How big of a presence do the Sens have in Gatineau?
- Thread starter saskriders
- Start date
Pretty big I'd say. Not as big as the habs I'd bet, maybe a little less than half, somewhere 40% would be my guess
I would say that between the people that acually follow hockey closely it's around 50-50 between the Sens and the Habs. People that don't really know anything about hockey and just pick a team because they want to be like everyone else seems to favour the Habs though, not sure why. You rarely see a casual Sens fan.
Atleast that what I have noticed, as a 21 years old francophone living in Gatineau.
Atleast that what I have noticed, as a 21 years old francophone living in Gatineau.
FuriousSenator
Registered User
Arena is too damn far from Gatineau to be fair. I can't imagine it's a pleasant experience getting there to support the team on a week night say (or even a weekend really). So if you're a francophone who grew up watching the Habs from out of town, what's the incentive to switch to the Sens who are also, for all intents and purposes, out of town?
DrunkUncleDenis
Condra Fan
- Mar 27, 2012
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I've noticed this too. Didn't you hear, it's not cool to cheer for your area's team, especially if they represent boring Ottawa. Ole Ole!
I'd actually argue that 2/3 of Gatineau is closer than Orleans. It's literally across a river, man. It's not far at all.
Distance-wise from the arena, that's like living in Markham and saying oh well the ACC is too far away for me to cheer for Toronto.
I don't think hockey allegiances have much to do with arena distance in Gatineau. I think it's more cultural.
This. It seems as though the Habs went on a massive marketing campaign a couple of years prior to the centennial (2009) and it became really trendy to cheer for them. Most of those fans do not follow hockey at all and just show up when Montreal beats Ottawa or makes it to the playoffs.
With regards to the OP, there was a poll last year in Le Droit that suggested that the split in Gatineau was around 60-40 in favour of the Habs IIRC. All I could find was this:
"Lors de divers sondages, 29% des francophones ont affirmé être partisans des Sénateurs." Le Droit
As there is a significant English speaking population in Gatineau, I think 40% is a reasonable estimate.
tony d
Registered User
I think they would have somewhat of a presence there, probably competing with Montreal for fans there.
Buck Aki Berg
Done with this place
We are considered to be in the Ottawa-Gatineau region so we get the Sens feed for all games on Sportsnet, CBC, etc. The only games that are not available are the preseason ones that Rogers TV broadcasts on their local channel in Ottawa.
There are more Habs fans for sure. I do find that the teams presence on this side of the bridge is lacking though. It sort of feels like they tried in the early days and didn't see much potential.
To be honest though, you don't want to convert Gatineau Habs fans to Sens fans. It will ruin our image.
To be honest though, you don't want to convert Gatineau Habs fans to Sens fans. It will ruin our image.
Buck Aki Berg
Done with this place
M4TR1X
Registered User
My Uncle just moved out of Gatineau and both my grandparents on my father's side spent over 20 years there. From what they told me in the past is that the majority is definitely pro-Habs but there is a presence of Sens fans. Just not nearly as overwhelming of support compared to what they have for Montreal.
Back in Black
All Sports would be great if they were Hockey
Next time your at Canadian Tire Centre for a game take a look how many Quebec License plate are in the parking lot. You'd be surprised. *****And I don't mean a game against the Habs!!!!!
I thought they got the RDS Habs games only.....
I thought they got the RDS Habs games only.....
Senateurs
Let's win it all
- Feb 28, 2007
- 9,256
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Well said. Habs have the majority of the casual fans but they can't even name 5 players on the roster. I would also say that there are more Sens fans as we get closer to Aylmer. A bridge between Aylmer and Kanata would help a lot.
jbeck5
Registered User
- Jan 26, 2009
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My cottage is up 20 mins up river from Aylmer in Luskville. 70-30 in favor of sens fans. Yet they hate English people from Ontario. But they'll be wearing a sens hat. Weird. Little kids seem to be sens fans. Old men with beer guts seem to be habs fans
Do Make Say Think
& Yet & Yet
- Jun 26, 2007
- 51,167
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I live in downtown Hull and Sens fans are few and far inbetween there
I mean a lot of people there are Habs fans who also like the Senators so it's not all bad either
Whenever I go to a bar and they sing OleOleOle I start chanting Pageau and I usually get a few death stares and lots of laughs
I mean a lot of people there are Habs fans who also like the Senators so it's not all bad either
Whenever I go to a bar and they sing OleOleOle I start chanting Pageau and I usually get a few death stares and lots of laughs
darglor
Registered User
- Feb 17, 2012
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Go to a pub on a night where both the Habs and Sens are playing and you'll see, at most, 1 TV playing the Sens. If they're not showing it, they'll switch one over if you ask.
Go to a pub on a night where they're playing each other and the crowd will be roughly 60/40 in favour of the Habs.
Often feels like a one-sided rivalry though. The Habs fans seem to "hate" the Sens fans and the Sens fans don't really care much at all, from what I've seen.
As for TV coverage, it's pretty good. The Sens games on the Ottawa English stations are available and sometimes you get some games on TVA Sports which aren't available anywhere in English/Ottawa (as far as I know, anyway). TVA Sports also doesn't seem to have the horrendous Habs slant/bias that RDS does... Seriously, RDS even puts HNIC's love of the Leafs to shame.
Go to a pub on a night where they're playing each other and the crowd will be roughly 60/40 in favour of the Habs.
Often feels like a one-sided rivalry though. The Habs fans seem to "hate" the Sens fans and the Sens fans don't really care much at all, from what I've seen.
As for TV coverage, it's pretty good. The Sens games on the Ottawa English stations are available and sometimes you get some games on TVA Sports which aren't available anywhere in English/Ottawa (as far as I know, anyway). TVA Sports also doesn't seem to have the horrendous Habs slant/bias that RDS does... Seriously, RDS even puts HNIC's love of the Leafs to shame.
senility
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- May 23, 2005
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Interesting. I'd be curious to know if that was true before the playoff series as well, or if it is mostly a factor of them coming out on the losing end?
My two cents having lived there half my life, as everything this province does it comes down to language.....Sens=English, Habs=French.
Do Make Say Think
& Yet & Yet
- Jun 26, 2007
- 51,167
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The playoff series changed everything as far as Habs fans who now hate the Sens
There's a lot more hatred towards the Senators in Gatineau now, prior to that it was a shrug
That being said it's a bit on the down side now, a lot of people have gotten over the humiliation by now
