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Oilersnation Community: How sports fandom creates real belonging

Photo credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images

By Nation World HQ

Jul 19, 2026, 09:00 EDTUpdated: Jul 18, 2026, 16:46 EDT

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The following is a guest post by Monika, who is known in Oilersnation YouTube chats as Mr. Burns.

As Game 6 of the series against the Ducks came to an end, my disappointment had two sides. The first, obviously, was the game itself, and the lingering question of whether this team will ever get it done. The second was the realization that the loss meant a long off-season, and with it, less interaction with the online community built around Oilersnation shows like Pregaming with Bordzy and Afterdark. With that in mind, I wanted a chance to say thank you to Oilersnation and to the citizens who make being an Oilers fan about more than just hockey.

In 2020, I returned to school as a mature student at the start of a pandemic. The isolation of online learning, paired with working remotely, took a real toll, and loneliness became the norm. By 2023, the aftereffects of that isolation and working 80+ hours a week between school and part-time jobs landed me in the hospital due to stress. My doctor told me something had to change, and fast, by finding something that could give me a genuine break during the week. So, I decided to get more into hockey. I had always enjoyed watching the Oilers, but only casually; it was never a priority, and I rarely followed the surrounding media. As counterintuitive as cheering for the Oilers to reduce stress can seem, it offered a few hours completely separate from school and work. Around that time, I was introduced to Oilersnation through Lance Kane and instantly became a fan. What started as a way to get more insight into the sport quickly became a routine and the source of an unexpected friend group. Three years later, I’ve barely missed a game or a show.

The content itself matters. I enjoy all ON programming, and the positive energy of Bordzy, Brett, and Menzies, win or lose before and after the games, is consistently a highlight. I love the analytics from Liam and Tyler, and the mix of everything from Ryder and Lisa. But, if I’m being honest, the community is just as big a draw. The live chats and the Citizen Discord group (made up of various regulars in the chats), have become something like a family. We argue about roster decisions, celebrate wins, and complain about save percentages, but more importantly, we show up for each other. It’s now hard to imagine watching games without that shared experience.

There’s growing research to support what many of us feel intuitively. As Brandon Mastromartino and James J. Zhang note, “becoming involved in social media discussion” allows fans to feel like they are part of the team. Similarly, research by Daniel L. Wann and Jeffrey D. James points out that “Individuals achieve benefits such as boosts in self-esteem and feelings of belonging because they are associated with a group of like-minded individuals and can feel like they are part of an exclusive club” [link to study]. Video podcasts like Oilersnation’s livestreams take this a step further by actively engaging with fans in real time, making that sense of participation feel immediate and genuine.

One ON fan, Gabe (ChazYEG online), describes it this way:

“As an immigrant who had spent most of my time in Canada dealing with a pandemic, post-divorce, and what was one of the lowest points in my life, the ON
community gave me a sense of belonging, gave me some really good friends, and carried me through one of the hardest times I’ve faced. It’s one of the reasons I have come to call Edmonton home.”

Even after moving to B.C., that connection remained:

“After the initial settling in period and a long summer with no hockey, going back into the ON chat felt like I never took a break, and reminded me that I am still part of a community, and that I still have a home in Edmonton, regardless of where I am, which means more than I can put into words. … I can say with no exaggeration, that hockey, the Oilers, and especially Oilersnation, have been a huge part of my life over the past few years, and has been a light in the dark.”

Just as the research points out, that sense of belonging and participation is exactly what makes sports so powerful. On any given night in an ON chat, you’ll see people tuning in from across the globe, eager to cheer on our team together and feel part of something larger than themselves. You saw a version of that on a larger scale during the Olympic hockey matches, where rival fans suddenly found themselves united as they cheered for players they normally root against. It’s a reminder that, given the opportunity, people would often rather connect than divide, and that these shared spaces can genuinely foster the kinds of connection, identity, and belonging we all crave. Of course, the internet isn’t always a kind place, and Oilersnation isn’t immune to that. But what stands out is how often this particular space resists that tendency. In the midst of all the noise, there are still people choosing to be positive and build something better.

That choice shows up in small but meaningful ways. Conversations shift from hockey to life without hesitation, and regulars notice when someone hasn’t been around and check in. Recently, when a chat favourite was away due to medical reasons, people asked about them every show and celebrated when they finally returned. What is a community if not a place where people are concerned for each other’s well-being?

Austin, another ON fan, experienced that support firsthand:

“The great thing is with this Oilersnation family, which we call ourselves, is how true that actually is. Over this last year, dealing with the tragedies that I have, you know, losing my house and half my community [due to fires in Saskatchewan], then my mother, and then my cousin, I can tell you that it’s because of these fine people that I get out of bed in the morning. It’s because of them that I feel like I have a purpose and a place. … this group kept me steady. When all the chips are down, and you feel like you’re down and out and you have nothing left, they pick you up. There’s not much you can say to that other than how fing thankful I am, and how lucky we are as a group and a community, to not only be a lot of Oiler-loving, crazy fanatics; but to have this … this spot available to us. … It’s not just about getting drunk in a YouTube chat, as fun as that is… it really puts an emphasis on what it means to be an Oilers fan … it gives you a reason to hold yourself up to a higher standard because you have a group of people who genuinely love and care about you, and stand beside you. If it wasn’t for this group I can honestly say I don’t know where I’d be, I don’t know if I would be here today. What this group means to me… is the world… It’s bigger than just hockey. Being part of our Oilersnation fangroup means that you have legitimate place where you can go and be with family and fing love life.”

Moments like that make it clear: The Oilersnation live chat isn’t just a comment section, it’s a support system.

For some, that connection even shapes the direction of their lives. Tristan Battle, now working with Oilersnation, reflects:

“My [other] friends weren’t into hockey, so having a place to talk about it was awesome. I made connections and realized I wanted to find a way to give back to my community. And I realized the way to do that was to put myself in a position to make the content we all love even better. I don’t know what my life would look like right now if it weren’t for ON and the discord; Probably, I’d still be working in shipping and hating my life.”

That’s what real community does; it builds people up and inspires them to give back.

There’s a lot of division in the world right now, and it’s easy to feel isolated. That’s what makes online spaces like the Oilersnation live chats matter. They offer people a way to push back against that isolation; to find connection in a place that could just as easily be noise. Sports give us something to rally around, but communities like this are what give that rallying point real meaning. They remind us that fandom isn’t just about wins and losses; it’s about connection, belonging, and showing up for each other.

So, to Oilersnation, to the hosts, writers, and staff, and the many, many fans who make the chat feel more like a home than a comment section, thank you. Because of you, it has never just been about the game.