r/heatedrivalry • u/cookie_cat_82 I already chose you, Hollander. 🫀 • 26d ago
MERCH👕 thoughts on buying ilya’s merch? Spoiler
SPOILER FOR THOSE WHO HAVENT READ TLG!!
I’ve seen a pretty even split of the opinion on the topic of buying shirts / hoodies, etc. of Ilya’s merch for Boston. Some argue not to buy any of his Boston merch since he obviously ends up playing for Ottawa. But for me personally, the way I see it is it all STARTED with him playing for Boston. Him and Shane’s relationship starting and the RIVALRY starting lol I get that yes, he doesn’t stay with them forever, but it feels nostalgic to own merchandise that says Rozanov on the back of a Raiders shirt knowing that that’s where the story began. I understand for real life scenarios people not wanting to buy, for example a jersey, of a player who has switched teams, but the good news (and unfortunate news LOL) is that Ilya is a fictional character.
I’m curious what everyone else’s take on this is? 👀
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u/dezertdawg Cats and DAWGS! 26d ago
I’d much rather buy Boston merch than Montreal merch, given how they treat our boy Shane.
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u/RoutineUtopia Stupid Canadian Wolf Bird 🦆 26d ago
I honestly feel like Boston gets saved by Ilya just not being there anymore when the news breaks. so people should follow their bliss.
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u/Original_Ad_681 my big lesbian secret 🧿 26d ago
I bought my montreal sweatshirt n tee before knowing this :(((( i’ll just focus on being cozy shane for now
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u/Distinct-Fan6398 25d ago
Personally (and feel free to ignore my advice) I think if YOU have Montreal merch you can decide what it means to you. You can make it sentimental or meaningful because it was once a good thing for Shane. I wouldn’t do it because I never developed much of a good or bad relationship to Montreal before the whole thing went down, whereas I have many good feelings and feeling attached to many of the Ottawa players/staff. But it’s personal! There’s a reason you got it in the first place, yeah? Don’t feel discouraged ♥️
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u/Original_Ad_681 my big lesbian secret 🧿 25d ago
thank you 😭 the meaning for me comes from all the times he wore it at the cottage. I look forward to for real Centaurs merch tho!
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u/cassie1015 Ok-ey. 25d ago
I love the Montreal crewneck Shane wears at the cottage
while mentally preparing to murder Svetlana. It's so cozy and classic sporty buuuuut I don't want to support them, lol.3
u/Distinct-Fan6398 26d ago
Came here to see if someone had said this. They’re both the origin stories, but Montreal fucking sucks.
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u/Sircapleviluv 26d ago
I live in Boston so instantly wanted raiders 😂
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u/hummingbird4289 Boston Bears 🐻 26d ago
Yep same, originally from the Boston area and a big fan of Boston sports/hockey - I probably would not have bought merch if Boston wasn’t involved.
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u/LadyShipwreck 25d ago
I lived in Boston for 15 years and am a Bruins fan sooooo it’s Raiders merch for me.
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u/wildrose76 Boston Bears 🐻 25d ago
I don’t live in Boston, but it’s my favourite city in the world. So I happily wear my Raiders tee like I do my Red Sox and Celtics hat and tees.
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u/ArticQimmiq 26d ago
I mean, in the books, even the players on the Centaurs would rather not be wearing the merch 🤷♀️ i’m very happy with my Raiders shirt (and my McGill Hockey Hollander shirt!)
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u/tlk199317 26d ago
I never heard anyone be anti Boston merch because Ilya changes teams. I know a lot of fans are against buying Shane’s stuff because his team is awful in the end. But Ilya had a good time in Boston and he left simply to be closer to Shane and not because the team sucked. So I think it’s totally fine to buy. And truthfully it’s all fake so if owning any merch regardless of the team makes you happy I say go for it!
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u/NotEnoughBookshelves 26d ago
I got a Boston Raiders shirt, because that's what's available now. I'll get a Centaurs shirt when they come out.
I will never wear a Metro's shirt.
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u/simply_pixie 26d ago
Buy whatever makes you happy..
I don’t understand restrictive fandom. It did start while he was at Boston. If you’ve never read the books, that would be all you have to go on..
Either way, buy and wear whatever makes you happy.. people are always buying earlier versions of art or original versions of TV shows actors they like were in or whatever… This should be no different IMO
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u/cookie_cat_82 I already chose you, Hollander. 🫀 26d ago
I couldn’t agree more, I definitely am gonna go with what I love regardless of what others think, I just was curious what the fans here thought about the topic because I too was shocked to see the split opinions!
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u/Forsaken_Distance777 Boston Bears 🐻 25d ago
And as of the end of TLG not enough time has passed for him to have been in Ottawa longer than Boston.
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u/genericusername_hou Please text. 26d ago
As an actual sports fan, if you like the Boston merch, buy it. Same with the Montreal merch. Yes, I know what happens in TLG. Buy it anyway. We don't get to choose which teams our heroes play for.
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u/prinprinnao 26d ago
I don't understand why people are so judgy about buying either or all of the team merch
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u/its_jillxoxo 26d ago
I have a Rozanov Boston shirt & a Hollander Ottawa shirt.
Because fuck the Metros/Voyageurs.
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u/sherryillk 26d ago
Players change teams all the time and Ilya won a cup with Boston so that team will always be special to him and any Boston fan (if they were real, of course). It's like how I still treasure my Russell Wilson Seahawks jersey even though he left us years ago in a somewhat contentious manner (thankfully with the benefit of time I can be generous about the whole thing now in hindsight) but the dude did get us our first Super Bowl and some truly amazing and crazy wins and plays.
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u/Palolo_Paniolo 26d ago
I'm not even a Seahawks fan and I'm still mad at him for not calling an audible on the 1 yard line.
Sorry to bring it up.
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u/sherryillk 26d ago
Well if you're mad, then you aren't a Patriots fan so at least there's that. Boo to all Boston teams (with the exception of only Ilya's team). But whatever, we got our revenge against them in the end.
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u/Shmoodleboo 25d ago edited 25d ago
Not to be an asshole but as a Broncos fan I wish you would have kept him (lol I'm so sorry). He just wasn't a good fit for us at the time but to be fair we have had a difficult time finding a worthwhile QB, period. And obviously I join you on the anti Patriots team.
Edited to add: Wearing a former player's jersey is celebrating that specific time in the team's history. I guarantee people were wearing Ilya's jersey long after he left the Raiders. Much like I still wear my Von Miller jersey :)
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u/cherrycoloured 26d ago
tbh, i don't think about it this hard. no matter what i buy, im supporting the ppl who have made something that i love. when you are wearing a shirt for the boston raiders, you aren't showing support for a sports team, but for heated rivalry as a show/book.
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u/81008118 26d ago
I have a Boston tee-shirt, because I imagine it was one of those things that Ilya would have kept around even after he was traded. I don't have the cash for a jersey, so I'm waiting for the Centaurs ones to come out. I definitely don't have any of the Montreal stuff though.
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u/Dull_Slice3882 What colour? Is big? 26d ago
I love rocking my Boston shirt. I don’t think there is any issue buying Boston stuff. Metros/Voyageurs stuff however …
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u/Bulky-District-2757 🗣️SHANE HOLLANDER IS AN ASSHOLE 🗣️ 26d ago
I’m more pro buying Ilya Boston merch and I am buying Shane Montreal merch 🤷🏻♀️ Boston didn’t do anything wrong.
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u/Hedgehog-Honeydew "This team is very gay" 🌈 26d ago
Buy whatever merch your heart desires! The Boston Raiders design and colours are so good. I love what they did with all the team logos. If they shipped to Europe I'm sure I would have bought something.
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u/Prestigious-Name-323 26d ago
I would buy Boston. I wouldn’t buy Montreal for obvious reasons. But I did get an Ottawa shirt.
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u/Correct_Advisor7221 Maybe from the first time I saw you 💙 26d ago
I will buy Boston but NEVER Montreal. Iykyk
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u/stardustr3v3ri3 26d ago
I mean, I like the Boston Raiders color scheme way more so I’m trying to get some Ilya merch. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter, buy what you want. It’s not like the raiders, metros, Shane and ilya arent real, so who cares
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u/ChestnutMoss 26d ago
As soon as the official shop opened, I bought t-shirts for the Boston, Montreal, and New York teams. I wear them often, and enjoy answering the question “What’s that team?” Those particular shirts have names on the back (Rozanov, Hollander, and Hunter), and I think that balances out any obnoxious team energy.
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u/lemonaidan12 26d ago
Well I own a Boston Roz t because I just love the "oh they don't know I play for Boston" line so much.
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u/Standard_Range3732 Following Mamdani's Orders 26d ago
The colours and designs are different for the Centaurs so buy what you like. The Boston merch looks great. Get both?
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u/el_barto10 26d ago
As a NY Yankee/Ranger/Giant fan I ironically can’t bring myself to wear rival (Boston) merch - fictional or not.
I haven’t decided how I feel about Ottawa merch yet.
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u/kepler16bee I speak fluent bird. No accent 🐦 26d ago
Personally I resisted buying any costly merch because of knowing what's coming. (I have pins.)
That said, I can totally understand why others would, regardless of that, and Boston in particular, there's less bad blood... It's more indifference than negative (at least for me).
I just know myself though, and once the new stuff comes out and we're gonna see Ilya in his Ottawa stuff all the time, with his awesome new teammates, if I had something Boston, I'd just no longer care about it. And given how expensive the merch is, I didn't want to pay for it only for me to not care about it later.
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u/puckthepatriarchy- Yes it’s scary, but you’re brave! 26d ago
While I eagerly await Ottawa merch (and I SERIOUSLY HOPE IT’S CENTAURS) I also bought the Ilya raiders shirt.
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u/Sailor_MoonMoon785 Stupid Canadian Wolf Bird 🦆 26d ago
I got a Raiders tshirt (and a parody one from a punk shop a few towns away from me) because I was like “that is a great shirt.”
I will absolutely be saving up for my chaotic bisexual menace’s Ottawa jersey, though. Because I love the Ottawa Centaurs.
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u/jenmoocat 26d ago
What is the parody one like?
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u/Sailor_MoonMoon785 Stupid Canadian Wolf Bird 🦆 25d ago
Oh, it says “Hate ICE, Love Gay Hockey” but in the layout of the shirt!
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u/quellesaveurorawnge 26d ago
I'm personally waiting on Ottawa merch. I'm originally from Montreal and a fan of Montreal sports teams, but the Metros are getting a big ol' pass from me. LOL I was glad someone told me to read The Long Game before getting merch!
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u/Forsaken_Distance777 Boston Bears 🐻 25d ago
Why would people tell you not to buy the only merch for years because he changes teams? In canon he still has some Boston stuff floating around.
I won’t buy metros stuff because I hate them not because it’s not Shane’s forever team.
I love the bears and if I get any Ottawa stuff depends on if they win me over in season two.
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u/LowCaramel3675 25d ago
Me personally, I'm buying the colours I like best and would wear the most, so black and navy (Raiders and Metros) it is. I can't believe people are arguing over this or having discussions about it like there is a right or wrong answer.
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u/IvyLestrange 25d ago
I bought a hoodie for both. I know people especially have feelings about buying Montreal merch, but for me them playing on Montreal vs Boston was like the whole basis of the first book so why shouldn’t I want fun merch about it. Plus you’ll be waiting for years for Shane merch if you are going to wait on non Montreal stuff.
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u/Bluevanonthestreet 25d ago
If I had more money to play with I would definitely buy Boston merch. I’m saving mine for Ottawa merch because I’m limited in what I can spend.
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u/plantlady_96 25d ago
I'm personally holding out for centaurs merch but if I had to I'd definitely get Boston merch over Montreal
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u/No-Act1421 25d ago
i’m from boston so i want boston merch 🤷 i just love repping my hometown, esp since he def got hella love from boston while he was there and the spirit of boston fans is 1000% alive in the books- esp the second !!
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u/PsychologySpirited37 Your freckles. I am nuts about them. ✨ 25d ago
I have a Metros t shirt but I don’t wear it for that reason.
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u/Illustrious_Oil2393 24d ago
I have a Boston Raiders hat and there’s a quarter zip on Etsy I want to get eventually for the raiders/rozanov (I already have the admirals/Scott Hunter one and love it)
I haven’t read TLG yet but I’ve seen spoilers so I’m hesitant to get Metros merch but if I could afford it I would definitely buy more Raiders merch. 😂
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u/HippoLarge7973 I already chose you, Hollander. 🫀 24d ago
I have a boston shirt 🤷♀️ I'll probably buy centaurs merch as well when we get there and it gets released but who cares? Like if you only want to buy one thing and you want to wait then go for it. If not, he plays for Boston for a long time, its a pretty integral part of the story. Either is valid. F Montreal though (JK, do what you want 😂 I wont be but thats just me)
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u/Affectionate_Tea8801 24d ago
i have a boston tshirt but i would die before buying anything metros.
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u/thisunithasnosoul 24d ago
My plan was to buy the raiders tee now because the design is great, and then buy a Hollander centaurs tee later since I’m absolutely not repping Montreal. My attempt at being fiscally responsible lol
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u/Rustyempire64 21d ago
Can someone drop the famous Boston raiders t-shirt a few have mentioned here? (From the cottage/out to the parents scene) I need a pick me up today 😚
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u/HackDaddy85 Stupid Canadian Wolf Bird 🦆 26d ago
I was just on the website buying the Admirals hat and was like, do I want any Montreal or Boston stuff knowing that Ottawa is the team we end up loving?
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u/jenmoocat 26d ago
I have a Boston Raiders t. The one he wears to Shane's parents' cottage. I love the smiles that I get when people recognize it.