With reallignment come new rivalries

[DoobeeDoobeeDoo]

If I had to rate the top 3 rivalries in each division, I would do it like this,

Atlantic Division
Montreal Canadiens vs Toronto Maple Leafs
Boston Bruins vs Montreal Canadiens
Detroit Red Wings vs. Toronto Maple Leafs

Metropolitan Division
Philadelphia Flyers vs Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins vs Washington Capitals
Columbus Blue Jackets vs Pittsburgh Penguins
(what can I say? Everyone wants a piece of my Pens!)

Central Division
Chicago Blackhawks vs St. Louis Blues
Chicago Blackhawks vs Nashville Predators
Dallas Stars vs. Minnesota Wild

Pacific Division
Calgary Flames vs Edmonton Oilers
Anaheim Ducks vs Los Angeles Kings
Edmonton Oilers vs Los Angeles Kings

 

[puckhead]

If I had to rate the top 3 rivalries in each division, I would do it like this,

someone from out there will correct me if I'm wrong, but I get the sense that Toronto's biggest rivalry has been Ottawa for several years now.

also, Edm vs LA has zero rivalry. there is just nothing there.

 

[DoobeeDoobeeDoo]

someone from out there will correct me if I'm wrong, but I get the sense that Toronto's biggest rivalry has been Ottawa for several years now.

also, Edm vs LA has zero rivalry. there is just nothing there.

You're right, should've mentioned Ottawa & Toronto. Also, Florida vs Tampa is somewhat intriguing to me. I really over simplified with my rivalry list. Too many good rivalries to name.

I disagree about LA & Edmonton. The Miracle on Manchester, The Trade, Yakupov's goal/celebration.

 

[forty_three]

someone from out there will correct me if I'm wrong, but I get the sense that Toronto's biggest rivalry has been Ottawa for several years now.

also, Edm vs LA has zero rivalry. there is just nothing there.

The Battle of Ontario is the stuff of legends.

And No one in LA except Goldie Hawn was a hockey fan before 2007, and anyone in Edmonton who remembers Gretzky leaving has frozen to death by now. No rivalry at all.

 

[TiLoBrown]

New Jersey and Carolina have already been rivals for a couple years now so its going to be intensified

 

[jstewismybastardson]

someone wants to build upon that Sharks/Canucks rivalry

open the Penticton young stars tournie against each other
open their preseason sched against each other
open ther regular season sched against each other

 

[dash]

Hey puck, you owe me a new sarcasm meter...

 

[David_son]

I would think with them being so near that Buffalo and Toronto would be quite a rivalry... But then again when both teams are so bad for so long it sometimes kills that.

 

[DoobeeDoobeeDoo]

The Battle of Ontario is the stuff of legends.

And No one in LA except Goldie Hawn was a hockey fan before 2007, and anyone in Edmonton who remembers Gretzky leaving has frozen to death by now. No rivalry at all.

I don't think it matters if people in LA cared about the Kings or not, The Miracle on Manchester is one of the greatest playoff moments of all time, the Gretzky trade shook the landscape of the NHL, & Yakupov's goal/celebration was one of the zaniest things from last season. It has all the works of a rivalry IMO.

Not gonna try and undermine The Battles of Alberta, but those battles lost their flair during the early 1990s.

 

[DoobeeDoobeeDoo]

someone wants to build upon that Sharks/Canucks rivalry

open the Penticton young stars tournie against each other
open their preseason sched against each other
open ther regular season sched against each other

Have an outdoor game between the 2 teams at Sea World or some other aquarium. Have Brass Bonanza play whenever either team scores a goal.

 

[jstewismybastardson]

I don't think it matters if people in LA cared about the Kings or not, The Miracle on Manchester is one of the greatest playoff moments of all time, the Gretzky trade shook the landscape of the NHL, & Yakupov's goal/celebration was one of the zaniest things from last season. It has all the works of a rivalry IMO.

Not gonna try and undermine The Battles of Alberta, but those battles lost their flair during the early 1990s.

so those battles from the 80's lost their flair but the Miracle on Manchester of 1982 plays a role in the "breathless" rivalry that is Edmonton V LA Kings ????

ummm ... no

what the people in each market care about is all that matters and Id guess not many current Kings fans factor the Miracle on Manchester as anything but a point in history

rivalries are about who u hate with a passion and Kings fans/players probably see the Oilers as irrelevant in their sphere

 

[mooger_35]

"the Oilers are irrelevant in EVERYONE'S sphere" - Dash

 

[DoobeeDoobeeDoo]

so those battles from the 80's lost their flair but the Miracle on Manchester of 1982 plays a role in the "breathless" rivalry that is Edmonton V LA Kings ????

ummm ... no

what the people in each market care about is all that matters and Id guess not many current Kings fans factor the Miracle on Manchester as anything but a point in history

rivalries are about who u hate with a passion and Kings fans/players probably see the Oilers as irrelevant in their sphere

I was being sarcastic, Battles of Alberta are obviously still legit, but so is the Kings vs Oilers rivalry. Looking back at the Battles of Alberta, they were defined by Steve Smith scoring on his own goal & Marty McSorely spearing Mike Bullard. I would put The Miracle on Manchester & The Trade above Smith's own goal & McSorely's criminal act.

Why don't we just agree that both the Battles of Alberta & the OilKings are both rivalries?

 

[puckhead]

I disagree about LA & Edmonton. The Miracle on Manchester, The Trade, Yakupov's goal/celebration.

a) 31 years ago,
b) 25 years ago,
c) no one gives a shit.

you NEED playoff battles to get a true hateful rivalry.
Edm and LA haven't faced each other in over 20 years.

I disagree with a bunch of your top rivalries, but this one is just too wrong to go uncorrected.

 

[DoobeeDoobeeDoo]

a) 31 years ago,
b) 25 years ago,
c) no one gives a shit.

you NEED playoff battles to get a true hateful rivalry.
Edm and LA haven't faced each other in over 20 years.

I disagree with a bunch of your top rivalries, but this one is just too wrong to go uncorrected.

Miracle on Ice took place 33 years ago & Don Cherry gives a $hit. Don Cherry gave Yakupov a lot of $hit for that. Every Coach's Corner for 3 weeks straight in fact. When was the last time the Habs & Leafs faced each other in the playoffs? Isn't that still a rivalry?

 

[puckhead]

Miracle on Ice took place 33 years ago & Don Cherry gives a $hit. Don Cherry gave Yakupov a lot of $hit for that. Every Coach's Corner for 3 weeks straight in fact.

*backs away slowly and closes the door"

 

[jstewismybastardson]

Miracle on Ice took place 33 years ago & Don Cherry gives a $hit. Don Cherry gave Yakupov a lot of $hit for that. Every Coach's Corner for 3 weeks straight in fact.

who gives a shit about what Don Cherry gives a shit about

arent we past this?

its what the fans care about and if you polled the Kings fans on here theyll tell you edmonton is an afterthought in their hockey world

sure maybe they become rivals ... I can buy that ... but like puckhead said ... rivalries (that arent regional) are only born in the playoffs ... and only recent playoffs ... because if its not regional a rivalry born from recent playoff matchups usually dies a quick death without continuation

just look at Minnesota v vancouver ... dead as dust the past couple of years

 

[sabresfaninthesouth]

I think the Leafs need to become relevant as a hockey team again before they can hope to re-kindle any old rivalries.

Rivalries come and go all the time, but when one side has been irrelevant for such a long period of time, those rivalries fade in the distance.

Geography has played a much bigger role in Toronto's rivalries for years now.

 

[DoobeeDoobeeDoo]

who gives a shit about what Don Cherry gives a shit about

arent we past this?

its what the fans care about and if you polled the Kings fans on here theyll tell you edmonton is an afterthought in their hockey world

sure maybe they become rivals ... I can buy that ... but like puckhead said ... rivalries (that arent regional) are only born in the playoffs ... and only recent playoffs ... because if its not regional a rivalry born from recent playoff matchups usually dies a quick death without continuation

just look at Minnesota v vancouver ... dead as dust the past couple of years

So what are these rivalries? Blues vs Kings? Penguins vs Senators? Rangers vs Capitals? I don't think the recent playoff matches mean as much as we'd like to think. I think rivalries are based on moments. Moments which could take place during the playoffs, season, and even the offseason.

 

[sabresfaninthesouth]

Miracle on Ice took place 33 years ago & Don Cherry gives a $hit. Don Cherry gave Yakupov a lot of $hit for that. Every Coach's Corner for 3 weeks straight in fact. When was the last time the Habs & Leafs faced each other in the playoffs? Isn't that still a rivalry?

Sorry, but trying to compare the Miracle On Ice to...well, anything else hockey related - ever - doesn't work.