Can you believe we’ve been doing this for 15 years already? Mercy. Time flies when you’re having fun, amirite?

As I’m sitting down to write this article for our anniversary party, it’s almost hard to believe that we’ve already reached the 15-year anniversary of this website and network. 15 years? Can it be? It seems like only yesterday that I was listening to Jason Gregor’s radio show back in 2008 when I heard him mention Oilersnation.com for the first time — the site actually started in 2007 but I’m telling the story here so bear with me — but what I didn’t know at the time was that this simple plug would end up changing my life.

I remember getting home that night, punching the site into a fresh Internet Explorer tab, and having my mind blown by the different ways they were covering the team. There were photoshops and MS Paint drawings and jokes… I remember thinking it was nothing like the sports coverage I had ever seen to that point, and also that I wanted to figure out a way to be a part of the action. I loved this team, I had jokes, and I could make terrible photoshops… I just needed to be here. It wasn’t long after that first visit when I ended up meeting Wanye and basically begging him for the chance to contribute. All these years later, we’re still here, and honestly, I don’t know how to feel about it other than very old.

I mean, can you believe that it’s already been 15 years since Wanye and the Squire dialed up to the Internet and founded this little space known as Oilersnation? I remember in those early days when the traffic was tiny and having anyone other than a few of us commenting was unheard of, so to see where we’re at now after more than 21,000 articles is truly remarkable. The fact that there was a community of people willing to take a chance on a different flavour of coverage than what we were traditionally given was very unique, but I never would have imagined what it would turn into. 15 years? Already? Unreal.

In its infancy, Wanye and the Squire launched this space out of anger and was originally titled BringRyanHome.com, a tribute site built around the Ryan Smyth trade that sent him to the New York Islanders. At the time, the boys were in total shambles, their emotions were in tatters after their heart was traded away, and they needed an outlet to express their grief at the loss of Ryan Smyth. Since that space for fans to express themselves didn’t exist outside of random message boards, the boys took it upon themselves to start one themselves and here we all are 15 years later. It’s pretty amazing when you really think about it.

With 15 years in the books, we wanted to get the Nation together and throw a shaker to commemorate the occasion while thanking all of you for your continued support. Over the life of this website, we’ve been through plenty of ups and downs because the team we love has been a rollercoaster, and we wanted to celebrate this community with a bash that shows our appreciation for each and every one of you. Even though we’re riding through another season of ebbs and flows, what’s always been consistent in our world is that we’re always in this together and that’s exactly what this website was built around.

If you’ve ever been to one of our events before you already know that we love getting the Nation together, watching a game, letting loose, and raising some money for Free Play for Kids while we’re at it. What’s not to like? This time around, we’re putting together a ridiculous swag bag for everyone that buys a ticket, and we’ll be shaking down our partners until show time to collect as many giveaway prizes as humanly possible. We’ll also be putting together all kinds of activations and entertainment to keep you occupied both before and after the game. Basically, what I’m saying is that this party will have something for everyone and we put a lot of effort into making this the greatest party we’ve ever put on and you’re going to want to be there.

Alright, so I’ve rambled for long enough and now you want to know what the hell is going on, what you’re going to get, and when it’s going to happen. I appreciate your yearning for information, and here it is: