teams, Leaf fans are the rowdiest.
After how the Ottawa Fans behaved during the all-star draft… The H*ll with them! Classless
I concur, way to represent the Nation’s Capital and your organization. My wife who was born and raised here was completley embarrassed. Way to be the classy example everyone on on this forum is speaking to.
I was totally embarassed on how the ottawa fans booed everytime a Toronto Player came on the ice at the all-star draft. We are better than that. Good news their team lost.
Spencer C and Michael Owen pretty much summarize anything I have to say perfectly. My observation is that although Montreal fan’s can be loud and obnoxious they typically aren’t threatening. Leaf fan’s on the other hand take it a step way beyond using these rivalry games as an excuse to get all liquored up and aggressive. I too felt that there didn’t appear to be enough security in the arena last Saturday night and since when did obvious public intoxication become acceptable? If you were to act this way in another arena or event you’d likely either be ejected, in some cases arrested or at the least punched out. I don’t advocate the latter so it’s up to the organization to step in and establish some much needed decorum in the arena. Come and cheer and enjoy yourself but if you’re drunk and disorderly, your out. I personally will not attend another Ottawa/Toronto home game again unless this is rectified.
The bottom line is that the Sens are going to need to take a short term hit in revenues in order to save their long term season ticket base.
It’s a vicious cycle now, Leafs fans get rowdier, more Sens fans give up their seats, therefore even more Leaf fans. To stop this cycle the team news to wean itself off the blood money those animals generate.
The Sens organization is responsible for ensuring a safe and fun environment for its fan, they have utterly failed in that regard.
Until they realize that to create a loyal fan base you have to create a confident, unique brand this issue is not going away.
Deriving your identity from what you are not is a surefire way to create weak brand loyalty.
Its funny to hear this from Sens fans, I’m from T.O. and I’ve been a huge fan since ’92. Honeslty Sens Fans have done some stupid things too, u guys act like Sens fans are so civilized, yet I had a leafs flag on my car about 5 years ago and some punk lit it on fire. I’ve been kicked out restaurants when the leafs scored on lalime. I’ve been in more arguments with drunk sens fans than civilized ones. U guys sit there and blame all of us, last time i went to a game, some older gentleman started yelling at me when the leafs scored, he then stated to threaten my friend and I, I had to call security on him. And lets not forget about the bars that duct tape down a leafs jersey at the entrance, and as u walk in ur supposed to wipe ur feet on the maple leaf…..a symbol of our country, yet for a hockey rivalery its acceptable. Both sides need to support each other as there are only 7 teams in the league, and lord knows Bettman wont let any of them win a cup anytime soon.
I’m a lifelong Leafs fan who attended a game back in the fall… It all seemed pretty good humoured. There was the stupid juvenile taunting of the Leafs on the scoreboard, but a lot of the scoreboard stuff is pretty idiotic. Of course any time you get a “serious” sports rivalry there is some danger of the dumber, more intense fans getting rude or even violent.
Dumb + booze = rude and/or violent. Good natured taunting and chirping is fine…but there’s a line. There are little kids in the rink and they do not need to see most of this stuff.
It’s interesting to me that when I saw the Sens/Jets game earlier this year, there were chants of “Leafs suck!” all night. Wasn’t Winnipeg the opponent on that January night?!
I’ve been lucky enough to see the Leafs play in four Canadian cities, and in three of the four, the home fans define themselves by riding the buds instead of supporting the home side. Montreal was the only place where they weren’t Leaf-haters but Hab-lovers; oh, and they were mostly respectful of unsaid boundaries among fans. Not a problem on that particular night.
As a recovering Torontonian, Leaf fan and Ottawa resident, all I see are Sens fans defining themselves and their hockey experience as haters. Specifically Leaf-haters. This quote by Spencer C sums it for me: “Deriving your identity from what you are not is a surefire way to create weak brand loyalty.”
I’m in the same boat as others. I’ve been a season ticket holder with the Sens for 10 years. I stopped going to leaf games 3 years ago. I’m getting too old to deal with the crap you see at these games. For some reason, leaf fans, like no other fans in the league (including MTL), feel the need to get sloppy drunk, obnoxious and violent. Every time the leafs play in Ottawa there would be multiple fights in the stands, blue and white a-holes yelling obscenities constantly throughout the game, and so on. I take my 3 year old daughter to some games with me… am I going to take her into that environment… hell no!
Considering what I just mentioned, the fact that Leaf fans were upset about their players getting booed at the ASG and calling Ottawa fans classless, is mind-boggling and hilarious. At least the leaf players handled it with more class than their ‘fans’.
The “sloppy drunk, obnoxious and violent” were not true hockey fans. There were just a bunch of hooligans who happened to be wearing a leafs jersey. I’d like to think they were not representative of the leafs’ fans community here. They give their team (?) a bad name, though is many cases I doubt they have the brains to figure that out.
Well said, Spencer. I was just listening to a podcast about advertising / brand identity yesterday, and the message was similar to your last line: If you have to constantly tell people what you are, that’s exactly what you’re not.
I think that in 5-10 years’ time when the current crop of young Sens fans start being able to buy their own tickets, we’ll see our fan base grow larger. Though you’d think 20 years would be enough by now, eh?
That’s actually a big issue I have with the comments in this article; as a Sens fan I obviously don’t like the Leafs, but you guys painting this picture of drunk, rude fans somehow only coming from Toronto is insane. Go to any game against anyone and you’ll see drunk & rude fans – someone beside me was throwing his empties at Sharks fans last year in the Heatley Hatefest game, so he must be a Leafs fan, right?
As to the actual article, you’re painting the Ottawa fanbase as whiny and lacking. Thanks. The Leafs fan in this city & the ones that travel here needed more ammunition. Definitely.
This team is an expansion team, guys. Hockey fans born before the mid-80s SHOULDN’T cheer for the Sens, because that means they switched allegiances at some point. I’m glad they did, but the people that grew up as Leafs fans will continue to be Leafs fans, and raise their kids as such (presumably…unless they can’t reproduce AMIRITE?!?!) – give it another 15 years, when current Sens fans’ kids grow into the fanbase. Until then, cut the whining.
Are you kidding me? Did anyone watch the allstar weekend and how drunken Sens fans treated the Leafs when they were announced or touched the puck? You’re all crying now because Leafs fans came into your building and booed poor old “Alfie”, not to mention they pounded the Sens at the same time.
That’s the problem with Sens fans they think they are the perfect fans and anything they do is ok. You don’t want Leafs fans in your building then don’t sell your tickets. I guess $$ is more important than cheering for “Alfie” and his gang. Sens fans, along with Canucks fans may be the worst fans in the league. They can do no wrong and everyone else is the problem.
Amen to that brother, Sens Fans are horrible, and make watching a game seem like a chore. These “fans” are clearly posers, and wanna keep poitning the finger at any other passionate fan, and dont even want to comment on their own druken stupidity.
Wow…have either of you ever even been to a game? Any game at all? You assume alot…
I’ve been to about 15 Sens games in ttl, with mayb 5 or so with the Leafs. The arena gets queiter than a church on sunday. When the leafs/habs come to town the place is full of action. If you haven’t been, you should definetly go
I don’t have a problem with Habs fans, there is some good-natured ribbing but nothing overly obnoxious from both sides (I’m not fond of the Olé Olé chants but they can still make me smile… and you can turn it back on them when the Sens come back).
Leafs fans are irritating through and through… they wonder why their players were booed to no end at the all-star weekend but they turn around and boo our captain in our own building and act like the most obnoxious visitors I’ve ever seen.
I agree with the organizational blame, it seems that the Sens organization doesn’t like its fans to be loud. I’ve been told to be quiet by the staff at SBP a few times now (never because of swearing or anything inappropriate, just that I was too loud) when all we were doing was cheering (being told to be quiet so other fans can enjoy the game doesn’t make me want to cheer, it makes me want to stay home).
Sens fans are too Quiet! Get loud people, your cheers can drown out ANY visiting fans!
Am I really expected to believed that all of the drunken belligerence happening at these games is caused by Leafs fans? Really? The Leafs fans continue to get rowdier and rowdier while the Sens fans sit there like passive do-gooders weeping with their “think of the children!” mentality? Come on.
Escalation goes two ways. I’m not condoning the behaviour on either side of this issue, but to say that Leafs fans are like the big bully on the playground stealing a helpless kids lunch money is absolutely ludicrous. One sides fans push, the other side pushes back, and so on, and so on.
I grew up in Ottawa as a Wings fan, and seeing the sheer petty taunting and ridicule from Sens fans to Leafs fans, and Leafs fans to Sens fans I’ve never seen anywhere else.
The point is, it goes both ways people. Sens fans, this article makes you seem entirely hypocritical at points.
When we do it, it’s all in good fun, when they do, it HAS to stop.
Get a grip, and like other people have said, take steps to more on from this rivalry, because honestly, even in Toronto it’s not a big deal. It seems as if only Sens fans and Leafs fans in Ottawa care about this at all, so let’s take steps to move past it, yea?
“give it another 15 years, when current Sens fans’ kids grow into the fanbase. Until then, cut the whining.”
Exactly, the Leaf fans in Ottawa had kids and while some were groomed as Leaf fans enough of them grew up as Sens fans and as time goes on they will have more Sens fans babies and Ottawa will become more and more Sens focused… just give it time.
I went to a Leaf/Wings game at the ACC, plenty of Detroit fans and all it did was make for a great atmosphere. The ACC staff (the people who work the Jumbotron) tried to celebrate the rivalry and the history of the two teams rather than bash the Wings.
Acting like Leaf fans are so much worse than everyone else is petty. Anyone who goes to a sporting event will be able to find some bad apples… when the Leafs are up 5-0 yeah they’re gonna get rowdy, but was that really the majority?
Lastly, Blue Jay games get run over all the time by Red Sox/Yankee fans… try to enjoy the extra revenue and hope that your team wins cause in the end, that’s all you’ll really be upset/happy over
Bang on from Spencer.
I’m as passionate as any re: the Sens, and I just have no motivation to fork over the exorbitant price to go be surrounded by > 10,000 Leafs (or Habs) fans who will drastically reduce my enjoyment of them game. This doesn’t even factor in the ultra rowdy ones.
For the same price as the Leafs game (that I will likely not enjoy unless the Sens blow them out), I could sit in the same seats for the Isles and Blues games this week, and have money left over for beer.
BLAME STARTS WITH TEAM 1200!
Listen in to Steve Warne in the morning, he has a “Blue Team Elimination Watch” that focuses on the Leafs missing the playoffs.
They have “Leafs SUCK” merchandise. Even the Jumbotron shows laughable stuff like a Leafs fan tearing off a shirt to reveal a Sens jersey underneath…I have *NEVER* seen a Habs or Leafs fan do this, EVER.
STOP THE NEGATIVE BRANDING. And this means YOU too, Ottawa Citizen. Don’t believe me? Read some of your columns by your business columnists castigating Leafs fans. It just gets their backs up, they buy tickets and they take it out on the Sens fans that are trying to have fun. STOP IT. Senators management need to start the ball rolling. Tell Steve Warne and the other buffoons to cut the anti-Leafs crap. FOCUS ON THE SENATORS. Instead of a “Blue Team Elimination Watch” start a “Senators Clinching Watch”. Instead of “Leafs Suck” shirt give “Praise Alfie” shirts.
RIvalries are AWESOME. Go to a Philly/Pittsburgh game or a Rangers/Isles game and see how they are. It gets ugly there too!
P.S. WIN A CUP SENATORS and there will be NO Leafs or Sens fans here. Guaranteed!
Dream on there will always be TML and Hab fans in the stands at games and it will be a long time before that changes!
Also Wayne you are 100% wrong on why Leafs fans boo Alfredsson.
It’s not because of the Tucker hit, it’s because of the game at the ACC where ALfredsson mimicked Sundin’s stick throw into the crowd. ASK A LEAFS FAN, that upset them far far more than the Tucker hit, which is largely forgotten.
P.S. Did the Senators org really expect otherwise? It’s been like this since day one and only got worse once the LEafs and Senators met in the playoffs…
The irony being that Alfie and Sundin are friends, it was meant as a joke.
As a Leaf fan I was more upset over the Tucker hit and with the stick thing, I was more frustrated at the crappy season that was developing in front of my eyes… regardless everyone has their reasons and wouldn’t you know it I’m pretty sure Sundin started getting booed by Sens fans… it’s part of the rivalry why can’t we just enjoy the booing and then come together when it’s World Junior times… I bet no one here was upset about southern ontarians(?) taking over Buffalo last year for the Juniors.
I did mention Alfie mimic of Sundin, as well as Tucker hit.
Don,t compare “alfie” and sundin please! Sundin was a Leader. The ottawa citizen does more to fuel the sens / leaf battle than anyone! The ottawa citizen also berates its own sens players. Studs and duds . You should be ashamed! The boos at the all star draft wasn,t passion .. it was ignorance !
Heard the game on my Internet radio on Saturday night and was horrified to hear the booing of Alfie and Go Leafs Go coming from the crowd. A week earlier I was homesick watching the all-star game on ESPN America, but I didn’t think it looked good on Ottawa the way the Leafs were booed. Rally not a classy way to present our great city to hockey fans watching in from around the world.
It disturbed me on Saturday to hear the Leafs fans not just because of their behaviour, but the fact that they seem to outnumber “us” in our own rink. Don’t know that the solution to that is, but somewhere I heard that part of the problem is that many real Leafs fans travel from the GTA to Ottawa games because they can’t get tickets or can’t afford them at the ACC. If this is true,(I’ve been away for almost 16 years so my apologies if this isn’t accurate) and I were a Leafs fan, I’m not sure that would endear me to my team.
For anyone referring to the ASG Draft – I agree that booing Lupul every time he went to talk was a little embarrassing and over the top, but what do you expect after seasons and seasons of Leafs fan’s being so unbelievable obnoxious? 3 nights per year when the Leafs come to our building the Leafs fans are 100 times worse than the Sens fans were on draft night. If you’re a Leafs fan and you’re upset about draft night you need to take a long look in the mirror. I’m a Sens season seat holder and I can’t stand the Leafs fans – honestly I’ve never seen groups of more arrogant people. So what did you expect at the draft? It was finally a chance for the Sens fans to give the Leafs fans a TASTE of what they have been doing for years.
We try our best to let things peater out….however when things are slow at the ol media outlet, they revert back to stirring up the pot. Gee, anyone notice how many Sens and Habs fans fill the AC Center now? How about in Vancouver..or maybe the southern rinks. It’s not a unique thing at all. The diffenrence comes down to the ignorance on the visiting fans. Habs fans have fun…Ole’ Ole’….Leaf fans…another story. Billigerant, obnoxious, like kiddies partying with mom and dad out of town. I feel the reason it is the way it is in Ottawa is because we are the Nations Capital, many people come here to do business. The Corporations that have box seats, give up the tickets to thier customers which happen to be mostly Leaf fans. Hey, If they want to fill our seats at the bank, please do….It helps keep the Sens in the profit margin. No problem here. Leafs have little city itus.
Are you referring to how many sens fans are at opposing buildings? Because if so, you’re an IDIOT if you think they are more than 5-10% of the crowd at the ACC. Face it, your rivalry with MTL is less intense because you’re classless digsusting wannabe captain has never had run-ins with them. Not to mention, you didn’t lose to them 4 out of 5 years in the playoffs. You hate Toronto and we hate you because we have a more developed rivalry. Sens fans will always be jealous of the Leafs. We have more cups, a better city, more fans and a better head to head playoff record. Get a grip, we’re not the only ones to blame in this situation. You dull nimrods are just as much to blame. And when I come to the Corel, I am arrogant and belligerent, because you hate-mongers deserve every bit of it. And I come every game. I missed Saturday, but I’ll be there on St. Patty’s day, lit like a candle, jersey flag and all jeering, cheering, booing Krusty the Clown and making each and every one of you sens fans despise me. Because unlike every other fan base in the NHL, I have ZERO respect for sens fans. And as such, I don’t care if they insult me, call me childish or say im belligerent and rude. The word of someone I have ZERO respect for carries no weight with me. LONG LIVE LEAFS NATION. CAN’T WAIT FOR LEAFS NATION INVASION IN MARCH!! GO LEAFS GO!
P.S. I’m well aware I’m re-inforcing the big city stereotype you have all talked about. Good. I want it that way. Continue hating sens fans, we will always be a superior organization and fan base to you.
Wow, talk about an overreaction. There are obnoxious fans from both sides, so no need to get a grip. You don’t sound like someone who watches for love of the game, but rather love of the opportunity to get yourself all worked up. Lighten up a little and you may find life treating you better.
Calling Alfie “classless” is ridiculous. The hit on Tucker was cleaner than 90% of the stuff that weasel pulled and the Sundin stick mimic was a joke.
Wow Jon…must take a lot of beer and blue goggles to come up with a self-delusional rant like that. Your “superior” organization came up with that inconsistent 10th place team you’ve been watching for years and will continue to as long as they’ve got the ultras out there enforcing the mystique of the brand. You’re a discredit to Leaf Nation, and that’s pretty hard to be jealous of. Enjoy the 45th annual 1967 Stanley Cup parade while you’re watching some other Eastern Conference team in the finals.
Hey guy get over it, we as fans pay to have the right to cheer or boo, its part of the game it gives the game emotion even if your sitting at home you here the crowd go it gets me pumped FROM MY COUCH! look at how they treated the leaf players at the allstar game REAL CLASS SENS FANS! GROW UP PEOPLE GET A LIFE!
I’ve always been a Leafs fan living in Ottawa, and have watched the deterioration of classy crowds at the game.
I’m not going to say we can blame it fully on the Sens fans, but go to a Leafs game in Montreal (I have every year for the last 7 years), and you don’t see the fights, or the rude comments by either side. Both sets of fans cheer their own teams, and the atmosphere really is something else.
Fans in Montreal are much more into the game, and many actually stay and see the 3 stars, which can’t be said in Ottawa.
As a Leafs fan, sure we’re not innocent, but lets know play the blame game…
Those of you who are season ticket holders should all tell the Sens that you will renwew for a full package, but minus all Leafs games tickets, their cost being deducted from your package. Organization loves the money they bring in, in booze sales.
Anyone ever notice when they shifted from two small beers or one large beer per customer, to two large beers per customer? Two large is over four bottles and some fans are legally impaired half-way through the first period.
The Sens purposely sell huge amounts of tickets for these packages to Montreal and Toronto agencies – Ottawa fans could not buy those tickets if they wanted to.
I worked there and it was dangerous for me when the Leafs were there, but not with Montreal fans. The ushers’ supervisors are useless friends of higher-ups, and they don’t support the ushers – I was left alone in several dangerous situations. When the Leafs are there, some of the supervisors are the first ones down to the locker rooms. Some ushers clear out quickly too. If a supervisor takes action against someone, they have to stay after the game to write it up, so they don’t want to do that. Morale went straight downhill after Melnyk cut people’s salaries and reduced the wage scale. Not worth taking the risk. The target fan demographic has been changed on purpose. Usd to be adults – men properly dressed and wives, with well-behaved teenagers. Now it is late twenties, single hoser males, heavy drinkers, who are no different than the idiots at World Wrestling and Extreme Fighting. If you are civilized, just there for the hockey and a coffee and dog, you are taking up a seat from someone who would spend more.
Speak with your money, insist on no Leafs tickets in your package, and ssy why.
Those tickets will then get sold to leaf fans are you people really that incomptenet to see that not taking those tickets gives more into the very people you want to stop coming to the game!
Honestly Sens fans need to step up to the plate and grow a pair!
Don’t punish your own team, buy selling the tickets becasue the Leafs are in town, go the game cheer your team on don’t insult the other fans and maybe it wont be such a bad experience!
Cause you know who you are Sens fan who flame this fire at the game!
This didn’t need to happen. But for the last 20 years there has been an unending arrogance on the part of the Senators organization, aided by certain broadcast media outlets, that now that the Sens are in town, everyone must magically change their allegiances overnight, or risk scorn and derision. This was largely aimed at Leafs fans of course (but Habs fans too), since Ottawa was a Leafs town. The Leafs fans didn’t take kindly to being scorned just because they remained loyal to their team, and who can blame them? Until these attitudes change, and the media stops fanning the flames, this sad situation will continue. The Sens organization has to take the lead.
Without having read any of the above comments I just want to offer my perspective as a Leafs fan. The only opportunity I ever get to see my team is when they play in Ottawa, and I feel I have the right to wear my jersey and respectfully cheer for my team. The first time I ever went to see them in Ottawa I was told off by a woman who was a few seats down from me ..she said “I don’t believe you have the nerve to wear that jersey here” .. well .. your team is playing against the Leafs and you can’t expect Leafs fans to not show up. Through that game every time Ottawa scored that woman would look over at me and clap obnoxiously .. I ignored her. The Leafs won that night! Another time I went to see the Leafs here I was pushed by a girl out in the lobby, because I had on a Leafs jersey. “The Battle of Ontario” is a joke and something that has been made up by the media .. truth be told, most Leafs fans don’t really give a rats about the Sens, we don’t respect them for the booing and we’d much rather play against a true and respectful rival like Detroit or Montreal.
One way to fix it.
Instead of complaining about leaf fans, do something about it.
Instead of taking a defeatest attitude and not attending these games, do something about it.
Instead of complaining about how hard it is to get to SBP, do something about it.
Instead of complaining about the negative branding, do something about it.
Instead of arguing about what is wrong, do something about all of it.
Be loud, be proud, be hockey country. If Senators fans made a concerted effort to attend these games, there wouldn’t be nearly as many opposing teams fans in the building. March 16th & 17th, Montreal & Toronto are in Ottawa for back to back games. Lets get our tickets & go to the game. Together we can outnumber the Montreal & Leafs fans, just like we outvoted them to get our Sens heros into the All-Star game. I’m on a limited budget, but just purchased standing room tickets to each game. I’ll drive to the Greenboro park & ride & catch the 402 express route to SBP & be at the game in lots of time. I’ll be wearing my Sens Jersey, my Sens ball cap & my Sens scarf. I’ll shout & cheer for my team and encourage them to do well. I won’t engage in shouting matches with any Montreal or Leafs fans that happen to be in attendance. I’ll ignore them like they aren’t there. After the game, if we’ve won, I’ll high five my fellow Sens fans as I exit the building, and if we’ve lost I’ll hold my head high, proud to be a Sens fan. Then I’ll jump on the same bus after the game, and I’ll be home an hour after the horn sounds.
If we want to change the atmosphere in SBP, it is up to us – The Fans – to use our voice, to have our say & to take the high road. There will always be TO/MTL fans in our building. The only way to control the number is to buy the tickets ourselves and make sure they know that this is our house. But we do that with sheer numbers, not by engaging them in silly chants and jeers. We do that buy simply being greater in number, and ignoring the few who do manage to make their way into the stands. We do that, by being loud, by being proud, By being there.
This is our house.
Go Sens.
I’m a Leaf’s fan living in Ottawa, and I was at the game Saturday night. I cheered when my team scored, i booed when the scoreboard played their silly “Leafs Suck” routine. Living in Ottawa, i really don’t have a chance to go to Leafs home games, so I fail to see why its such a bad thing that I go to the game here, when I can. I’m sure that there are a lot of people that come from out of town due to the price of ACC tickets, but lets not forget that your friends and neighbors are also leafs fans because that is what they grew up watching. Don’t paint all Toronto fans with the same brush. I was sitting in very good seats, but with all of the Toronto fans around me, most were 30-60 year old men who came to enjoy the game with a friend or colleague, had a couple of beers, and watched the boys in blue kick butt. I saw no drunken fights between Sens fans and Leafs fans at all. The “worst” i saw was a leafs fan in the hallways during the second intermission high-fiving anyone with a leafs jersey/hat/etc.
The truth is, that if Ottawa had loyal fans, the Leafs fans wouldn’t be able to get tickets. There would be so much demand that the Sens organization wouldn’t be forced to sell out of market tickets. After living in Ottawa for 6 years (and loving living in this city), i can safely say that Sens fans seem to jump on and off the bandwagon at the slightest whim. Leafs fans are a bit too loyal in some ways, but Sens fans could learn something from them: support your team through thick and thin, and your won’t have to worry about your team being moved out, or your stadium being 2/3rds full of the visiting team’s fans. I also completely agree that the Sens organization and the Ottawa media need to stop the leafs hate, and define the team as something other than “not leafs of habs”. They started doing it with the Sens Army stuff, but quickly reverted back to being “haters”.
Lastly on the Alfie thing – I don’t agree with a captain getting booed in his home rink. I agree that it is distasteful, but I can understand why it happens and players get booed in various arenas all of the time. I personally have no problem with Alfie, i think he is a class act, especially considering what he does in the community. The Sundin stick incident…. really guys? Him and Sundin are friends, don’t tell me you never make fun of your own friends too.
Sorry, you and others below who suggest Sens fans should just buy enough tickets to keep the Leafs fans out miss the point. Huge blocks of tickets are diverted to Toronto agencies and are not availableat all to Sens fans, online or in person. Same with Montreal agencies with our tickets. Those tickets are already gone. By your logic the arena would be half empty when Toronto is not here. It is obvious there are enough Ottawe people to buy up all the Sens tickets on every night Toronto is not here. The fact the Sen fans are outnumbered is proof the tickets are diverted.
Interesting how a “plea for civility” turned into “how can we defend the rink against Toronto hordes”.
Ummm, downtown arena anyone? No kidding Leafs fans are just as willing to shell out money to travel to KANATA to see the games. Yeah, Ottawa transportation does have buses that head out to the arena – but a 30-40 minute bus ride (plus 15 minutes to get from the edge of the parking lot to the building) is a pretty big buzz kill. Just ask the Glendale – oh, I mean Phoenix, Coyotes how their fan support is. For now, be happy that Laffs fans are pouring their money into the Sens organization. Arena location being what it is – Senators home fans; you ARE too reserved. You ARE too quiet. Nobody makes any noise in the last minute of games the Sens are winning. Nobody gets out of their seats to cheer after fights or big hits. I’ve only been to one Sens home game, way back in 2006 (a 6-5 shootout Win over the Leafs), and I had Senators fans telling me to “sit down/ keep quiet/ watch my language”. Don’t be so reserved, it’s a hockey game, not a library. Watch some Jets or Canadiens games on television, then watch some Sens home games… not even close in terms of VOCAL fan support.
You are absolutely right, Sens fans are way too quiet. I’d love to hear some more noise and I can’t believe someone would say keep quiet. I’d draw the line at the language, though, and maybe that’s more the reason you were asked to sit down. I think that while Sens marketing does need to stop the negative marketing as Spencer says, we fans have to take some responsibility too, show up and show more vocal support. That doesn’t mean screaming Leafs Suck at every opportunity, which only invites tit for tat and next thing you know everyone is crying about whose fans are ruder and more disrespectful.
Ever wonder why Leaf fans show up at a game at ScotiaBank Place when their teams is not even playing that night and sometimes not just at a hockey game? It’s because they want to let everyone know they are Leaf fans. Ask a Buffalo fan when the Leafs play there. It’s all about showing up at a venue and being as in your face as possible. Even if the Leafs get beaten badly, their fans will still be loud and proud after the game as they exit the building. Does that mean we have to act the same? When they boo Alfie, am I supposed to rain down haymakers on the Leaf fan in front of me. We live in Ottawa not Millwall. I just hope our team responds and at least shuts them up somewhat.
It has nothing to do with our fans not being loyal and buying up blocks of tickets to shut out Leaf fans from getting in. They are available for anyone to purchase and if they have the means and opportunity to do so, so be it. As long as they keep doing so, drive up concession sales and put money in our owners pockets, they are helping our organization. Leaf Nation has been around for 90 years, as has the Habs and their fans want to cheer their team in Ottawa. They still outnumber Ottawa fans in this area.
Leaf fans think Alfie was mocking Sundin with the fake stick toss. I think he was mocking the NHL, telling them how lame the suspension was to Sundin in the first place. But Leaf fans defer to their code. “Never diss the Nation.”
When “alfie” shot the puck at neidemayer after the whistle was that TO,s fault too. he,s no saint , so knock it off. He shouldn,t ever mock anyone!
Alfie scored in the previous game with 1.1 seconds on the clock at the end of the period. He was trying to do it again (why not?). Or do you have selective memory, like most jaded and bitter fans of underperforming hockey teams do?
Sens fans (with the assistance of Senators marketing) bring this stupidity upon themselves. Attending a Sens-Sabres (Sabres, NOT Leafs) game earlier this year, I saw “Leafs Suck” signs in a 200-level box; the “Leafs Suck” nonsense on the scoreboard; the Sens fans with “Leafs Suck” instead of an actual player’s name on the back of their Sens jersey; the moron who yelled out “Belak” during the All Star Game Fantasy Draft; and I could go on.
You simply cannot behave as poorly as this, Sens fans, and then rise indignant when other fans push back. You reap what you sow, and until you change your attitude, you’re going to have to live with it. Act more like adults, and the behaviour at Sens-Leafs (or Sens-Habs) games will surely improve.
I think the Sens fans mentioned above were the ones doing the pushing back and yes, I agree it was inappropriate. For the record, about 95% of Sens fans I know were embarassed about the booing. So please don’t tar us all with the same black brush. And saying “he started it” doesn’t ever solve anything.
Please do not think here in Ottawa that hockey fans and their fave players have been hard done by. Simply put “pot kettle black.” the media have fuelled this ” battle.” it sells papers, gets readers blogging here, sells tix to games etc. The more this battle is encouraged the more the desired result is found. I have endured some of the silliest juvenile remarks, gestures at Habs/Senators games here in Ottawa. In the middle of one of those games someone bellows “Leafs suck!”. Why? It was a Habs Senators game. You people here are still in the early stages of being in the big leagues. Stop the whining, show some respect for your opponent, unlike booing a guy who chooses players at an all-star draft simply because he is a Maple Leaf. Fans here need a lesson in ” live & let live. And media, stop stoking the fire, please.
Right on!
A few games ago I was invited to a corporate suite owned by a major Bank. I struck up a conversation with the host who mentioned that she was from Toronto originally and a Sens fan except when the Leafs were in town. She went on to say that when the Leafs are in town she cannot even get a seat. Head Office takes over and you can guess where head Office is located.
I looked up at the suite during the Sens game and true to her word it was crammed with Leaf fans. As I looked around the arena I noticed that a fair number of the best box seats and suites were filled with blue. Behind the penalty box. Both player benches. Centre ice suites.
I am not so sure if the problem lies with Leaf fans buying up regular tickets. Maybe the issue is with corporate fair weather fans. I will not name the Bank but I am sure that a little media digging by Wayne and others will show who quickly show which corporations only support Ottawa when Toronto or Montreal is not in town.
I must admit that I was one of those seat owners who would give up my tickets to Leaf fans. What harm could it do? No more. If I am not going to the game I will ensure that whoever does is wearing Sens gear. I challenge other corporate and private owners to do the same.
Maybe someone can come up with a pin that indicates that we only give our tickets to Sens
fans.
The answer is not to give up and stay away but show up, hold your head up and be proud.
Go Sens Go.
There is barely any corporate support in this town. You cannot give tickets as tokens or incentive at the government level so most tickets are purchased by individuals (oddly enough, government workers largely) and there is the odd firm that has a box.
It’s super cheap to get tickets to Habs and Leafs games and sadly, our fanbase just roll over and let people do it.
Not sure RecalSentrant where you are getting your corporate stats. Last I heard there has been very good support from major corporations. If every major Bank, communication and high tech business have suites or box seats that is quite a few butts.
From where I sit the suites and the best box seats are filled with Leaf and Canadiens fans when their team is in town. See for yourself at the next Leaf game in March. it would be a start if the head offices of these corporations could be reminded by their Ottawa district office that this our rink and we do not appreciate the tickets going to the visiting club.
It would be nice if someone from the media did a little digging and let us know which corporations are only part time supporters of the home town. I for one will not give tickets to Leaf fans. If others would do the same it will at least be a start. The answer is going to the game and supporting your home team, not avoiding it.
Let us hear from one of the owners and there take on Leaf and Canadien games.
Really? As lifelong Habs fan, I was thrilled when Ottawa was awarded a team. Over 20 years , I have watched this city embarrass themselves time and time again. Pls tell me how yelling “Leafs suck” at Sabres game is a sign of knowledgable hockey fans? Pls tell me how booing Leafs players at an All Star game is showing the nation how “mature” this city is? Pls tell me how punching my husband on the shoulder after a Sens goal (we were at Scotiabank Place) is respectful? Especially since my husband must use a cane to walk? The Sens fans are the immature and rude. Stop whining and grow up!
If more people who are annoyed by the antics of the boorish Toronto Maple |Leafs fans at Sens/Leafs games in our own rink, stopped going to those games, don’t you think sooner or later the Sens organization would feel the financial pinch and just maybe they would come up with a plan to put a stop to it? Wild horses couldn’t drag me to a Sens/Leafs game; even with a free ticket!
Respectfully Sir,
A wise teacher once told me: “If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem.”
By not going to these games, you are conceding defeat. I have witnessed and I do understand that the games against Montreal & Toronto are not the most enjoyable experience due to the presence of the fans of those clubs. However, by not going you are allowing the problem to grow worse, and you sit at home hoping someone else will fix the problem for you.
Where was this behaviour learned, and why are there so many in Ottawa with this sense of entitlement?
Add me to the list of Ottawa fans who won’t attend the Leaf games anymore because of threats. I’ve had too many experiences with Leaf fans coming right up to me in the corridors, screaming at me and my wife from inches away. I’ve seen young Leaf fans going after seniors, and older Leaf fans making young kids in their Sens regalia cry.
I have no problem with fans having fun and making noise in the other guy’s crib. But with Leaf fans, I’m worried about my physical safety. Maybe it’s generations of losing, they know they won’t win anything so they have to find another reason to cheer – “If I can’t be happy, then you’re going to be miserable” – but it makes for a lousy evening.
It is called rivals, it is called competitive sports. You are going to try and find a way to not sell tickets to Leaf fans?
Maybe we should sell the tickets only to Ottawa Fans, and if someone walks in with a different NHL Team Jersey we should kick them out.
Also maybe booing the home team and cheering the visitor team should be like throwing bottles in the crowd or being too drunk, they should be escorted out and that way Ottawa Fans can be the majority crowd…
Or… Maybe Ottawa fans should just show up in support and buy the tickets that the leaf fans are buying, which obviously isn’t happening.
I think it is completely embarrassing to hear that people don’t want their arena filled with fans of the opposing team or to limit the amount of tickets sold. It is hockey and if there are more fans than the home team has then the home team should do something to increase their fan base.
It shouldn’t be okay to show videos over the years of Ottawa having a goal or hit on the Leafs team or saying Leafs Suck, maybe that hurts the feelings of the Leaf fans, or maybe the leafs fans know that it is exciting and creates a playoff atmosphere at every game and its all fun and games.
That is my comment.
it’s your fault
no it’s your fault
no it’s your fault
no it’s your fault
no it’s your fault
no it’s your fault
no it’s your fault
no it’s your fault
no it’s your fault
no it’s your fault
All these Ottawa fans who are physically afraid of the Leaf fans at Scotiabank Place amaze me. I go to a couple of games a year and place seems pretty safe to me. where do you folks sit?
I was wondering the exact same thing. While I have seen some obviously intoxicated and obnoxiously annoying fans at these games, my wife & I have never feared for our safety.
That being said, there are obviously some fans who do feel afraid. That being the case – whether real or percieved – it is the responsibility of the officials at SBP & the Ottawa Senators organization to step up security at SBP for games against Montreal & Toronto. If a person is feeling threatened, security needs to be alerted and remove the threat.
I was curious about this one myself, actually. I’m the same. Been to several Battle of Ontario games and, while I’ve certainly met my share of annoying people, I’ve never felt unsafe. Besides, the second the Sens take a lead the blue and white wearers are meek as lambs. I worry that this problem is getting exaggerated by the recent coverage and just giving more seats to the invading fanbase.
The arena should be divided into partisan sections, like they do for European soccer. There ought to also be a strictly patrolled family section where abuse, foul language or intimidation is not tolerated. This goes for not only the arena bowl but the concourses too. Barring a ban on alcohol, there are always going to be drunken, boorish away fans when the Leafs or Habs come to town – why not let them have their own section?
1927
Stupid
Over the past many many years Torontonians have been crowing about how wonderfull their professional teams are at the center of the sporting world universe, and yet just look at their achievements. Football?; Soccer??; Baseball???; Basketball????; Hockey????? etc.etc.. You people live in a dream! Your so called maple leafs are a joke and your fans live up to that reputation. In Ottawa, Buffalo, Detroit we’re actually starting to feel sorry for you, as it is apparent you need help to combat your obnoxious, drunken behaviour. Get a life people..accept the fact that you’re second rate and Stanley won’t be in your area in your life time!
So I heard about the discussion about how you don’t like leaf fan well the truth we don’t like u u all whine about how leaf fans ruin ur experience well you just make it all the funn for leaf fans I have been to five leaf game in Ottawa and just the thrill of seeing more blue and white makes the whole night worth it. Us leaf fan love having three home areas ( Toronto, buffalo and of course Ottawa) thanks for the great wins
All the whining about Leafs getting booed at the ASG is comedy gold. Its hockey, you cheer for your team, boo your rivals and have a little fun. Phaneuf, Lupul and Kessel are big boys and they understand how these things work and clearly enjoyed playing the ‘villains’ for the weekend. Classless is when fans go out of their way to ensure rivals fans don’t enjoy their experience or feel unsafe. Booing is just hockey.
But I’ll be sure to take careful consideration of Leafs player’s very well compensated feelings the next time I have the chance to boo the pants off them…
I’ve not been to a habs game, but I have personal experience with the Laffs fans. I took the bus and the laffs fans were idiots even though their team lost. I have some suggestions.
For Leafs and Habs games, the Sens should only sell to season-ticket subscribers or ticket-package buyers online. The rest of the tickets should have to be bought at the Sens box office or Ottawa ticket outlets in person. Make it harder for the out-of-towners.
As for the obnoxious behaviour, don’t sell beer to the people wearing out of town sweaters. Just don’t. You can defend it on the basis of the previous behaviour. Take the loss on the beer sales.
As I read the article and the comments, all I get a feeling for is that Sensators fans have a huge inferiority complex. As many have noted, they seem to define themselves more by what they are not than what they are, always worried about what the other temas fans will think (Vancouver fans are the same – must be from having had a good team but not quite having won a Cup yet).
I’ve been to a Senators-Leafs game in TO, and it was no big deal. No scoreboard taunting, just some booing of the appropriate villians on the other team, but otherwise just another team in town.
If Ottawa fans want to act like grown-up fans, they had better stop the childish behaviour and act like them, not like sulky kids in the schoolyard.
I’ll be at the St. Patrick’s game with my kids, and we’ll most likely all be cheering for Toronto (not sure yet about one of them!). Sorry if that gets anyone’s knickers in a knot.
Oh, and how did I manage to finagle my way into tickets? Well, I very sneakily went on to the Senators home page, logged on and bought them, just before Christmas. There were plenty to choose from! So why don’t you put your money where your mouths are and buy them yourselves, so us Leafs fans don’t have a chance to get them? Someone suggested that there were “packages” being sold to outside agencies. My experience indicates otherwise. Let’s face it, it’s just you. And don’t worry, we are just there to cheer for our team, not abuse anyone else. Let’s see if that runs both ways, as many here have stated that “it’s only the Leafs fans who are bad”.
There are nights, sure, when the fans are kinda quiet. Like when it’s a loss. I’ve been to probably 20 Sens games. I’ve never seen any problems with other teams fans, just the Laffs. It’s in the “Laffs Nation” psyche to be this horde that other teams don’t like.
It’s gotten out of hand and it goes beyond what is simple fun. The Sens have a big building, bigger than Toronto’s, so it’s not going to sell out every game. So there will always be tickets for out-of-towners. But it’s time for the out-of-towners to follow some simple rules like not be drunk, don’t be obnoxious in other people’s faces. Would -you- go up to someone late at night and yell at their face outside the building? No way. Unless you were in some punk gang and that’s what the Laffs Nation has become.
No, it’s not in the “Leafs Nation” psyche to be obnoxious. I’ve been to Leafs games at other arenas and despite the large Leafs contingent, there is no rowdy behaviour even if they’ve had a bit too much to drink. They cheer for their team, and accept ribbing from the other team’s fans, especially if losing.
The problem is Ottawa’s attitude, which riles up the Leafs fans with the stupid scoreboard videos and dumb newspaper articles. It’s time for the Senators to grow up and act like like an NHL franchise. No more team-sponsored taunting and ridicule, just support your own team. That will solve most of the problem, but it will take a while to go back to the way it should be because of the childish corporate behaviour, which flows down to the Sen’s fans behaviour. The Leafs fans behaviour is simply a response to the taunting they put up with when attending a game in Ottawa.
Oh, and if Ottawa can’t sell out for a game against the Leafs, their self-declared “arch rival”, then they should downsize their arena. Maybe trade with Winnipeg. They’d love to have a huge arena, and would sell it out all the time.
For all the talk of “out-of-town packages” and the such, well, I’m a Leafs fan, and I bought tickets for the March 17 Leafs-Sens game right before Christmas. How did I sneakily get my tickets? Well, I sat down in front of my computer and slyly logged on to the Senator’s own web page, and, while I drank my coffee, ordered tickets! Wow! And there were plenty to choose from! So, before the “they were never offered to us” conspiracy theorists get all up in arms, why don’t you Sens fans get your butts into the seats at Scotiabank Place and prevent “other” fans from taking over? Even when I watched the Vancouver-Sens game on TV, it seemed like the crowd was mostly cheering for the Canucks!
I think you Leafs fans are on to something… I’m a Sens fan and I think the Senators (and fans) ask for it by riling up the Leafs fans with focusing more on hating the Leafs than anything. The answer to getting more red into SB Place really is THAT simple, BUY TICKETS. I’ve seen the Leafs and Sens in Toronto and the fans aren’t even close to that amped up as they are in Ottawa. It’s too easy for droves of Leafs fans to get tickets in Ottawa, from Toronto or from Ottawa Leafs fans have easy breezy access to a game. You have to know somebody who knows somebody to get tickets in Toronto. There’s no way droves of Senators fans could ever flood the ACC. If Ottawa ever hopes to establish itself as a true organization they need to make it impossible to get tickets. According to the Senators there are over 13,000 season seat holders, I don’t think they’re ALL Leafs fans first! The season seat holders who give up their seats need to make it their duty to attend in order to keep Leafs fans OUT! Sens Insiders (like myself) are often given priority access to tickets, so there you go.
By the way Leafs fans, if you thought the Leafs suck video was juvenile don’t act innocent, they’ve done that every time I’ve been to games at the ACC, you know… in TORONTO! YOUR home rink. The senators don’t exactly get the red carpet treatment in Toronto, nor would I expect it. They set up a dunk tank with a guy in a Senators jersey outside a game in the fall. Are we supposed to issue a public written welcome statement for filling up our arena?
After reading all these posts I’m left with the belief that many Leaf fan’s are genuinely mentally challenged while those Ottawa fans lower themselves to that level aren’t much better. Toronto has an engrained culture of losing and bitterness which shows in their fans. Let’s not emulate them.
And then there’s that Sens fan who punched a woman from Buffalo in the face at a playoff game a few years ago simply because she was a Sabres fan.
It seems to me that the Maple Leafs aren’t the only team that has boorish fans.
Clearly though, Leafs fans must be a few bricks short of a load and their weak minds aren’t able to think in the present, only being able to grasp memories from 10 and 40 years ago. Reasonable adults should make allowances for those shortcomings in Leaf Nation.
Perhaps the way to deal with those “Boos” at home games is for the Sens fans to simply chant “ALFIE !! ALFIE!!” whenever those simpletons
Uh, yeah. “grasp memories from 10 and 40 years ago”. Good one! Ottawa has Stanley Cup banners of a now-defunct franchise from before the Great Depression hanging in their stadium, and tries to claim them as their own. Give me a break…
Go Kenora Thistles!!! HaHaHa!
I propose we create a dedicated Sens “home game” foundation, with the mandate to buy up large blocks of tickets for Leafs and Habs games, and then redistribute pairs of tickets to Ottawa-area children (say two tickes, one for a kid and one for a parent). We did something like this in 2000, was it, when the Sens were on the brink of being moved. I think this is the only thing that will work, as Ottawa has a walk-up crowd, which is why Leafs interlopers are able to get too many tickets. I don’t have the ability to attend many Senators games, but would be willing to fork out two installments of $60, say, to send more low-income and other kids to games. The ultimate aim would be to buy up 3,000 to 5,000 tickets per Habs of Leafs tilt.
Tell them the game has been moved to another arena…oh wait that only works in crooked politics .
Ottawa is in 5th, Toronto is in 10th. Ottawa is in month #6 of their rebuild, Toronto is in year #4 of their rebuild. Oh, and Ottawa has won 3 of 5 games vs. the Leafs thus far. Why would Ottawa fans be the bitter or hostile ones? Please enlighten me.
Don’t rub it in. The irony is not lost on me. Ottawa is only 1 point out of 2nd place this morning. Toronto is 4 points out of a playoff spot. Yuk…
Show the laughs greatest moments from the last 40 years on that beautiful new HD screen. If they are still laugh fans after that bit if reality…well, actually I don’t know what you do with people like that. Perhaps someone from the medical community could comment?
Start the “Alfie Alfie Alfie” Chant when the leaf fans start their chant! The leaf fans HATE….HATE Alfie!!! and we need Alfie to grow the playoff hair back!
tor are 8 pts out of a playoff spot now. At least Ontario will have one playoff team this year! GO SENS GO!
There really is a very simple method to limit the number of leaf fans who show up at sens games: Robocall every ticket holder and find out who are sens fans and who are leaf fans. Then do a follow up call to all the identified leaf fans and tell the rink has moved to a new location in Orleans and inform them that each ticket will come with a free Poutine for their inconvenience. They are a gullible lot so no doubt will have no trouble believing this.
I was at a recent game at Scotiabank Place. It seemed that there were more Leafs fans in the stands than there were Sens fans. Blue and White was everywhere. The “Go Sens Go” chant would get overshadowed by “Go Leafs Go”.
However, the thing that disturbed me most was a class guy and team leader like Daniel Alfredsson was very loudly booed every time he touched the puck. I can see this happening if the game was in Toronto, but it should not occur on “home ice”.
Eugene Melnyk and the Senators organization needs to work harder to fill the seats with more Sens fans and fewer Leafs fans for those “Battle of Ontario” games. Get creative.
I think Thomas Bergbusch is on to something. Maybe it should be funnelled through the Sen’s Foundation and tax receipts could be provided for those that donate. I can see a lot of local businesses and individuals donating $ for tickets that would allow kids to go to these games. Great idea Thomas!
Sens fans need to get over themselves. They spend more time hating the Leafs than they do supporting their team. Cheering “Leafs Suck”, at a game when the opponent isn’t Toronto? How Pathetic. Plus, the Ottawa media loves spending time analyzing/crtiquing Toronto, focusing less on their beloved Senators. Leafs fans are obnoxious, yes, but I don’t get how people are afraid for their lives while going to a game…seriously. Get real. You want to see drunken obnoxious fans, go to Buffalo or Boston after a win at their home arena. Now THERE’S something to be in awe about. Sens fans, focus on your team, or here’s a whacky idea, cheer for them every now and then when the Leafs or Habs are in town. Show some support for crying out loud and stop whining. Granted, not ALL Sens fans are like this. There are plenty of normal ones out there; the dumb ones just drown you guys out sometimes. And no I am not a Leafs fan. Both fanbases, shut up and enjoy the game.
I have been a shared Season Ticket Holder since the beginning. When we sit down to draw tickets for the year the Leafs and Habs tickets are always the last chosen – even after the Panthers – as neither of us want them. If I am stuck with them I sell them off to whoever wants them. The games are not enjoyable and I do not want to subject myself to an arena full of Leafs fans. The Sens even help me out by making them a higher face value so I can recover more money for them.
Why in this strike shortened year did we have to have 3 Leafs games. Please Sens organization – refuse these games or save us the hassel and let the ACC host them.
the bottom line is I go to Senators games to enjoy hockey and have a pleasant experience. Leafs and Habs games are not “enjoyable” and I am not going to pay money to sit through them. Let the Leafs fans and Habs fans have another “home” game to come to – I will go to a nice restaurant and enjoy a meal with the $ I save.
I’m not a season ticket holder , but I do go to more Senators home games then I don’t. First of all Leafs fans ARE right about hating on them even when they aren’t in town … That just dosent make sense to me. BUT on the other side iv seen many leafs fans saying “they deserve what they get”. Well let me make something very clear , as a 2nd degree blackbelt in Karate, and a brown belt in BJJ if I EVER see a guy acting the way some people are describing I’ll be sure to let him know how I feel about it. All because sens fans may be obnoxious to you leaf fans does not in any way give you guys the right to swear,start fights , get drunk ESPECIALLY with kids there. Ottawa fans are by far the quietest out of all the canadian cities and we do need to step it up a notch but both sides need to grow the fuck up and get over themselves.