OTTAWA -- You may have seen a new term trending on social media about the Ottawa Senators called "Sens Sickos."
It’s an unlikely rallying cry; born not from the Sens’ success, but from their struggles.
Thanks to an unlikely fan, the movement now has a theme song.
James Mellish is a Sens super-fan. While many locals have embraced the hometown team, Mellish is unique because he lives in St. Louis, Missouri.
"The Senators jersey just really caught my eye. I had nothing else to go on other than aesthetics," says Mellish.
Mellish became a fan 15 years ago, while playing the "NHL 2004" video game at a sleepover when he was 12.
"I fell in love with hockey that very night," said Mellish.
When he purchased the game, Mellish said, "And then I was like, I wonder if this team is any good in real life - and yes they were at that time, very much so; and, I’ve been them following them even more closely ever since."
He’s now more than just a member of the Sens fan base; he created a theme song to the growing social media movement "Sens Sickos."
"It ended up getting played in the arena, during a game that I fortunately was able to hurry home and be able to watch it live,” said Mellish.
He watched that game with his girlfriend, “and, we were just screaming on the couch when we realized it was me on the speakers."
The "Sens Sickos" started when fans were hoping for a loss to increase Ottawa’s chances at the first overall pick in the NHL draft lottery last year.
Chris is a Sens fan, who goes by the Twitter handle @brochenski. He modified a political cartoon, and it grew from there.
"It was originally a meme made by the Onion,” Chris tells CTV News Ottawa.
He added a Senators hat and foam finger on the character, and says it then took off.
"It just kind of flows well, and it just fits the overall vibe of how Sens feel," says Chris, "Sens fans feel kind of beaten down by the last few years."
"That’s what we’ve come to in Ottawa; we’re at the stage now where the Sens have been losing games on the ice for so long that fans have found a way to amuse themselves," says TSN 1200’s John Rodenburg.
Rodenburg thinks fans are ready to see the team not just win, but get back to the rink,
"Fans are just so thirsty to one day find a winning team, a team they can cheer on, be back in the rink at some point, experience what it’s like to be a fan again," said Rodenburg, morning host on TSN 1200. "But in the meantime, it’s like, what can I do to make this entire experience as fun as I possibly can."
Mellish is looking forward to visiting Ottawa again and meeting other fans in person once the pandemic is over. He’s visited Ottawa once, about 11 years ago.
"Definitely excited to do that."
