JackpotCity Fan Profile – HardPicsSens

Tell us a little bit about yourself!

My name is Nathan MacCallum, and I created and manage the account ‘Sens Pics that go hard’ on X (@hardpicssens). I grew up in Gananoque, a small town almost right between Toronto and Ottawa, and currently live in Kingston. As a kid, I always told people that my favorite hockey team was the Sens, even though I didn’t know much about hockey. I fell in love with the team when I watched the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2007 and have been hooked ever since. In my daily life, I am a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) and work at an accounting firm here in Kingston. I play a lot of ball hockey through a recreational league in town, and in my spare time I like to camp with my girlfriend and build Lego.

What does it mean to you to be a Sens fan?

Being a Sens fan has always felt like a symbol of belonging to something bigger than yourself. Both the online and physical community surrounding the team has really kept me involved and my love and passion for the team alive over the years. I’m always amazed at the amount of fan-driven events that are organized, how much fun they end up being, and the crowds at team-driven events. It’s cool to have so many opportunities to be involved in the Sens community and share the love for the game and the team with so many people who feel the same way.

Where is your favorite place to watch the match?

Besides being there in person, I love being home and watching the game with my dad. As I started following the team more closely, so did he, and watching the team’s highs and lows has become a shared experience for both of us over the years. I’m not normally one to be loud or overly talkative in my everyday life, but I can’t stop myself from cheering and shouting at the TV after watching the team score a big goal. I also love how excited he gets, especially when we get to watch games together.

What was your coolest competition experience? Where was it?

I was fortunate enough to attend a playoff game during the Sens run in 2017 – it was game one against the Boston Bruins. The experience of attending a playoff game in its entirety was by far the coolest atmosphere I have been a part of as a fan. I remember getting chills walking in and seeing the white rally towels all over the arena, and how deafeningly loud it was when they scored. Every game becomes a fun experience when you’re there in person, but the atmosphere and stakes of a playoff game really take things to another level. I can’t wait to see the Sens in the playoffs again in the coming years.

What’s your must-have snack while watching a game?

When I’m at the CTC for the game, I love getting a poutine at Smoke’s Poutinerie – almost every time I’m there I try to get one before warm-up. Watching from home, I have a weakness for a bag of chips. I’ve always been a big taste person, but I find that any kind will usually do the trick.

What is your definition of a “Sens Pic That Goes Hard”?

There was definitely a theme to what I’ve posted over the years and considered a “Sens photo that goes fast.” What ends up being posted based on the submissions I get from other fans or the photos I can find through my own research usually falls into one of three categories.

The first would be all the photos of celebrities wearing Sens merchandise, of which there are a surprising number. It’s always nice to see popular faces recognize the city and the team.

Many of the photos on the account are of a cool or big moment in the team’s history. The most prominent examples that come to mind for last season are Tim Stutzle’s overtime winner in Sweden, or Ridly Greig’s slap shot. goal against the Leafs.

The third, and hardest to define, but probably my favorite category, I’d simply call “times when the Sens looked cool.” Growing up, one of my favorite things about watching hockey was how excited the players were when they scored. The passion that the players have has always been so contagious as a fan, so I feel like there are a lot of ‘cellys’ going fast. Other Sens fans and the players looked cool off the ice too, so this category also included some of the cool costumes and outfits I’ve seen fans wearing to games, or random moments that looked too cool not to post , like the time Alfie rode his bike to a race in the Olympics (which I will always argue is the hardest Sens photo of all time).

Overall, I feel like a photo of the Sens going “hard” captures an iconic moment in team history – whether it happens on or off the ice.

What is your favorite Sens merchandise?

My favorite would be my white Artem Zub shirt – I was lucky enough to have him sign it at the Sens Fan Fest in 2022, and now I hope to have it framed at some point to commemorate it forever. In addition, my father was able to get one of the prints of the Daniel Alfredsson artwork that Tony Harris created for Alfie’s 1000th match, which I proudly displayed at my home in Kingston. It’s always a fun topic of conversation when you have other hockey fans over, Sens fans or otherwise.

If you could name a Sens player, what parts of which player (past or present) would you include? What is their name and number?

I would go for:

i. Daniel Alfredsson’s work ethic

ii. Brady Tkachuk’s leadership

iii. Chris Neil’s physicality and hitting ability

iv. Blocking a shot by Anton Volchenkov

v. Jason Spezza’s covering/hands

vi. Erik Karlsson is skating

To put all these player names together, we will call them “Dranisonik Gulk” and give them number 5.

Who is your favorite Sens player and why?

I have become a big fan of Artem Zub in recent years. I like his reliable, defensive style of play and I also feel he has scored some big goals when needed in recent years. Growing up, I played a lot of football and wore number 2, so I also have a soft spot for Sens players who choose to wear that number.
I was also a huge fan of Jason Spezza growing up. I loved his skills and the way he could make you jump out of your seat with some of the things he could do on the ice.

Who is your favorite Sens influencer?

I’ve always laughed about following “Frank Senators” (@sleepenbaker) on . They seem to work tirelessly to beat the team and I loved being able to listen to their thoughts, especially at bigger events like the draft where there are so many players with so little time to watch them all, it’s great to have a resource like them where you can gain insight into many of the up and coming young players who could join the team in the future.

What is your favorite Sens memory of all time?

It’s hard not to mention Alfie’s goal to send the Sens to the Cup Final – I feel like that was such a huge moment for so many fans, myself included – but if I had to put that aside, I’d have to say Clarke MacArthur’s overtime winner against the Boston Bruins in 2017. It was so cool to see him play again and see him get rewarded. I remember barely eating between the third period and overtime when we had to eat because I was so nervous – and then rushing back to the TV to watch overtime, and the loudest my dad and I screamed as I watched him bury the puck in the back of the net.

Where can other fans find you (if you want to promote your social media)?

I’m on X (@hardpicssens), but you can also find me on Instagram at (@nathan.maccallum)!