List of NHL rivalries
Rivalries in the National Hockey League have occurred between many teams and cities. Rivalries have arisen among NHL teams for many different reasons, the primary ones including geographic proximity, familiarity with opponents, on-ice incidents, and cultural, linguistic, or national pride.
The importance of these various factors has varied widely throughout the history of the league.
Early history
During the earliest days of the NHL, the league was limited strictly to Central Canada, and all cities in the league were in close proximity, making for bitter rivalries all around. In addition, Montreal had two teams representing its English-French divide. The "French" Canadiens battled the "English" Wanderers. Rivalries also existed with other leagues, such as the Pacific Coast Hockey Association. It was not until 1926 that the NHL took sole ownership of the Stanley Cup. By that time, the league began expanding into the United States, and new rivalries were created. Rapid expansion into the U.S. for a short time created a cross-town rivalry in New York City between the New York Rangers and New York Americans. The economic turmoil of the Great Depression and World War II, however, forced several teams to fold, with the result that by 1942 the NHL consisted of only six teams.Original Six rivalries
From 1942 to 1967, only six teams played in the NHL. With only five other opponents, teams played more frequently and games were often underscored by personal rivalries between players. These personal and team rivalries lasted for many years, as the turnover rate on NHL rosters was very low. At one point or another, during this era, all the teams had animosity towards one another.Eastern Conference
Atlantic Division
The Atlantic Division was formed in 1974 as the Adams Division, which beginning in 1981 had all its teams in Eastern Canada and New England with the exception of the Buffalo Sabres, which are located in Western New York. The division became the Northeast Division in 1993, and then the Atlantic Division in 2013.Battle of Florida: Florida Panthers vs. Tampa Bay Lightning
The Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning are both teams located within the state of Florida along Interstate 75, representing different geographical areas within the state. The two teams have played in the same division since 1993. The rivalry has at times been recognized by an actual trophy, known variously as the "Sunshine Cup", "Nextel Cup", and most recently, the "Governor's Cup." The physical trophy has not been awarded since the 2013–14 season.Despite joining the league within a year of each other, Florida found success first, with a trip to the Stanley Cup Final in just its third season. The Lightning eventually gained the upper hand, making it to five Eastern Conference finals in the 2010s, while the Panthers fell to the bottom of the Atlantic; for much of this decade, the rivalry was considered dormant by sportswriters. The improvement of the Panthers in the early 2020s under GM Bill Zito, however, made regular season meetings far more competitive.
The teams met in the postseason for the first time in the first round of the 2021 Stanley Cup playoffs, with Tampa Bay winning the series in six games; they would go on to win their second consecutive Stanley Cup. They met again in the second round of the 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs. This time, the Lightning swept the Panthers, sending them to the conference finals en route to the Stanley Cup Final. In their third confrontation in the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs, the Panthers won the series in five games; they would go and win their first ever Stanley Cup. The teams met again in the postseason for the second straight time in the first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs with Florida again winning the series in five games en route to their second straight Stanley Cup.
As of the end of the 2024–25 season, Florida leads the regular season record, 79–53–10–19, while both teams are tied in the playoff record, 10–10.
Battle of Ontario: Ottawa Senators vs. Toronto Maple Leafs
The Battle of Ontario is a rivalry between the Ottawa Senators and Toronto Maple Leafs. It is the current version of an old rivalry between Ottawa, Canada's capital, and Toronto, Canada's largest city and business capital. The teams compete in the same division and meet frequently during regular season games. In the early 2000s, the teams met four consecutive times in the playoffs with Toronto winning all four series. The rivalry began before the NHL existed, as the Senators and Toronto Blueshirts competed in the National Hockey Association. Ottawa and Toronto ice hockey teams first competed against each other in 1890 in the amateur Ontario Hockey Association.As of the end of the 2024–25 season, Ottawa leads the regular season record, 76–55–3–13, while Toronto leads the playoff record, 20–10.
Boston Bruins vs. Montreal Canadiens
The Bruins–Canadiens rivalry is considered by former Canadiens head coach Jacques Martin to be "one of the greatest rivalries in sports," along with the Yankees–Red Sox rivalry, Dodgers–Giants rivalry, Bears–Packers rivalry, and Celtics–Lakers rivalry. The two teams have played each other more times, in both regular season play and the playoffs, than any other two teams in NHL history.In the playoffs, the two teams have met in 34 series for a total of 171 games, which is 11 series and 60 more games than two other Original Six teams, the Red Wings and Maple Leafs. The two teams have faced each other nine times in game sevens, more times than any other opponents in NHL history.
As of the end of the 2024–25 season, Montreal leads the regular season record, 365–284–103–12, and the playoff record, 106–71 against Boston.
Boston Bruins vs. Toronto Maple Leafs
Both teams are Original Six teams, with their first game played in Boston's inaugural season in 1924–25. From 1924 to 2024, the two teams met each other in the 17 playoff series, and faced each other in the 1939 Stanley Cup Final.Since the start of millennium, the teams have met five times within the span of eleven years. Their 2013 conference quarterfinals series saw the Bruins rally from a 4–1 third period deficit in game seven to defeat the Maple Leafs in overtime, 5–4, and advance to the second round. The Bruins and Maple Leafs faced each other in the 2018, 2019, and 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs with the Bruins winning all four series in seven games.
As of the end of the 2024–25 season, Boston leads the regular season record, 309–271–98–14, and the playoff record, 46–43–1 against Toronto.
Buffalo Sabres vs. Toronto Maple Leafs
The rivalry between the Buffalo Sabres and Toronto Maple Leafs is due to proximity – only 100 miles separate the Sabres' home arena, KeyBank Center, from the Maple Leafs' home arena, Scotiabank Arena. The Sabres won 70 of 103 all-time home games against the Maple Leafs from their inception in 1970–71 until 2015–16, despite the always large contingency of Toronto fans at those games. Since the 1998–99 season, both teams have played in the Northeast Division, now the Atlantic Division. Buffalo won the 1999 Eastern Conference finals against Toronto in five games, the only playoff series between the two teams. During the 2018–19 season, Toronto swept Buffalo in the season series for the first time. Buffalo previously swept a season series with Toronto in 1979–80, 1987–88, and 1991–92.As of the end of the 2024–25 season, Buffalo leads the regular season record, 123–80–18–11, and the playoff record, 4–1 against Toronto.
Detroit Red Wings vs. Toronto Maple Leafs
This rivalry dates to the 1920s. As of 2017, they have had twenty-three playoff meetings, five in the Final. In the 1950 playoffs, when Gordie Howe mistimed a check on Toronto's Ted Kennedy and fell head-first into the boards, suffering severe injuries and needing emergency surgery to save his life, Kennedy was exonerated by the NHL. Detroit management and fans accused him of deliberately injuring Howe. Both teams share a close proximity to each other – Toronto and Detroit are approximately 240 miles apart, mainly using Ontario Highway 401 — and both areas have shared fans. After the Leafs moved to the Eastern Conference in 1998, they faced each other less often.The matchup became a divisional one for the first time in fifteen seasons, in the 2013–14 season when the Red Wings moved into the Eastern Conference, sharing their division with the Maple Leafs. The 2014 Winter Classic was played between the Red Wings and the Maple Leafs at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on January 1, 2014. They also played each other in the NHL Centennial Classic on January 1, 2017.
As of the end of the 2024–25 season, Toronto leads the regular season record, 303–285–93–6, while Detroit leads the playoff record, 59–58.
Montreal Canadiens vs. Ottawa Senators
The rivalry between the Montreal Canadiens and the original Ottawa Senators and later, the contemporary Ottawa Senators began before the NHL was born as both teams played in the National Hockey Association beginning in 1910. Prior to that, Montreal and Ottawa teams played in various amateur leagues from 1884 and competed for the Stanley Cup from the first season it was awarded in 1894. The teams first played each other on January 22, 1910, when the Canadiens were still known as "Les Canadiens", and Ottawa had not adopted the Senators nickname. Ottawa and the Canadiens first met in the playoffs in March 1917, won by Montreal, which then faced Seattle in the Stanley Cup Final. This rivalry was transferred to the NHL as both teams were original members of the NHL. The first National Hockey League game was between the original Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens on December 19, 1917. Also, in 1927, the two teams faced each other in the second round, Ottawa won that series and they went on to win the Stanley Cup. After the Senators NHL franchise was disbanded, an amateur Ottawa Senators team continued the rivalry by playing Montreal teams in the Quebec Senior League until 1954.The Canadiens and the contemporary Senators face each other often as they are both in the Atlantic Division. Fueling the rivalry is the cities' proximity to each other. There is only a two-hour drive from Montreal to Ottawa via Quebec Autoroute 40 and Ontario Highway 417, plus railway and air connections. The current Ottawa Senators' first NHL game was held in Ottawa on October 8, 1992, where the expansion Senators beat the Canadiens 5–3. That victory was one of the only Senators' highlights of their inaugural season; they won only nine more games the rest of the season to finish with ten wins and 24 points, while the Canadiens won their 24th Stanley Cup that season. Another regular season highlight of the Canadiens–Ottawa rivalry was the NHL 100 Classic played at TD Place Stadium outdoors in Ottawa on December 16, 2017, celebrating the centennial of the first NHL games.
The current Senators and the Canadiens faced each other in the playoffs for the first time in 2013. In that series, there were some controversial events. In game one, Ottawa's Eric Gryba laid out Montreal's Lars Eller in an open ice hit. After the game, the Senators' head coach Paul MacLean blamed Raphael Diaz for a suicide pass. Later, Canadiens' coach Michel Therrien responded and said that what MacLean said was a "lack of respect." Ottawa won that game 4–2. Brandon Prust later insulted MacLean after the game, saying that he did not care what that "bug-eyed, fat walrus has to say." In game three, there was a full line brawl between Ottawa and Montreal. And later in that game, Paul MacLean called a timeout with 17 seconds left in the third period with a 6–1 lead. Michel Therrien called Maclean classless while Maclean responded by saying that he was protecting his players from Montreal's dirty play in that game. The underdog Senators eventually won the series 4–1.
In the 2015 playoffs, they played in another playoff series. In game one, Montreal's P. K. Subban slashed Ottawa's Mark Stone — breaking his wrist — and Subban was later ejected. Senators' coach Dave Cameron called the slash vicious and said that Subban deserved a suspension. Ottawa's Clarke MacArthur called it a lumberjack slash, and Mark Stone said that he was being targeted all game. Meanwhile, Michel Therrien said that Subban did not deserve to be ejected and should have only gotten a minor penalty. The Canadiens won that game 4–3. The Montreal Canadiens won games two and three in overtime. Riding a 3–0 lead in the series, the Canadiens saw Ottawa win the next two games, before closing the series in game six with a 2–0 victory in Ottawa.
As of the end of the 2024–25 season, Montreal leads the current Ottawa Senators in the regular season record, 84–66–5–16, while Ottawa leads the playoff record, 6–5.