“A Novice’s Guide to Hockey”: NHL Rivalries to Know
Part of Cowtown Chirp’s “Novice Guide to Hockey”
There’s nothing better in professional sports than a good old-fashioned rivalry. Granted, with free agency, and the rise of out-of-market television and streaming, rivalries aren’t exactly what they once were, as players change teams as often as people change underpants, it seems. That being said, there are still some rivalries in sports that are sacred, and when the teams play each other, it’s not only a battle on the court/playing field/ice but also in the stands as well.
When it comes to hockey, there are some really great rivalries worth following, as the intensity in these games always provides an entertaining contest, especially if the rivalry contest occurs in the playoffs. That being said (as stated in the title), what if you are a “hockey novice” and are not sure what the big rivalries are? Maybe you’re looking for that Yankees-Red Sox equivalent in hockey, so would Rangers-Bruins be the equivalent? In some cases, other sports rivalries transition to the NHL, but hockey also has some rivalries that are unique to itself, especially considering the larger number of Canadian teams in the NHL in comparison to other professional sports leagues.
So let’s take a look at some rivalries worth following, with this list geared toward those fans who want to witness and possibly experience in person the most intense and fierce games possible this season.
Montreal Canadiens vs. Boston Bruins
This is the Yankees-Red Sox series of the NHL, not the Rangers-Bruins like some people may think initially. The Canadiens and Bruins, two of the “Original Six” franchises (along with the Maple Leafs, the Blackhawks, the Red Wings, and the Rangers), have met a total of 909 times in history, and have played 177 playoff games against one another, including 34 series meetings. Overall, Montreal leads the overall series by a comfortable 466–340–103–10, and owns a 106–71 advantage in the postseason as well. The Canadiens arguably are the Yankee equivalent in hockey, as they have the most Stanley Cup championships in NHL history with 24, four times the amount of Cups the Bruins have won (6). While the Bruins have achieved more recent postseason success (the Bruins last won a Stanley Cup in 2011; the Canadiens last won in 1994), it is common for Habs (a nickname for the Canadiens) fans to annoyingly remind their American neighbors in the Northeast about their Stanley Cup and All-Time Wins advantage whenever these two teams meet, whether it’s in the regular or postseason.
This rivalry definitely has a unique combination of history and general fan dislike. Boston fans don’t like people or opposing sports fans from any other city for the most part, and vice versa, as it seems to be common practice around America to hate Boston sports teams if you’re not from New England. Furthermore, add in the fact that the Habs have owned the Bruins over the entire course of NHL history, and that the franchise is in Montreal, Canada to boot? Well, those two things alone will just make any drunk, red-blood Bruin fan from New England boil. Furthermore, the hate and energy in the stands will trickle down to the players on the ice on a consistent basis, even in this day and age of “hugfests” (as John Tortorella likes to complain about). Check out this fight below from a game in 2011:
If you live in the New England area and are trying to make hockey a primary sport, go online and get tickets to a Bruins-Habs game, regardless of cost. If you’re in Kansas City and want to travel for one hockey game this year, get tickets to a Habs-Bruins game in Montreal, where the arena and fan environment is one of the most raucous in the NHL. This rivalry will turn even the most lukewarm hockey fan into an aficionado for life.
Chicago Blackhawks vs. St. Louis Blues
St. Louis and Chicago have a regional rivalry in almost everything. They fight about whose city is better. They argue about whose thin crust pizza is better (Nick and Vito’s of Chicago or Imo’s of St. Louis). There is a fierce rivalry during the summer months on the baseball diamond between the Cubs and Cardinals. Even the Willis (formerly Sears) Tower and Gateway Arch will generate debate when it comes to which city has the best skyscraper landmark.
But in reality, while the Cubs-Cardinals rivalry gets more publication from sports fans and the media, the Blackhawks-Blues rivalry is more fierce, especially on the ice. Through 373 total meetings, the Original Six franchise from Chicago leads St. Louis 184–145 in terms of overall wins to losses, including a 35–28 advantage in the postseason. Furthermore, the Blackhawks also have six Stanley Cups in their trophy case, while the Blues, who have been around since 1967 (the first NHL expansion), are still searching for their first Cup. So, unlike the lopsided baseball rivalry (where the Cardinals dominate the Cubs in terms of championships, wins and fan obnoxiousness…though the past few years the Cubs have made a strong resurgence in the latter category), the premiere NHL rivalry in the Midwest has a little more heat to it, especially since the two clubs are regularly squaring off multiple times a year in the Central division (and formerly in the Norris division).
The bad blood between the Blues and Blackhawks was most fervently (and fondly with hardcore hockey fans) demonstrated in 1991, where the two teams got in a massive brawl on St. Patrick’s Day, notably dubbed “The St. Patrick’s Day Massacre”. If you like physical confrontation of any kind, whether in hockey or sports in general, then witness and enjoy the nostalgic chaos below:
As someone who lives in Kansas City, I understand that there is not a lot of love between Kansas City and St. Louis, especially when it comes to sporting allegiances. But even if you can’t get behind the Blues (most KC people I have talked with are adamant about not cheering for the Blues even though they are the closest NHL team to KC), the Blackhawks-Blues rivalry is worth watching, mostly because it will be one of the most heated rivalry experiences you will see in sports, period.
Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Detroit Red Wings
This rivalry is a series of bold contrasts: Canada vs. the USA; Toronto’s Royal Blue uniforms vs. Detroit’s Scarlet Red; Toronto’s early success vs. Detroit’s more recent dominance (until Mike Babcock left the bench that is); the fact that they are 230 KM away from each other. Surprisingly, there really isn’t much history in other sports, or society in general, to generate a rivalry between the city of Toronto (one of the more metropolitan cities in the world) and Detroit (a city that has suffered through great economic downturns over the past 20–30 years). A Blue Jays-Tigers game in June will generate as much excitement as the newest Adam Sandler comedy on Netflix (And I’m talking the newer, Netflix-only releases, not the classics like Happy Gilmore or Billy Madison). However, on the ice, this rivalry is definitely in the top-3 when it comes to history and intensity.
The Leafs-Wings rivalry is actually quite competitive when you look at the overall numbers. Over 783 contests, the Leafs hold a 347–340–93–3 overall advantage, while the Wings hold a 59–58 advantage over 23 postseason matchups. The cup totals are also quite close, as the Maple Leafs have 13 Stanley Cups to the Red Wings’ 11, but the Red Wings have more recent NHL championship success, as the Leafs haven’t won a Stanley Cup since 1967, while the Red Wings have won 4 since 1997 (97, 98, 02, and 08). So, in addition to the close proximity of the cities and their status as Original Six clubs, what also makes this series so great is that neither club has run away in the series’ history, unlike some other rivalries which have been more one-sided at certain points (like the Habs-Bruins).
Recently, it’s been the Leafs who have had the upper hand in the rivalry, as the Leafs have won the last three contests, and are currently at the top of the NHL Atlantic Standings, hoping to take the next step after losing in the first round of the playoffs the past two seasons. As for Detroit, they sit in the opposite end of the Atlantic standings and haven’t made the playoffs the past two years. An additional wrinkle in this rivalry is the Leafs swooping former Wings head coach Mike Babcock after 2015, who took the Wings to two straight Stanley Cup Finals in 2008 and 2009 (they lost in 09 to the Pittsburgh Penguins), so there’s definitely been a lot of bad blood behind the benches when these clubs have met the past three seasons.
There have definitely been more punches thrown and blood spilled in other rivalries such as Habs-Bruins and Blackhawks-Blues, but this rivalry has had its share of moments in its history. One notable tussle was in 1994 between the Wings’ Bob Probert and the Leafs’ Bob Rouse after a swinging stick penalty ignited a wild, team-wide brawl on the ice. Check it out below.
God damn…90’s hockey sure was great, wasn’t it? That is…unless you’re a pacifist or whatever kind of person Torts hates these days.
Philadelphia Flyers vs. New York Rangers
There’s nothing like a Philly-New York sports rivalry. Whether it’s Mets-Phillies or Giants-Eagles, or New York pizza slices vs. Cheesesteaks, a Philly-New York sports contest can generate all kinds of heated vitriol. And Flyers-Rangers is no exception and arguably may be the best of the Philly-New York sports series.
In reality, no Philly-New York sports rivalry captures the true disdain Philadelphians have for New Yorkers and vice versa like Rangers-Flyers. Dubbed “Broad Street vs. Broadway”, this rivalry historically has always been a showcase between the Flyers’ physicality and the Rangers’ skill. Some of the most physical hockey games in the history of the NHL involved these two clubs, as evidenced by the bench-clearing brawl below between the Rangers’ Nick Fotiu and the Flyers’ Jim Cunningham in 1978. (The series’ heyday was in the 1970’s as they faced off in the 1974 semifinals, which the Flyers won; the Flyers also won their two Stanley Cups in 1974 and 1975 with teams known as the “Broad Street Bullies”; you can guess why they were called that.)
Much like the Leafs-Wings, the Flyers-Rangers series is characterized by its stout competitiveness over the series’ history. Over 346 contests, the Rangers lead the all-time series 155–154–37, including a 131–124–37 advantage in the regular season. However, in the postseason, the Flyers reign supreme with a 30–24 record over the Rangers in 11 postseason meetings, the most recent being in the 2014 first round, which the Rangers won 4–3. Ironically, despite both clubs’ long history in the NHL and the storied reputation of this rivalry, they haven’t had much Stanley Cup success as individual clubs. The Flyers haven’t won a cup since they went back-to-back in 1974 and 1975, and before the Rangers won in 1994, they hadn’t won since 1940. So, unfortunately, this rivalry hasn’t really had the kind of major ramifications in the postseason like other Original Six rivalries like Habs-Bruins or Leafs-Wings.
Nonetheless, Flyers-Rangers still is one of the best rivalries in the NHL today. Both fanbases get heated quickly, and even if they are both not doing well record-wise, these two fanbases will fill the rink whenever they face off, whether it’s at Madison Square Garden or the Wells Fargo Center. It may be a while for both clubs when it comes to competing for a Stanley Cup (the Rangers are currently last in the Metropolitan and the Flyers are only ahead of them by 1 point in the standings), but that won’t stop this rivalry from being intense to either watch on TV or witness in person when they meet for the first time this year on November 23rd in Philadelphia.
Calgary Flames vs. Edmonton Oilers
“The Battle of Alberta” is probably the best All-Canadian rivalry in the NHL. Sure, there’s Habs-Leafs, Senators-Leafs, Canucks-Flames, and Jets-Leafs, etc. But no rivalry in Canada sports the levels of dislike that Calgary fans have for Edmonton fans and not just in hockey, but in all aspects of life, in general. If you need more proof, read this quote from award-winning conservationist Harvey Locke:
“ The worst way to engage Edmontonians is to tell them how things are done in Calgary…”
Unlike the Canadiens and Leafs, the Flames and Oilers rivalry is relatively new. The Oilers didn’t join the NHL until 1979 (they were a WHA squad previously along with the Winnipeg Jets), and the Flames didn’t move to Calgary until 1980 (they previously were in Atlanta). But ever since they started playing, no rivalry in the NHL has been as white hot on a consistent basis like the “Battle of Alberta” between the Oilers and Flames.
(Also, what makes this rivalry special is that it goes beyond the NHL. There is also a rivalry between their WHL teams, the Calgary Hitmen and Edmonton Oil Kings, and the CFL football teams, the Calgary Stampede, and Edmonton Eskimos. Both contests share the “Battle of Alberta” moniker as well.)
The Flames and Oilers have met 267 times in the rivalry’s history, with the Flames holding an advantage in the All-Time series (130–119–18 in favor of Calgary), but the Oilers owning the postseason with a 19–11 record and winning 3 out of the 4 postseason series in the rivalry’s history. Another salt in the wound for many Flames fans is that their legacy pales in comparison to their rivals in Edmonton. The Oilers have 5 Stanley Cups to the Flames’ 1, and the Oilers have had Hall-of-Fame names like Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier suit up for them, players with legacies the Flames alumni cannot match. And to make matters worse, the Oilers also have one of the (if not the) best young players in the game in Connor McDavid, the first overall pick in the 2015 draft.
No wonder things get out of control when these two teams hit the ice, as evidenced by this video below, where six fights broke out during an October 25th game in this rivalry back in 2003.
McDavid’s status as one of the NHL’s budding stars, and the two clubs’ close proximity to each other in the Pacific Standings (Edmonton leads Calgary by two points: 13 to 11) should make this rivalry worth following in 2018–2019. Hence, it should be another wild one in the “Battle of Alberta’s” history when these two teams meet for the first time this year on November 17th in Calgary.
San Jose Sharks vs. Los Angeles Kings
The Sharks and Kings rivalry probably sticks out the most from this list. After all, both teams are from California, where snow is as common as gas prices under $3 per gallon (i.e. doesn’t exist). California is not a hockey hotbed like the Northeast or Canada or even Minnesota. And until the 2000's, the Sharks were pretty much a run-of-the-mill NHL club, and the Kings were famous for acquiring Wayne Gretzky with a record deal at the time, and the character Sue from the movie “Swingers” wearing Gretzky’s jersey in the scene where Vince Vaughn and him played NHL ’93 on the Sega Genesis, as evidenced in the YouTube video below:
However, since 2010, the rivalry has heated up, as the Sharks and the Kings went from mediocre to Stanley Cup contenders, as the two California squads have met four times in the playoffs between 2011 and 2016. The Sharks in the late 2000’s suddenly became a Western Conference power, as they won the President’s Trophy in 2009, and also captured three Pacific Division championships between 2009–2011. However, after toppling the Kings in the 2011 first round, (they eventually lost to the Canucks in the Western Conference Finals), their Southern California neighbor took the upper hand in the rivalry series in the postseason. The Kings beat the Sharks in seven in the 2013 semifinals and 2014 first round, the latter being the first step to the Kings’ second Stanley Cup in three seasons (they also won the Cup in 2012). While the Sharks beat the Kings 4–1 in the 2016 first round, the Sharks have been unable to capture a Stanley Cup championship while the Kings have added two to their mantle since 2010. And to add on to the lore of this rivalry, one of the better subplots of the rivalry is that the Kings won two Stanley Cups under former coach Darryl Sutter, who was fired by the Sharks in 2002, as new ownership felt that Sutter didn’t have what it took to lead the Sharks to a Stanley Cup title. Talk about rotten Karma for the Sharks, heh?
Over 176 meetings, the Sharks lead the overall series 93–76–7 and hold a 14–11 overall total over four playoff meetings, so Bay Area fans can argue that the teal and black hold the upper hand in the rivalry. That argument seems to have gained more steam now, as the Kings have gotten to a rough start to the 2018–2019 campaign under head coach John Stevens who replaced the legendary Sutter a year ago, as the Kings sit in the basement in the Pacific Division. Despite the difference in series record and the poor start though, Kings fans still hold that 2–0 Stanley Cup advantage over the Shark Tank any chance they get as evidence of why they own this rivalry, and for good reason: at the end of the day it’s Stanley Cup titles that matter the most. Thus, with some of the Sharks’ stars like Joe Thornton and Joe Pavelski past their peak and starting to reach the twilight of their career, one has to wonder how long the Sharks’ Stanley Cup window will stay open, which certainly doesn’t ease the anxiety for Sharks fans in this rivalry also called the “Battle of California”.
Hopefully, the Sharks can get the monkey off their back and finally bring the Cup back home to Silicon Valley. With the Sharks atop the Pacific Division after a win over other “Battle of California” rival Anaheim in the Honda Center Sunday night, newly acquired defenseman Erik Karlsson living up to the hype (and providing a solid tandem with Brent Burns), and the Kings going through their share of struggles (they are 7 points behind in the Pacific Division), it seems possible that the Sharks can finally reverse the curse, and perhaps slash that Cup differential between their Southern California rivals in half by season’s end.
Honorable Mentions
Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Philadelphia Flyers-Great regular season and regional rivalry. Pittsburgh and Philadelphia hate each other like Kansas City-St. Louis. But, it doesn’t quite have the history of the Rangers-Flyers, and it has been really lopsided to the Penguins as of late.
Anaheim Ducks vs. Los Angeles Kings-It has a great name (the Freeway Faceoff), but they have only met once in the playoffs. Furthermore, LA-Orange County rivalries just don’t have the same zing as Bay Area-LA ones, and that proves to be the case in the NHL.
Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Florida Panthers-Tampa Bay has become a relevant NHL franchise, which seems crazy in the early Vincent Lecavalier days when they couldn’t even sell out playoff games. These games are more fun than you think, and the rivalry is budding with Tampa Bay arguably being the most successful pro sports franchise today in Tampa. That being said, it’s hard to get too crazy about a hockey rivalry in Florida.
Vancouver Canucks vs. Calgary Flames-The Canucks are a great franchise, and Vancouver is a great city. They deserve a great rivalry after such heartbreaking defeats in the 1994 and 2011 Stanley Cup Finals to the Rangers and Bruins, respectively. However, this rivalry is too one-sided, and Flames fans don’t get as excited about this one as they do in the “Battle of Alberta.”
Washington Capitals vs. Pittsburgh Penguins-Alex Ovechkin vs. Sidney Crosby is the hockey equivalent of Magic and Bird. Crosby owned the Caps in the postseason for years, but finally, last season, Ovi and the Caps got over the hump and won the first Stanley Cup in franchise history, much to the chagrin of Penguins fans. Surprisingly, this rivalry goes beyond Crosby-Ovi, as the Caps-Pens have met 11 times overall in the postseason. That being said, it feels like this rivalry is too dependent on each club’s star player, and it feels like the rivalry will fade once one (or both) leave their respective clubs.
