Biggest Nhl Rivalry!

[Cataclaw]

(I was reading up on some NHL rivalries and felt like discussing it on Habsworld but couldn't find an existing thread on the subject. If i missed an existing thread, my apologies + mods please merge. Thanks!)

NHL rivalries... what do you think is the biggest, badest and most intense?

My vote goes to Montreal-Toronto. These two cities have been rivals since the dawn of time. I've never seen fans get as fired up as they do at Montreal-Toronto games. If you want a recent example, you need look no further than the last regular season game between the Habs and Leafs. There were 4-5 fights/brawls, the Kovalev on Tucker hit, etc. Ahh, call me biased for being a Habs fan, but i don't think there's a sports rivalry on earth that rivals Montreal-Toronto. (Although i must admit Flames-Oilers and the Battle of Ontario are pretty damn intense! )

Edited October 8, 2006 by JeanLucPilon

[KoZed]

Strongly disagree.

Actually, I dont think the Toronto - Montreal rivalry is as big as the Boston - Montreal rivalry, simply because Leafs and Habs haven't met in the playoffs often enough.

Also, the Leafs sucked for too long. During the 70's Boston was the enemy. In the 80's Quebec was the enemy. In the 90's, it became Boston again. Lately the last two playoffs between Montreal and Boston showed the rivalry was still well alive.

Everyone's talking about the Toronto-Montreal rivalry, but it's just not hot enough. Sure, Montreal fans hate Toronto, but we're talking about teams rivalry here. Habs fans wouldn't roam free in Toronto and vice versa if the rivalry was that hot. Back in the Habs-Nords era you couldn't walk in the Colisee or Forum wearing the other town's jersey and not expect to get splashed with beer, yelled at or provoked in a fisticuffs.

Toronto-Montreal is nothing compared to Detroit-Colorado or Edmonton-Calgary. Just doesnt mesure up on the on-ice hate scale.

Rivalries happen on the ice first. Teams have got to go toe-to-toe with something on the line to build and maintain a rivalry.

[Cataclaw]

I agree that the Montreal-Toronto rivalry is fueled mostly by the fans (rather than the players/teams). However, i still think ithe rivalry is way up there.

You won't get physically attacked for wearing a Leafs jersey in downtown Montreal, but you will get honked at and verbally assaulted. You will attract some rather crude/vicious remarks and even some spit. I've seen with my own eyes.

Also, woops, i forgot to mention Detroit-Colorado. That rivalry is huge. Could a mod add it to the poll? Thanks.

As for Boston-Montreal, historically there have been more cup final confrontations and perhaps historically the rivalry is bigger, but to present-day teams and fans, i get the distinct impression that Montreal-Toronto takes the cake.

Edited October 7, 2006 by Cataclaw

[Pierre the Great]

And you don't put the historical rivalry between Quebec and Montreal?

Granted Quebec doesn't have a team anymore but come on.

Plus no blues blackhawks? I mean come on its the battle of who can put more bums in the seats. lol.

I'd go with Maple Leafs-Habs. Because its a culture clash of right wing goons like Cherry saying the french are wimps. TSN being biased. And so on. If a rivalry can transcend sports then thats a rivalry. When one town hates the other then thats a rivalry.

[Fanpuck33]

I don't think any rivalries are big between teams anymore. I think the rivalries are really between fans these days. With much of the physical part of the game out of the game these days, there's just not as much hate between teams anymore.

The most recent great rivalry was Colorado and Detroit. Those teams hated each other in the 90s.

[Pierre the Great]

Exactly fanpuck sports today is like that. I mean look at Europe in soccer. If I'm a Ranger fan, Celtic fans want me dead and visa versa.

Rivalries are fan based now.

[Cataclaw]

And you don't put the historical rivalry between Quebec and Montreal?

Granted Quebec doesn't have a team anymore but come on.

Plus no blues blackhawks? I mean come on its the battle of who can put more bums in the seats. lol.

I didn't put Quebec-Montreal because this thread is about present-day rivalries.

As for Blues-Blackhawks, look again, it's there in the poll options

Yeah, i agree. With players coming and going and the ways things are today, the environement isn't conducive for the PLAYERS on teams to be rivals. It's more about the fans.

Montreal has CBC/TSN bias + a whole lot of other factors (such as the two cities being rivals in just about everything. Other sports and, well... everything in general! The two biggest and most important cities in Canada, what do you expect?)

[Fanpuck33]

Exactly fanpuck sports today is like that. I mean look at Europe in soccer. If I'm a Ranger fan, Celtic fans want me dead and visa versa.

Rivalries are fan based now.

Wait, did Pierre just agree with me?

[Pierre the Great]

Montreal has CBC/TSN bias + a whole lot of other factors (such as the two cities being rivals in just about everything. Other sports and, well... everything in general! The two biggest and most important cities in Canada, what do you expect?)

I know, its always Montreal and Toronto, Toronto and Montreal. Thats why I like Vancouver. B)

They're like Roger Dangerfield 'get no respect'

Wait, did Pierre just agree with me?

I know shocking isn't

[Fanpuck33]

I know shocking isn't

Hehe, we can't have that happening, lol.

Anyways, I remembered seeing you write somewhere about how nobody goes to Blues games. Last season, they averaged 14,000 fans, not the 5,000 you claimed.

[Pierre the Great]

Anyways, I remembered seeing you write somewhere about how nobody goes to Blues games. Last season, they averaged 14,000 fans, not the 5,000 you claimed.

Those numbers where inflated. Its widely known that they fixed the attendence numbers so it didn't look that bad. Because I was a game and they said the crowd was 14,000 but if you looked around there was only about 8,000 tops and thats being generous.

If you watched a game on tv you saw more seats then people.

[Fanpuck33]

Those numbers where inflated. Its widely known that they fixed the attendence numbers so it didn't look that bad. Because I was a game and they said the crowd was 14,000 but if you looked around there was only about 8,000 tops and thats being generous.

If you watched a game on tv you saw more seats then people.

They're not inflated, per se. That's how many tickets are sold, not how many people actually attend the game.

[les_glorieux]

My vote goes to montreal-boston or colorado-detroit.

Edited October 7, 2006 by les_glorieux

[MAK]

I go with edmonton-calgary. it goes in the cfl as well, they just hate to lose to the other. one year calgary loses in finals to a southeast team in 7 games, next season Edmonton does exactly the same.

the red mile versus whyte ave...can't wait for mtl to be in the finals. thats one canadian tradition I want to keep

[Dutch_Habs_Fan]

the biggest one??

We just won it tonight

Edited October 8, 2006 by Dutch_Habs_Fan

[Shu]

went with Montreal Toronto because of the news that sorounds the game, its electric on TSN when their playing, the fans are going crazy. In Boston they dont appreciate hockey as much as in Toronto. My second choice would be the Battle of Alberta which is currently going on right now

[sakiqc]

Beside the hit by Komisarek on Tucker, the game was not physical at all. Begin, what are you doing ( We love to see you rush and hit the opposite team! Latendresse!! WTF are you doing? It's not because you were suspended once that you can't hit anymore!!

Oh by the way, like m&k my vote went to EDM-CGY.

[Pierre the Great]

Yeah I'd agree on the Battle of Alberta as the biggest. Sad thing is though I went with habs-leafs.

[jetsniper]

I agree that the Montreal-Toronto rivalry is fueled mostly by the fans (rather than the players/teams). However, i still think ithe rivalry is way up there.

You won't get physically attacked for wearing a Leafs jersey in downtown Montreal, but you will get honked at and verbally assaulted. You will attract some rather crude/vicious remarks and even some spit. I've seen with my own eyes.

Also, woops, i forgot to mention Detroit-Colorado. That rivalry is huge. Could a mod add it to the poll? Thanks.

As for Boston-Montreal, historically there have been more cup final confrontations and perhaps historically the rivalry is bigger, but to present-day teams and fans, i get the distinct impression that Montreal-Toronto takes the cake.

Haha, you're lucky I saw that.

Obviously my vote goes to Detroit/Colorado. Man, those were the days. Not as good now since everyone is leaving, don't even have Shanahan or Yzerman to cheer against anymore. Theres all these strange guys like Hudler and Kronwall. It's still good to bug Wings fans on the Roy fights, they'll take it to the grave with them that Osgood/Vernon won both of them. Vernon/Roy was a draw, Roy kicked Osgood's ass and then there was the almost Hasek/Roy fight. Too bad the blueline got in Hasek's way, pussy.

[JLP]

Also, woops, i forgot to mention Detroit-Colorado. That rivalry is huge. Could a mod add it to the poll? Thanks.

Ok sure, woops, now it seems when another choice is added the poll resets. Sorry, we have to start again

[BTH]

Habs-Leafs

We never meet in the playoffs because the Leafs never make the playoffs. But when we meet in the regular season they always give us a tough time.

[johnnyhasbeen]

Philly Pens would be one, I went with the classic Habs/leafs as most did, surprised nobody picked the Alberta warriors.

[Fanpuck33]

I was thinking about this again today, and I figured out why rivalries are fueled by fans and not players, the way they used to be: Free Agency. Players change teams so often that they aren't around a team long enough to build up hatred for another team. Sure, guys like Rivet and Koivu have played for years against the Leafs and Bruins, but what about Samsonov, Kovalev, Dandy, Bonk, etc?

Reason number two is expansion. Teams used to play each other much more frequently, so many more issues got carried on from game to game. Players got sick of playing against the same guys and just wanted to kill them. This is a big reason why the NHL decided to go with the unbalanced scheduling, it gives teams a chance to build up rivalries within the span of the season.

[Pierre the Great]

Yeah the unbalanced schedule is great for people with rivalries. Like Montreal-Toronto, Edmonton-Calgary. But man does it get annoying when the blues play the blue jackets or predators every week. Ugh. snore. No offence but thats not fun to watch. Especially those Nashville games. ugh. 2 arenas with no life in them.

Rivalries are all about the fans. If the fans don't show interest then its just another game.

[Colin]

I miss the Nordiques. That rivalry made the Battle of Alberta, or the Battle of Ontario, or the Battle of New York, or any other game for that matter seem like an exhibition game with backup players.

All the other battles have some modicum of respect.

Habs - Diques was all about hatred.