Ottawa has a long, complicated relationship with hockey villains, and if you've ever sat in the stands at Canadian Tire Centre during a heated Senators matchup, you already know exactly what that means.
Where the Love of a Good Villain Comes From
For a lot of Ottawa sports fans, the fascination with villainy didn't start at the rink at all. It started on Saturday mornings in front of the TV, watching cartoon bad guys like Snidely Whiplash twirl his mustache in Dudley Do-Right, or Daedalus getting outmatched time and again by Hercules. Those early lessons in rooting against the bad guy stuck around, and they translate directly to how a lot of Ottawa fans watch hockey today. Every home game brings its share of hisses and boos directed at the opposing team's chief troublemaker, and there's a strange kind of joy in it.
The Senators and the Art of the Rivalry
Part of what makes attending a Senators game in Ottawa so much fun is that built-in drama. Hockey has always had its share of players fans across the league love to hate — the agitators, the trash talkers, the ones who seem to live to get under an opponent's skin. When one of those players skates into Ottawa wearing an opposing jersey, the energy inside the building shifts. Suddenly a regular-season game against a division rival feels a little more personal, a little more theatrical, and honestly, a lot more entertaining.
Why It Matters for Ottawa Sports Culture
This dynamic is part of what keeps Ottawa's hockey scene so lively. Villain narratives give fans an easy way to invest emotionally in a game, even when the Senators aren't necessarily fighting for a playoff spot that season. It's the same reason wrestling storylines work, or why a great movie needs a memorable antagonist — conflict makes things compelling. For Ottawa sports fans heading downtown or out to Kanata for a game night, knowing which visiting players to boo (affectionately, of course) is practically a local pastime in itself.
A Tradition Worth Keeping an Eye On
Whether it's a throwback to childhood cartoon villains or simply the natural byproduct of decades of NHL rivalries, Ottawa's appetite for a good hockey villain shows no signs of slowing down. So next time you're grabbing tickets to a Senators game, keep an eye on the opposing bench. Chances are there's a villain in the mix, and Ottawa fans will be ready to let them hear it.
Source: Ottawa Life Magazine
