Who is each team’s biggest rival?

[Lshap]

For Montreal there's only one real answer: Boston. Tons of history, with both teams trading blows and having playoff success against each other.

After that, Toronto, though I think it's more due to residual city rivalry than anything hockey related. The media hypes the two teams as rivalries, but it doesn't resonate as a fan since I haven't seen the Leafs play the Habs in the playoffs in decades. At this point, Ottawa might be #2 because of those two semi-recent playoff series.

Do you notice intense interest when the teams meet outside of a playoff matchup? A decent rivalry doesn't require a postseason meeting to get people pumped.

Um... yes, a rivalry does require post-season meetings. That's where rivalries count.

 

[bminucci]

As a Ducks fan I would say the Kings or the Sharks are the teams we love to hate most during the season. But when it comes to the playoffs it is definitely Nashville. I think there is some player hate there like Kesler vs Johansen.

 

[Canadiens Ghost]

For the Habs...

Historically it's the Maple Leafs.
Currently it's the Bruins.
The fiercest one however was with the Nordiques.

 

[Cygnusx1018]

ANA - LAK?
ARZ - VGK?
BOS - MTL
BUF - TOR/BOS
CGY - EDM
CAR - WSH?
CHI - STL
COL - DAL?
CBJ - PIT
DAL - COL?
DET - CHI?
EDM - CGY
FLA - TBL
LAK - ANA/SJS
MIN - WPG?
MTL - BOS
NSH - WPG?
NJD - NYR
NYI - NYR
NYR - NYI
OTT - TOR
PHI - PIT
PIT - PHI
SJS - ANA/LAK/VGK
STL - CHI
TBL - FLA
TOR - OTT/MTL
VAN - CGY?
VGK - SJS?
WSH - PIT
WPG - MIN/NSH?

 

[Martinez]

Red wings is probably the Lightning. There always seems to be bad blood when they play each other. Thanks for giving us yzerman back

 

[bukwas]

Um... yes, a rivalry does require post-season meetings. That's where rivalries count.

So you don't notice how fans get up for the good rivalries outside of the playoffs?
The decent rivalries like Calgary vs Edmonton, Pittsburgh vs Philadelphia, L.A vs Anaheim etc. don't need their games to be in the playoffs to get people pumped because those teams are legit rivals.
Just because teams face each other in the postseason doesn't make them rivals otherwise there would be 15 rivalries created every single playoff. Unless of course some of those playoff matches were repeats at some point in history, i guess.
People can consider every opponent a rivalry if they choose to. I don't.

 

[Waterbuf]

Vancouver would be Boston or Chicago most recently, and before that Calgary.

 

[seancolorado]

Colorado's is easily Minnesota.

I would like to know from Minnesota if we are their biggest rival or if we are 2nd or something, because I know they have had some chippy games with other teams

 

[JJ68]

For the Habs...

Historically it's the Maple Leafs.
Currently it's the Bruins.
The fiercest one however was with the Nordiques.

Historically it's still Boston. And I will say Boston is worse than the Nords too. Everything that happened with the Nords happened with the Bruins...only a hell of a lot more times.

 

[LeetchisGod]

It switches between Isles, Devils, Pens, and Flyers for me depending on who we've faced in meaningful games most recently.

 

[gamer1035]

Well, I was gonna say MTL but I guess that is a manufactured media rivalry. Although one of my favorite games was when the Leafs beat the Habs 6-0 and Colton Orr and Frazer McClaren beat them up.

The only playoffs series I can remember are the Leafs beating the Sens year after year.

We really haven't been competitive in decades.

 

[Tage2Tuch]

Historically for Toronto it's been Montreal.

Currently however, I'd list Boston at the top.

There’s like six teams who would list Toronto as their biggest. Lol

 

[Tage2Tuch]

Isles' is easily the Rags

I could see a Toronto one brewing with Lou JT komorov and of course Matt Martin.

Lol

The 2002 playoffs was great Steve Webb...Steve webb

 

[LeafsNation75]

There’s like six teams who would list Toronto as their biggest. Lol

Are you including any of the Western Canadian teams among them? I only ask because there seems to be hate from them like how the Canucks fans don't like those 7:00 PM/4:00 PM PST start times on a Saturday when the Leafs played the Canucks in Vancouver. However Leafs fans don't consider any of them to be a rival.

 

[LeafsNation75]

I could see a Toronto one brewing with Lou JT komorov and of course Matt Martin.

Lol

The 2002 playoffs was great Steve Webb...Steve webb

The Islanders fans can keep all three of them.

As for their 2002 playoff series I remember it being one of the nasty ones I ever watched. Although the Islanders only played a lot tougher during the games in Long Island, because Steve Webb was no where to be found during any of the games played in Toronto.

 

[Tage2Tuch]

Are you including any of the Western Canadian teams among them? I only ask because there seems to be hate from them like how the Canucks fans don't like those 7:00 PM/4:00 PM PST start times on a Saturday when the Leafs played the Canucks in Vancouver. However Leafs fans don't consider any of them to be a rival.

I have lived in van and trust me there’s more reasons then that why Vancouver hates Toronto. They literally hate Toronto as much as Calgary and Edmonton they just don’t see them as much and by the time the leafs get there a good party of the place has leaf fans like anywhere else.

I just said six roughly, not many western teams if any would consider Toronto their “biggest” rival.

 

[lawrence]

Calgary is Vancouver's biggest rival but I know they don't see us as a hated rival since we suck.

 

[LeafsNation75]

I have lived in van and trust me there’s more reasons then that why Vancouver hates Toronto. They literally hate Toronto as much as Calgary and Edmonton they just don’t see them as much and by the time the leafs get there a good party of the place has leaf fans like anywhere else.

I just said six roughly, not many western teams if any would consider Toronto their “biggest” rival.

LOL, I guess if the Canucks fans either stop selling their tickets or giving tickets to the Leafs fans, there wouldn't be that many of them in Rogers Arena. Although I guess the same can be said for fans in Ottawa, Buffalo, Edmonton, Calgary. The only other arenas where the Leafs don't take over as much is Montreal and Winnipeg, even though there is a decent amount of Leafs fans when Toronto plays in those cities.

 

[kingsholygrail]

Kings, Ducks, and Sharks have a nice circle of hatred going.

 

[Praetorian Caps]

Capitals and Penguins are each others biggest rivals. Not sure who Wash biggest beef is after that?

 

[TT1]

MTL-BOS has died down quite a bit since a lot of key players got traded away (Subban/Weise/Emelin/Lucic etc etc) but Boston is probably still our biggest rival, playoffs build rivalries and we havnt faced each other in a while tho. Ottawa/MTL was also starting to get pretty good but players got traded and we both started sucking.

 

[Ms Maggie]

Pens: Flyers and Caps.

 

[Chrisinroch]

For the Wild it’s been fluid. Traditionally it was Chicago from the old North Star days, then I’d say it was Vancouver, but I think the natural rivalry is growing in Winnipeg.

The Avalanche rivalry is more on their side.

 

[Anisimovs AK]

This is a great question. For the Ducks our play-off rival would be Nashville. With their success against us I doubt their fans worry about us though.
Cross-town rivals of course would be LA Kings but there is limited play-off history to cement that.

What about the Sharks? Some playoff animosity in the past. Also your regular season games are always physical

 

[ziggyjoe212]

Historically Penguins' biggest rival has always been Flyers, but I'd say the Capitals have surpassed them .

Disagree. Flyers edge out the Caps.

Outside of Tom Wilson and the media created Sid vs OV thing, Caps haven't been a big obstacle to the Pens. 2018 was the first time the Caps beat the Pens in the playoffs in over 20 years.

It is close tho.