Hockey being one of the two national sports of Canada, there are a lot of passionate people about the sport. Which team rivalry between Canadian teams is the strongest? I would think the rivalry between the Leafs and the Habs, because they're both originals, and have the most Stanley Cups between them.

I agree, Leafs vs. Habs. This is quite possibly even the biggest rivalry in professional sports.

Toronto vs Ottawa deserves an honourable mention. I mean, the Sens would have made it to the past three finals, if they didn't have to play the Leafs first!

LOL god that must be frustrating.

Old school rivalry: Leafs Vs. Habs
Battle of Alberta: Flames Vs. Oilers

But in Toronto today: Leafs VS. Sens

http://www.team1200.com/images/leafs-suck/go-sens-go-DT1.jpg

:D :D :D :tongue2:

Leafs v Panthers

I agree, Leafs vs. Habs. This is quite possibly even the biggest rivalry in professional sports.

Lol, yeah, cause Hockey is so popular throughout the world....

Lol, yeah, cause Hockey is so popular throughout the world....

In defense..

Regardless of Hockeys international popularity, this rivalry would at least qualify. Toronto and Montreal franchises have dueled for over 100 years, most of which in their present forms. Both teams have the most Stanley Cup wins. Both teams represent the duality, and therefore tension and competitveness, of their respective anglo/franco nation. The rivalry has even been perpetuated in myth (google 'the hockey sweater'). Plus, there are only a handfull of nations with such a one-track obsession for one particular sport.

However, saying it's the biggest rivalry in the world is likely far-fetched.

Leafs vs Habs is a rivalry of tradition these days. The blood is not there like it used to be. But there is always an awe to the feeling of watching these two go at it.
However, in modern NHL, the true rivals are a very close tie with Calgary/Edmonton and Toronto/Ottawa. This is all based on where you live in Canada of course.
In my case, Toronto/Ottawa is the the rivalry I most follow closely. It's gotten quite fierce since Toronto kept beating them over and over and over and....okay I'll be good (Sens are 5 and 0, I should start sucking up this year!)

That's what I thought as well partybits. Ottawa-Toronto has been the fiercest one over the past 5 years and those matchups are looked forward to more than the Leafs-Habs these days. The two meetings this year between Ottawa and Toronto barely had any hitting whatsoever..so some of that hatred may have been lost over the lockout. However, if the Leafs-Habs ever meet in the playoffs again....watch out. Whenever the Leafs play in Montreal, it's probably my favorite games to watch because of how loud the crowd is for both sides....the atmosphere is always electric. When they play at the ACC, the crowd is pretty much one sided and full of corporate bores.

You got that one right. I pray for the day we can play the Habs in the playoffs. Holy shit will that ever be a wild series. You know how close were were last season (before the lockout). We could've gotten 2nd spot but Boston got an extra point, pushing us to 4th spot in standings. If Boston had'nt of gotten that extra point, we would've played Montreal.
However, since we are in teh same division, it's bound to happen sooner or later.
I can see it already. Round 1: Tor vs Mon Round 2: Tor vs Ott Round 3 Tor vs Pha & Stanley Cup: Tor vs Det.
Swweeeeeeeet.

Ottawa and Toronto's rivalry skyrocketed in 2003-04, when I saw those reports on the CBC news and when all the radio stations (not in Ottawa area) in Ontario kept playing that infamous remake of the Adam Sandler Hannukah song, except it was about the Senators being beat by the Leafs. I think at some times, it got downright NASTY! However, the first two games they have faced against each other this year, I think the fans are well-behaved. :)

But Montreal and Toronto's rivalry is classic and much more richer. Goes back to the roaring '20s. Toronto's rivalry with Ottawa, I don't think will ever change this one.

Personally, it would be amazing to see a Detroit and Toronto match-up for the Stanley Cup.

I would say Battle of Ontario. But under the history books it's Leafs vs. Habs.

In defense..

Regardless of Hockeys international popularity, this rivalry would at least qualify. Toronto and Montreal franchises have dueled for over 100 years, most of which in their present forms. Both teams have the most Stanley Cup wins. Both teams represent the duality, and therefore tension and competitveness, of their respective anglo/franco nation. The rivalry has even been perpetuated in myth (google 'the hockey sweater'). Plus, there are only a handfull of nations with such a one-track obsession for one particular sport.

However, saying it's the biggest rivalry in the world is likely far-fetched.

^ Thank you, that's what I meant, biggest meaning of the rivalry itself is likely more historically bitter(for lack of a better word) than many other rivalries, and not that the rivalry is physically bigger.

If you want to check up on that, I invite doubters to read up on hockey rivalries, especially during the 1960s, where it was always Leafs-Habs-Leafs-Habs-Leafs-Habs-Leafs-Habs-,etc for the Stanley Cup the whole decade.

(BTW, despite being a Habs fan, I have one side of my family as Leafs fans)

It sounds confusing but there is a slight difference.

I'll try to make my statements sound clearer - when I don't want people to take it literally next time. :wink2:

Calgary-Edmonton, obviously. Nothing beats the Battle of Alberta.

Nope, can't beat the Battle of Alberta. I have had phone calls to Edmonton during hockey or football games and it can get nasty!

http://www.picturethisgallery.com/Artists/Healey,%20Joan/Healey_-_Battle_of_Alberta.jpg

It's like we're conditioned to hate each other. Well, at least in anything within the realm of sports.

For history buffs: Toronto and MTL...for intense recent competition...Toronto and Ottawa

They don't even allow TML jerseys at that Ottawa arena.

I think its Vancouver vs Colorado, but of those teams its Toronto vs Ottawa.

Of the options provided definatley vancouver and edmonton, no other one listed comes close. though if u included some main american teams we'd get an even better rivalry, namley Van vs Col, now that's a good rivalry.

TODAY:
1. Battle of Ontario
2. Battle of Alberta
...
everything else

Toronto vs. Detroit is the biggest one in these parts but the NHL has ruined it by not even having those teams play this year.

where's Montreal-Boston??

Both have a rich history playing one agains the other.

However, saying it's the biggest rivalry in the world is likely far-fetched.

That was my point. Right off the top of my head I can think of rivalries that are much bigger than any Hockey rivalry. Yankees-Sox, Packers-Bears, Manchester United-Arsenal, Real Madrid-Barcelona, etc. etc.

Canadiens vs. Nordiques :cry:

When I was living in Ottawa, there sure was a big Leafs-Sens rivarly. I was surprised that there really wasn't a Hab-Sens one.

Yeah, where's Habs vs. Bruins. No two teams in North American pro sports have played each other more times in the playoffs than the Habs and the bruins(31 times to be exact, Habs lead it 23-8)

The major reason why the habs-leafs Rivalry has died down a bit is mostly because for a period of 15 years,our true rivals were the nordiques. You all know the history there!
Plus the fact that the leafs sucked so much for a prolonged period of time didn't help!

One thing i'm grateful for in this new NHL is the Fact that we get to play the bruins and the leafs 8 times each this year, and I've got tickets for both in March and April!!!

Since you didn't include the habs VS Bruins or the habs vs the Nordiques, i voted for the habs and the leafs.

Whenever the Leafs play in Montreal, it's probably my favorite games to watch because of how loud the crowd is for both sides....the atmosphere is always electric. When they play at the ACC, the crowd is pretty much one sided and full of corporate bores.

I respectfully disagree. I watched the game a couple of weeks ago when teh habs beat the leafs in Toronto. There was a shitload of habs jerseys in the crowd, and you could definately hear them when the habs scored.

canucks fans vs. canucks fans

Leafs/Habs
Leafs/Sens
Flames/Oilers

the rest

"canucks fans vs. canucks fans" lol - are you serious?

1 - Calg vs Edm
2 - Tor vs Ottawa
3 - Tor vs MTL (use to be tops, but watered down now cause of #2)

EDM/CAL
TO/OTT
TO/MTL

outside Canada
TO/DET(rockin the Norris divions and one of my favourite Leafs times)
MTL/BOS

Hockey Fans vs Thier Wives

oilers vs stars...

in the past whenever these 2 teams met in the playoffs, some classic games were played.

bunch of old timers like watching

habs vs bruins
leafs vs wings

today...

battle of ontario and
battle of alberta

I really do miss the Leafs vs. Wings rivalry...it really was a great one. And before the Leafs moved back to the Eastern Conference, the two teams had faced each other more than anyone other two teams in NHL history....but since then, Montreal-Boston matchups has surpassed that. It is a fucking disgrace that, for the first time ever, Toronto and Detroit will not meet in the regular season this year.

They won't? What? I thought every team met every other team at least once! I guess with playing more inter-divisional games, there's no room for such far-away locales like Detroit!

I agree, Leafs vs. Habs. This is quite possibly even the biggest rivalry in professional sports.

i have yet to see a rivalry that's bigger than army vs navy.

toronto vs montreal gets my vote. it might be the biggest rivalry in the nhl.

i have yet to see a rivalry that's bigger than army vs navy.

toronto vs montreal gets my vote. it might be the biggest rivalry in the nhl.

army vs navy?

whats that all about?

army vs navy?

whats that all about?

the army-navy football game, usually played in philadelphia, is one of the biggest games of the year, regardless of how bad the teams are. there is a huge amount of pageantry, including stealth bombers flying over the stadium, etc. the football game is an extension of the rivalry betwen the army and navy in military life. bragging rights are huge in the armed forces.

one reason this rivalry is so big is because these arent just any athletes. these men will be defending the country no matter where they are stationed or deployed. they are pretty much the best the united states has to offer not only on the field, but off as well.

^ sounds like fun!

It is a fucking disgrace that, for the first time ever, Toronto and Detroit will not meet in the regular season this year.

For sure. I would like to see Detroit eventually move to the Eastern Conference. I think it's the easternmost team in the West right now.

Detroit goes to EAST
And Move a bad Eastern team(read:Washington) to Winnipeg, which would of course be in West

Or take out Tampa and move them to Winnipeg, and put Detroit in the NE division.

the Ducks to winnipeg , the owners want to dump the team anyways and think how big Scott Niedermayer would be there... http://pics.forecaster.ca/nhl-player/0253.gif

its either calgary vs edmonton or colorado vs. bertuzzi lol