When we first launched OilersNation.com back in 2007 we intended on watching the Oilers return to the Cup Finals for the 2nd time in 3 years and become a perennial powerhouse of hockey. A model of consistency. A team studied by Coaches for a generation to come for “how to build a winning franchise.” 

So when it became clear THAT wasn’t happening we started launching other team sites in 2009 starting with FlamesNation.ca. When that didn’t collapse or have a denial of service attack we started putting more and more sites out there creating 5 sites, partnering on 1 and buying 3 sites outright bringing the total to 9.

And today marks the 10th site in the Nation Network launching – WingsNation.com.

“How can we move into our first US team site that we launch ourselves?” went the debate at Nation HQ. “We don’t know nothing bout no USA teams, it’s a totally different ball of cheese than making a JetsNation.ca or something.” “What language do American’s speak anyways? Can we make ourselves understood?”

CHOOSE WISELY

So we picked a franchise that is actually doing what we prayed the Oilers would do so long ago. A team with an expectation of winning season after season. Players that want to be there despite the City having some lifestyle challenges. A team that will be in the playoffs year after year so we can learn about how to write playoff content. And somewhere we already see some traffic to the Network – 960,000 Michigan visitors a year and climbing in 2015.

WingsNation is a place for Red Wings fans all around the world to congregate to congratulate themselves on picking a great horse in the NHL race. It’s a place to speculate on things like “how many more wins until we are guaranteed home ice advantage?” or “will Zetterberg play until he is 70?” 

Damn Detroit. Playoffs 24 years in a row and 28 of the last 30 years. Thank the Hockey Gods the Oilers haven’t kept pace or your ol’ pal Wanye would be living in an iron lung right now with liver transplants occurring twice a week because I would have celebrated so much.

Bullet dodged amirite? 

*rubs eyes sadly*

TROLL THYSELVES

It’s also a place for the fans of the other teams on the Nation Network to go talk to Wings fans. Or “troll” if you prefer. “Good job on all the consistent playoff appearances you JACKASS” might be a good place to start. 

Or perhaps “it’s really annoying how all your stars take hometown discounts to keep the team together year after year IDIOTS.” Or finally “while my Coach and GM are morons yours are clearly on the ball. Even losing Babcock to the Leafs hasn’t slowed you down. You must be so annoyed at having nothing to be mad about. CLOWN!”

Oh we will get them good. You’ll see. You’ll all see.

(insert menacing music here)

WRITERS FOR DAYS

We have stocked the proverbial writer shelf with some great names that you may already know from different Nation Network sites. Writers you already know like Monica McAlister and George Malik will be staples on the site, and we’ll also introduce you to other writers that you may not know just yet. We look forward to adding to that talented team in the months to come and ruining workplace productivity for fans of the Wings like we have for a handful of fan bases now.

Let the good times roll!

I’ll get out of the way now and let the real writers take things from here. Follow us on Instagram here and Twitter here. If you use other social media to entertain yourself on the toilet keep that to yourself. 

That’s gross.