WRITTEN BY- The Apostle
The decision to buy out Bobby Ryan has hit me hard, not just because he was my favourite player (which Ottawa fan hasn’t had their favourite player move on right? Most of us have had it happen 2 or 3 times now) but because for me, Bobby Ryan, Craig Anderson and Mark Borowiecki represent the end of an era.
I fell in love with hockey and the Sens in October 2003 during my first visit to Ottawa for work. The knowledge that the Sens were there and i had a built in hobby was a big part of the reason why I took a full time job in Canada in 2008 and why I stayed much longer than my initial contract stated. I left in May 2015, my last regular season game I attended in person was the ridiculous 4-3 come from behind win against Pittsburgh.
My years in Canada were the happiest of my life. There is a tendency to crap on what you know and not appreciate what you have every day but you bunch of guys should never get complacent about what a great place you get to call home.
Anyway back to hockey.
With Bobby leaving there is now no longer a single player on the roster that I have seen play a live game for the Senators. I have visited since 2015 and taken in a hockey game every visit but Bobby was last man standing. I now have no memories of seeing any of the current roster play for the Sens and for me, it represents something more powerful and more deep-rooted than just a move for a hockey team,it’s a connection I no longer have with Ottawa, it’s final confirmation that Canada represents something that has passed in my life, a place I used to call home. Don’t cry too much because I still love the place and I will never not love the Ottawa Senators.
These feelings though are why I feel so strongly about those who advocate for Melnyk out (which i do agree with, with conditions) and are seemingly on board with the idea of the team leaving the city. No matter how much they may infuriate or cause despondence I can absolutely say with surety, you will miss them if they leave.
I’d take a 25 game winning season each and every year over nothing because, for me, sports isn’t solely about winning. It’s about the hopes and fears that come along with each and every game; the chatting to your mates (both real and virtual) about what to do with Logan Brown; about real imagined moves and wants and desires for the team; about how shitty the 403 gets on the way back to town and so many other shared emotions that other people only partially understand.
I support the Sens not solely for the Stanley Cup but because when all said and done they are MY fucking team for better, for worse and the anticipation that this MIGHT just be the year never fully goes away, even when you know deep down that this year definitely ISN’T the year.
Even in a year that definitely isn’t the year there are the small victories over hated rivals, the victories of seeing new players coming through and the victories of just spending time doing something you love even though it infuriates you so often
Being separated by 3300 miles from something you love is very difficult and the Senators are a part of that mosaic, along with the Mayfair theatre, the Atomic Rooster, quiz night at the British High Commission, toonies, stupidly long winters and my outrage every time i see milk in a bag and much. Much more.
The departure of Bobby Ryan takes all of that just a little bit further away from me, and that’s sad.
The next few years are full of uncertainty, we still have a pandemic to navigate, crazy politicians both foreign and domestic (speaking from a UK perspective) and so much uncertainty and negativity around OUR hockey team, and it is ours. Melnyk might own it but it belongs to us, Never forget that and never wish it away.
Once more with feeling – GO SENS GO!
