National Hockey League rivalries Rivalries in the National Hockey League have occurred between many teams and cities . Rivalries have arisen for many different reasons , the primary ones include geographic proximity , familiarity with opponents , violence or other 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 , which made for bitter rivalries all around . As well Montreal had two teams representing that city ' s English - French divide , the " French " Canadiens battled the " English " Wanderers , and later the Maroons . Rivalries also existed with other leagues such as the Pacific Coast Hockey Association . It was not until 1926 that the NHL took over sole ownership of hockey ' s top trophy , the Stanley Cup . By that time , the NHL had begun expanding to the US ( Detroit , Chicago , New York and Boston ) , and new rivalries were created . Rapid expansion to the US for a short time created a cross - town rivalry in New York City , between the Rangers and the Americans . The economic turmoil of the Great Depression and the Second World War forced several teams to fold , so that in 1942 there were only six teams remaining . Original Six rivalries . For all information about this topic please see Original Six . From 1942 to 1967 only 6 teams played in the NHL . With so few opponents , teams played more frequently , and games were often underscored by personal rivalries between players . These personal and team rivalries persisted 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 . The strongest rivalries were : Maple Leafs - Canadiens Rivalry . The rivalry between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens is the oldest and most bitter rivalry in the history of the National Hockey League . From 1944 to 1978 , the two teams met each other in the playoffs 12 times , and faced off in five Stanley Cup Finals . While the on - ice competition is fierce , the Maple Leafs - Habs rivalry is actually symbolic of a much deeper cleavage in Canadian history and society — that between English - and French - Canadians . When the NHL was created in 1917 , these differences received the opportunity to play themselves out in a rivalry between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens . The Maple Leafs ' fanbase consisted mainly of English - speaking Canadians of British descent ; in fact , the team ' s logo was in essence a stylized version of the Canadian Army ' s Cap Badge Insignia during World War I . This held particular significance for Leaf owner Conn Smythe , who had served as an artillery officer during the Great War . As late as the 1970s , a portrait of the British monarch , Queen Elizabeth II , was hung in the Leafs ' home arena , Maple Leaf Gardens , and God Save the Queen was sung as an anthem before the game ( the former practice was famously discontinued by the team ' s owner at the time , Harold Ballard , who asked , " The Queen doesn ' t pay anything to get in , does she ? " ) . The Canadiens , meanwhile , captured the imaginations of French - speaking fans , mainly concentrated in the province of Quebec . In stark contrast to the anthem practice in Toronto , the Habs pioneered the use of the current Canadian national anthem , " O Canada , " at the Montreal Forum . While certainly heated during the 1940s and 1950s , the Leafs - Habs rivalry was particularly acute during the 1960s , one of the two teams would capture the Stanley Cup each year in the decade , with the exceptions of 1961 and 1970 . The rivalry perhaps reached its zenith in the 1967 season , when both teams met in the Stanley Cup finals during the centennial year of Canadian Confederation . Montreal was hosting Expo 67 that year and the Canadiens were expected to beat the Leafs quite handily . Still , underdog Toronto upset the Habs to capture the Cup . After 1967 , the rivalry cooled slightly due to NHL expansion and realignment . The fanbases of both teams began to erode somewhat : new franchises in Vancouver ( the Canucks ) , Calgary ( the Flames ) , Edmonton ( the Oilers ) and Winnipeg ( the Jets ) captured the allegiances of English - speaking fans in Western Canada , while the Quebec Nordiques competed with the Canadiens for the loyalties of Francophone fans within Quebec from 1979 to 1995 . From 1981 to 1998 , Toronto and Montreal were in opposite conferences and the Maple Leafs in the Clarence Campbell / Western Conference and the Canadiens in the Prince of Wales / Eastern Conference . The fortunes of the two teams since 1967 have also seen a marked difference . The Habs have won ten Stanley Cup championships since that year , while the Maple Leafs still have yet to reach the Stanley Cup Finals . Toronto came close to reaching the Finals in 1993 , where they would have faced the Wales Conference champion Habs in the 100th anniversary year of the Stanley Cup . However , they were narrowly defeated in the Campbell Conference Finals by the Los Angeles Kings . In 1998 , the Leafs moved into the Eastern Conference ' s Northeast Division , along with the Canadiens , Ottawa Senators , Buffalo Sabres , and Boston Bruins . This has served to rekindle the rivalry somewhat , although the two teams have yet to appear in a playoff series against each other . The teams faced off in what was each team ' s final game of the 2007 regular season , on April 7 , 2007 . Coming into the game , the two teams were separated by one point , with the Canadiens sitting in 8th place in the East : if Montreal were to win it , they would secure a playoff spot ; if Toronto were to win it in regulation time , they would capture 8th place ( though a playoff spot would be dependent on the final game of the season for the New York Islanders ) . The game was heavily hyped during the weeks leading up to it ; it was arguably the most important game between the two teams since the 1980s . In the end , the Maple Leafs emerged victorious , thus eliminating the Habs from the playoffs and pushing them down to 10th . But when the Isles beat the New Jersey Devils the following afternoon , the Leafs were shunted into 9th place and also missed the playoffs . Bruins - Canadiens Rivalry . The Bruins - Canadiens Rivalry is a rivalry in the National Hockey League between the Boston Bruins and the Montreal Canadiens , two teams that are considered a part of the Original Six . It is considered one of the most bitter in the NHL , particularly by Bruins fans , and especially as the Bruins and Canadiens have played each other more times than any other two currently existing teams in NHL history . The rivalry is considerably one - sided , with the Canadiens winning 23 / 30 of their head - to - head playoff series ' and all 7 of the finals series ' , but the Bruins have gotten some memorable wins in . As of the start of the 2007 - 08 NHL season , the Bruins have won just over 255 of these matches , with the Canadiens winning over 320 of them , with 105 other games between the two teams ending in ties , going back all the way to the Bruins ' first NHL season of 1924 - 25 . In the 1950s , the Canadiens would defeat the Bruins in the Stanley Cup finals three times . Also , during the 1952 playoff semi - finals , Maurice Richard was knocked out in the seventh game but returned to score the series - winning goal . One of the most famous NHL photos is the one of Richard and Bruins goaltender " Sugar " Jim Henry shaking hands after the conclusion of the series ; Richard has a cut above his eyebrow while Henry has a black eye . On March 13 , 1955 , Rocket Richard was given a match penalty and suspended for the remainder of the season for deliberately injuring Hal Laycoe , in a game against the Bruins . Laycoe had moments earlier high - sticked Richard in the head but no penalty was called . When Richard saw blood , he skated at Laycoe , who dropped his gloves to fight . The incident was exacerbated by Richard repeatedly breaking away to attack Laycoe with hockey sticks , and then assaulting linesman Cliff Thompson who attempted to restrain him . The suspension prevented Montreal from winning the Stanley Cup , finishing first and personally cost Richard the league scoring title . It went to Habs teammate Bernie Geoffrion ( better known as " Boom Boom " Geoffrion for his powerful slap shot ) , who was booed by the Montreal faithful when he passed Richard for the point lead on the last day . Geoffrion had struggled just to gain recognition of his considerable talents , as Gordie Howe , Andy Bathgate and Richard were some of the most outstanding players in the 1950s in the NHL . While the teams played each other often , the teams became truly pronounced rivals in the 1970s , when both were yearly contenders . In 1971 , despite the Bruins finishing first in the league and shattering many NHL scoring records , they lost in the first round to the Canadiens in seven games ; the pivotal moment was game two when the Bruins squandered a 5 - 1 lead to lose 7 - 5 . This ended a potential Bruins dynasty , although they would win the Stanley Cup the following season . Don Cherry ' s " Lunch Pail Gang " in 1977 and 1978 would lose both finals to the Habs . Canadiens fans remember the rough tactics that Cherry ' s players used against Guy Lafleur , whose head was swathed in bandages at the end of the 1978 series after repeated highsticking from Bruins players . The seminal moment in the history of the rivalry was probably Game 7 of the 1979 Semi - Finals ( the terms Wales / Campbell Conference Finals was in use during 1982 - 93 NHL playoffs ) . After a rough and tumble series which saw both sides win at home through the first six games , in Game 7 in Montreal the Bruins were ahead in the closing four minutes thanks to a goal by Rick Middleton which Ken Dryden would later remark as " the most beautiful goal " that he ever let in . However , after the Boston bench was charged with a minor penalty for having seven players on the ice , Lafleur scored the tying goal on the ensuing power play , and Montreal ' s Yvon Lambert won it in overtime . The win allowed Montreal to advance to the Stanley Cup finals , wherein they won for the fourth consecutive year . The rivalry continued throughout the 1980s , mainly due to a division - oriented playoff format that seemed to pair the teams every year . In 1988 , the Bruins finally won a playoff series against Canadiens in the latter ' s Montreal Forum on the way to advancing to the Stanley Cup Final , which was the last Stanley Cup Finals at the Boston Garden . The next year , the Canadiens beat the Bruins on their trip to the finals . In 1990 , the Bruins finished off the Canadiens for the first time in the Boston Garden since 1943 and would also win the 1991 and 1992 playoff match - ups against the Canadiens , the last one being a 4 - 0 sweep . Part of the Bruins ' victories over the Canadiens was due to goaltender Andy Moog who was , after , known as the " greatest Hab killer " that the Bruins ever had . Ironically , Moog signed with the Canadiens for the 1997 - 98 season and helped them to their first playoff series win in several seasons . In 1994 , the Canadiens were the defending champions but they were knocked out in the first round by the Bruins . Nonetheless , that seven - game series was notable in the eyes of Montreal fans as superstar net minder Patrick Roy came down with appendicitis and missed game three . Roy convinced doctors to let him return for Game Four and led the Canadiens to a 5 - 2 victory , stopping 39 shots . The Bruins were defeated in the 2002 , 2004 , and 2008 in the first round by the Canadiens . Montreal Canadiens won Boston Bruins 5 - 0 in Game 7 at Bell Centre . In the playoffs , the 2 teams have met in 34 series for a total of 171 games , 11 series and some 54 more games than two other Original 6 teams The two teams have faced each other 9 times in Game 7 , more times than any other opponents in NHL history . Detroit Red Wings vs . Toronto Maple Leafs . While the Toronto - Montreal rivalry is one of the most famous in sport , the rivalry with the Red Wings is no less intense . This rivalry dates to the 1920s . As of 1997 , they have had twenty - three playoff meetings , five in the finals . So fierce was the rivalry that when the Rangers reached the finals against Detroit in 1950 , but could not play in their home rink , Madison Square Garden , because the Ringling Bros . and Barnum & Bailey Circus were in town , they arranged to play home games in Toronto , whose fans hated the Wings . The rivalry heightened to a fever pitch due to an incident in the 1950 playoffs when Detroit ' s young star , 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 . While Kennedy was exonerated by the NHL , Detroit management and fans accused him of deliberately injuring Howe . The result was a violent playoff series and increased animosity between the teams . The teams ' proximity to each other – Toronto and Detroit are approximately 240 miles ( 380 km ) apart , mainly using Ontario Highway 401 – and a number of shared fans ( particularly in markets such as Windsor , Ontario ) added to the rivalry . After the Leafs moved to the Eastern Conference in 1998 , they faced each other less often , and the rivalry was more often found in the stands than on the ice . The rivalry became an intra - divisional 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 NHL Winter Classic was played between the Red Wings and the Maple Leafs at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on January 1 , 2014 . The rivalry may have heightened in 2015 with the signing of former Red Wings coach , Mike Babcock , as the new coach of the Leafs . Metropolitan and Atlantic Division . The basic structure of the Metropolitan Division dates to the 1974 formation of the Patrick Division ( which from 1981 onwards ) would have all its teams in the Mid - Atlantic States . It became the Atlantic Division in 1993 and then the Metropolitan Division in 2013 . Battle of the Keystone State : Philadelphia Flyers vs . Pittsburgh Penguins . The Battle of Pennsylvania ( which is the Philadelphia Flyers - Pittsburgh Penguins rivalry ) began in 1967 when the teams were introduced into the NHL ' s " Next Six " expansion wave . The rivalry exists due to divisional alignment and geographic location , as both teams play in the state of Pennsylvania . The Flyers lead the season series 150 – 93 – 30 and the playoff series , having won 4 out of 6 postseason match - ups . In their 2012 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals match up , the rivalry strengthened with several on and off - ice incidents resulting in suspensions and fines . Philadelphia took a 3 – 0 series lead and by the fourth game , the two teams had combined to score an NHL - record 45 goals . The Flyers ultimately prevailed in game 6 by which point the two teams had combined for 309 penalty minutes . The rivalry is considered by some to be the most heated in the league . Also in a game on January 27 , 1996 , Mike Emrick , and John Davidson called the action . Pittsburgh Penguins won Philadelphia Flyers 7 - 4 . Philadelphia Flyers vs . New York Rangers . The Flyers – Rangers rivalry is one of the most well - known of the league . They have met 11 times in the Stanley Cup Playoffs with Philadelphia won 6 and have been division rivals since the 1974 – 75 season . There is a long - standing bitter rivalry between the sports fans from New York City and Philadelphia , which are approximately two hours apart by car ( also seen in the Mets – Phillies rivalry in the MLB , the Knicks – 76ers rivalry in the NBA and the Eagles – Giants rivalry in the NFL ) . Games between the two teams at Madison Square Garden and Wells Fargo Center are often very intense , hard - hitting affairs as each home crowd does its best to create an unfriendly , sometimes volatile atmosphere for any visiting - team fans . Battle of the Hudson River : New York Rangers vs . New Jersey Devils . The Rangers – Devils rivalry , exists between two teams in the New York metropolitan area . The two teams are called " cross - river rivals . " The reason is because Madison Square Garden in Midtown Manhattan ( where the Rangers play ) is less than 10 miles and across the Hudson River from the Prudential Center in downtown Newark ( and previously , the Meadowlands Arena in East Rutherford ) , the home arena of the Devils . The Devils won 9 Atlantic Division Championships . Also in a game on April 9 1995 , February 10 , 1996 , and Game 1 of 2006 Stanley Cup Playoffs on April 22 , 2006 Mike Emrick , and John Davidson called all 3 games in New Jersey , the Devils won the Rangers 2 - 0 in 1995 , 3 - 0 in 1996 , and 6 - 1 in 2006 . The New Jersey Devils lead the season series 121 – 110 – 27 – 8 . The travel between both arenas is easily accomplished by road ( usually through the Lincoln Tunnel ) , rapid transit ( on the Port Authority Trans - Hudson ( PATH ) train ) and rail ( along the Northeast Corridor ) . The teams have met 6 times in the playoffs ; the Rangers have won 4 times ; the Devils won 2 times . New York Rangers vs Washington Capitals . The rivalry takes place in the Metropolitan Division . The two of them have been rivals since the Capitals joined the Patrick Division in 1980 . The rivalry got really heated during the 1990s with these teams meeting 3 times in 5 seasons . However , the rivalry has really heated as of 2015 with 5 series within the last 7 years between Ovechkin vs Lundqvist . The Washington Capitals lead the season series 126 – 115 – 18 – 6 . Philadelphia Flyers vs . Washington Capitals . The Flyers and Capitals have been rivals through the 1980s , dating back to their days in the Patrick Division . In 1988 , the Capitals trailed the Flyers 3 - 1 in the opening round of the playoffs . Washington would rally to win the final 3 games to take the series in seven games capped off by Dale Hunter ' s overtime goal in Game 7 . The following year , Ron Hextall and Eric Lindros helped the Flyers take down the division champions Capitals . In the 2000s , the rivalry was reignited by the rebirth of Alex Ovechkin led Capitals , whom the Flyers eliminated in 2008 . Since the league - wide realignment in 2013 , the rivalry between the teams has started to intensify . During a regular season game in 2013 , there was an all - out line - brawl between the two teams . Washington would win the game 7 – 0 . Both teams met in the first round of the 2016 Playoffs with the Capitals winning the series 4 - 2 . Pittsburgh Penguins vs . Washington Capitals . The Pittsburgh Penguins – Washington Capitals rivalry was an inter - division rivalry from 1994 to 2013 , and intradivisional the other seasons . In total , the two teams have met nine times in the playoffs . Despite trailing in 8 of the 9 series , Pittsburgh has won all , but the 1994 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals where they were heavily favored . The teams first met in the 1991 Patrick Division Finals when the Penguins defeated the Capitals in 5 en route to capturing the Stanley Cup . The rivalry was intense during the early 2000s when the Penguins beat the Capitals in the first round in consecutive seasons ( 1999 - 00 , 2000 - 01 ) and seemed to amplify more after the trade of Jamomir Jagr . One of the best series to date between the teams was the 2009 Eastern Conference Semifinals , in which the Capitals took a 2 – 0 series lead before letting it go once again to be downed in 7 games , ending with a 6 – 2 Game 7 loss at the Verizon Center . Just like in 1991 and 1992 , the Penguins defeated the Capitals in the playoffs en route to the Stanley Cup . The Capitals and Penguins completed their second playoff confrontation in the Ovechkin - Crosby era in the 2016 Stanley Cup playoffs with the Penguins winning in 6 games . Battle of Alberta . The Battle of Alberta is the bitter rivalry between the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League . The 2 teams are based in the cities of Edmonton , the provincial capital of Alberta and Calgary , the province ' s largest city . The rivalry was at its most intense in the 1980 ' s , when the two teams combined to win 6 Stanley Cups in 12 years , 5 of them to the Oilers . This showdown featured many top players of the time , including Wayne Gretzky , Doug Gilmour , Mike Vernon , Lanny McDonald and Grant Fuhr . During the 1990 ' s neither team had much success , leading to a lessening of the feud . When each team advanced to the Cup Finals in subsequent years , 2004 and 2006 due to the NHL Lockout , the rivalry began to become more heated once again . Battle of Ontario . The rivalry between Ottawa and Toronto is popular and often surfaces during the playoffs , as the two teams are in the same division ( the Northeast ) and have repeatedly met in the postseason . It is often referred to as the Battle of Ontario . The major catalyst for this rivalry is the fact that both cities ' roles to Canada are vital : Ottawa is the nation ' s capital and Toronto is Canada ' s overall largest city ( in addition to being Ontario ' s provincial capital ) . The next season , they met again in the first round as Ottawa entered the playoffs ranked 2nd in the East and the Maple Leafs 7th . While the Senators were expected to defeat the Maple Leafs , especially since they had swept the regular season series against them , the Leafs swept the series in a major upset instead ; Ottawa did not score their first goal of the series until 16 : 51 of the third period in the third game . It was after this series that the rivalry became more pronounced , especially in the eyes of Senators fans . In 2002 , the teams met in the playoffs for the third straight year . The two teams were very evenly matched , and the Maple Leafs , despite missing several key players , managed to win the second - round series in the full seven games and advance to the conference finals . One incident happened late in Game Five when Sens ' captain Daniel Alfredsson hit forward Darcy Tucker in what Toronto called a hit - from - behind , and then seconds after hitting Tucker in the Leafs zone , he scored the game - winning goal . Tucker suffered an injury on the play , and Alfredsson was not penalized or suspended for it . This began the ongoing TO fans ' booing of Alfredsson . Tucker had gotten his share of hatred in the first round against the New York Islanders when he wasn ' t penalized for a hit that dislocated the right knee of the Isles ' Michael Peca . That play , despite no punishment for Tucker , was still included in a video of " unacceptable plays " that the NHL sent to all its teams . Red Wings - Stars Rivalry . The groundwork for the rivalry between the Detroit Red Wings and Dallas Stars was laid well before Dallas even had a NHL franchise , during games between Detroit and the Minnesota North Stars . Once Minnesota North Stars moved to Dallas , the small rivalry still existed . Also , in Game 4 between St . Louis and Chicago in 1993 , and in a Game 5 between Detroit and Chicago in 1995 , Craig Janney scored on Ed Belfour of a controversial goal , and Slava Kozlov scored on Ed Belfour to win Game 5 2 - 1 and series 4 - 1 , leading to Belfour demanding a trade . Belfour was eventually traded to Dallas and became a huge factor in the rivalry . During Game 6 , in 1998 at Joe Louis Arena , Detroit Red Wings defeated Dallas Stars 2 - 0 and series 4 - 2 . The rivalry was largely predicated on the competitiveness of both teams in the late ' 90s and early 2000s . From 1998 – 2002 , the teams met in 2 playoff series , 1 time in the Western Conference Finals . Out of those 4 seasons , the teams combined to win 4 Stanley Cups and 2 Presidents ' Trophies . From 1996 - 2003 , both teams , along with the Avalanche , reigned exclusively as Stanley Cup champions , except in 1995 , and 2000 , which was won by the New Jersey Devils ( the Devils beat the Red Wings in 1995 , the Devils beat the Stars in 2000 ) . In recent seasons , the rivalry has died down , largely due to the fact that many of the key players on both teams either retired , or are playing for other teams . The next confrontation between the two teams was in 2008 , with Detroit Red Wings won Dallas Stars 4 - 2 on the way to the Stanley Cup . Avalanche - Red Wings Rivalry . The groundwork for the rivalry between the Colorado Avalanche and Detroit Red Wings was laid well before Denver even had a NHL franchise , during games between Detroit and the Quebec Nordiques . Once the Nordiques moved to Denver , the small rivalry still existed . Also , in a regular season game between Detroit and Montreal , the Wings scored on Patrick Roy 9 times , leading to Roy demanding a trade . Roy was eventually traded to Colorado and became a huge factor in the rivalry . The rivalry was largely predicated on the competitiveness of both teams in the late ' 90s and early 2000s . From 1996 to 2002 , the teams met in 5 playoff series , 3 times in the Western Conference Finals . Out of those 7 seasons , the teams combined to win 5 Stanley Cups and 4 Presidents ' Trophies . From 1995 – 2003 , both teams ( along with the Devils ) reigned exclusively as Stanley Cup champions , except in 1999 which was won by the Dallas Stars ( the Devils beat the Red Wings in 1995 , the Avalanche beat the Devils in 2001 ) . The rivalry died down after the 2001 – 02 season with the following season having both teams falling in round one and Patrick Roy ' s eventual retirement . The next confrontation between the two teams was in 2008 , with the Red Wings sweeping the Avalanche 4 – 0 on the way to the Stanley Cup . A stadium series game took place on February 27 , 2016 between the two teams at Coors Field ; the Red Wings won the game 5 – 3 . Avalanche - Stars Rivalry . The groundwork for the rivalry between the Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars was laid well before both Dallas and Colorado even had a NHL franchise , during games between Quebec Nordiques and the Minnesota North Stars . Once the Nordiques moved to Colorado , and the North Stars moved to Dallas , the small rivalry still existed . Also , in a regular season game between Detroit and Montreal , the Wings scored on Patrick Roy 9 times , and in Game 4 between St . Louis and Chicago in 1993 , Belfour , who said he had been interfered with on the goal by Hull , went on to cause thousands of dollars ' worth of damage to the visiting locker room at the Arena , breaking a coffeemaker , hot tub and television among other objects , leading to Roy and Belfour demanding a trade . Roy and Belfour was eventually traded to Colorado and Dallas and became a huge factor in the rivalry . The rivalry was largely predicated on the competitiveness of both teams in the late ' 90s and early 2000s . From 1998 – 2006 , the teams met in 4 playoff series , 2 times in the Western Conference Finals . Out of those 8 seasons , the teams combined to win 3 Stanley Cups and 4 Presidents ' Trophies . From 1996 – 2001 , both teams , along with the Devils , reigned exclusively as Stanley Cup champions , except in 1997 and 1998 , which was won by the Detroit Red Wings ( the Red Wings beat the Avalanche in 1997 , and the Stars in 1998 ) . The rivalry died down after the 2001 - 02 season , with Roy ' s and Belfour ' s eventual retirement . The next confrontation between the two teams was in 2004 and 2006 , with the Avalanche defeated the Stars 4 - 1 . Blackhawks - Stars rivalry . The groundwork for the rivalry between the Chicago Blackhawks and Dallas Stars was laid well before both Dallas and Colorado even had a NHL franchise , during games between Chicago and Minnesota North Stars . Once the North Stars moved to Dallas , the small rivalry still existed . Also , in Game 4 between St . Louis and Chicago in 1993 , Craig Janney scored on Ed Belfour of a controversial goal , leading to Belfour and Hull demanding a trade and Jeremy Roenick remained with Chicago Blackhawks . Ed Belfour and Brett Hull was eventually traded to Dallas and became a huge factor in the rivalry . The rivalry was largely predicated on the competitiveness of both teams in the late ' 90s and early 2000s . From 1998 – 2015 , both teams , along with the Devils , Kings , and Avalanche reigned exclusively as Stanley Cup champions , except in 2011 , which was won by the Bruins . The rivalry died down after the 2013 – 14 season , with Blackhawks and Stars with Belfour , Hull , and Roenick ' s retirement . The rivalry heated up after the 2015 – 16 season , with Sharp was traded to Dallas . Blues - Blackhawks Rivalry . Not unlike the Major League Baseball rivalry between the Cardinals and the Cubs , the Chicago Blackhawks and St . Louis Blues share an intense hatred of each other . Separated by 300 miles and at one time owned by the same man ( Arthur Wirtz , who had a stake in the St . Louis Arena , where the ' Hawks farm club , the St . Louis Braves , played before the Blues entered the NHL in 1967 ) , the clubs have been in the same division ( Western 1970 - 74 , Smythe 1974 - 81 , Norris 1981 - 93 , Central 1993 - present ) since 1970 . The matchups reached their zenith in the early ' 90s , when both teams had well - known stars such as Jeremy Roenick , Chris Chelios , and Ed Belfour for the Hawks and Brett Hull , Adam Oates and Curtis Joseph for the Blues and played in old arenas ( St . Louis Arena and Chicago Stadium ) that were regarded as two of the loudest in the league . Possibly the greatest moment in the rivalry was the 1993 Norris Division Semifinal : Chicago had won the division handily but were swept by the Blues , winning the series on an overtime goal . Belfour , who said he had been interfered with on the goal by Hull , went on to cause thousands of dollars ' worth of damage to the visiting locker room at the Arena , breaking a coffeemaker , hot tub and television among other objects . To this day Belfour refuses to appear in regular - season games in St . Louis : the only exception coming in 1999 when he replaced Roman Turek for the Dallas Stars in the 3rd period of a 4 - 4 game , and only after Turek had allowed four unanswered goals . When he was spotted skating onto the ice , the Kiel Center crowd greeted him with the Belfour chant , first popularized in the ' 93 series . Ironically , Hull and " The Eagle " were Dallas teammates in 1998 - 99 , and both critical in the Stars ' narrow Cup win that summer , which came at the expense of the Buffalo Sabres and Belfour ' s former teammate Dominik Hašek . Ducks - Kings Rivalry . Although there is no enmity between the city of Los Angeles and adjacent Orange County , California , the Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks share an on - ice rivalry due to sheer geographic proximity . The two teams are situated in the same metropolitan area , and share a television market . The rivalry started with the Ducks ' inaugural season in 1993 - 94 , and has since continued . The Kings last made an appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals in the 2013 - 14 season , and won in the 2011 - 2012 season . They have since made the playoffs 6 times . The Ducks since their inauguration have made the playoffs five times . In 2014 , the Ducks and Kings played against each other in round 2 of the playoffs . Since 2003 , the Ducks recent success in the playoffs , topped with the winning of the Stanley Cup in 2006 - 2007 has bolstered and solidified the loyalty of Anaheim ' s fan base , but the Kings fan base still remains intact with loyal fans . During regular season ( and , to some extent , pre - season ) games , Kings fans arrive at the Honda Center in numbers for away games against the Ducks , and vice - versa for Ducks fans at Staples Center , causing any goal by either team to be celebrated just as loud as if the home team scored . Chants in favor of either teams are common . Games between the Southern California crosstown - rivals are often very physical and fight - filled . The rivalry was showcased for the NHL Premier in London at the start of the 2007 - 08 NHL Season with two games between the teams . Blackhawks - Kings Rivalry . The rivalry between Chicago Blackhawks and Los Angeles Kings would start in the 1970 – 71 season , when the Chicago Blackhawks moved to the West Division . Although these two teams never shared the same success , they did meet in the 1974 playoffs where the more experienced Blackhawks won the series in 5 games . It cooled down after the Hawks and the Kings were in separate divisions . It got intense in the 2012 – 13 lockout - shortened season , when Blackhawks spoiled Kings banner party on their way to one of the best starts in sports history . The rivalry caught fire when these two teams meet in the Western Conference Finals . The Kings were the defending champions , but their hopes of repeating were dashed as the Hawks would down the Kings in double overtime in game 5 . In 2014 , the reverse happened ; the Blackhawks were defending champs , but the Kings would crush their dreams for a repeat in game 7 also in OT after building a 3 – 1 series lead . Edmonton Oilers vs . Los Angeles Kings . The rivalry between the Edmonton Oilers and the Los Angeles Kings began more or less the instant the Oilers began playing in the NHL in the 1979 – 80 season . Among the first - year Oilers ' players included a young Wayne Gretzky ( Edmonton Oilers , Los Angeles Kings ) , and Kelly Hrudey ( Kings ) who instantly challenged for the Art Ross Trophy against the Kings ' Marcel Dionne . In the end , Gretzky and Dionne were both tied with 137 points , but the award was given to Dionne , who had two more goals ( 53 vs . Gretzky ' s 51 ) . It should also be noted that Gretzky played 79 games to Dionne ' s full count of 80 . Gretzky remarked during a press conference at which the scoring title was awarded to Dionne that he had been taught " that an assist was good as a goal . " The two teams would not meet in the playoffs until the 1981 – 82 season . That season , Gretzky shattered the NHL record books with the most points in a season with 212 ( 92 goals and 120 assists ) . The Oilers also jumped to the top of their division despite playing in their third NHL season and had the third best record in the league . The Kings , after a fairly impressive 1980 – 81 season , slumped to having the fifth worst record in the 21 - team - NHL . They only made the playoffs , being fourth in the same division as the Oilers , because the Colorado Rockies had an even worse record in their last season . This set the stage for the top - seeded , heavily - favored Oilers to meet in the first round against the Kings . After a two - game split in Edmonton , Game 3 in Los Angeles began with a commanding Oilers 5 – 0 lead after two periods . But in a miraculous comeback , the Kings managed to tie the game 5 – 5 in the third period , scoring the tying goal with five seconds left on a two - man advantage . The Kings would later win the game 6 – 5 in overtime . This game is often referred to as the Miracle on Manchester . The Oilers struck back in Game 4 to send the series back to Edmonton for the deciding game in a best - of - five series . However , it was the Kings who upset the Oilers and advanced to the next round . For the next two seasons , the Kings would miss the playoffs completely while the Oilers competed in the Stanley Cup Finals in 1983 and won their first Stanley Cup in 1984 . Both finals were played against the dynasty New York Islanders . The two teams finally met again in1985 , but this time the Oilers defeated the Kings in three straight games . The Oilers would go on to win their second straight Stanley Cup . They met again in 1987 under a new best - of - seven playoff format for the first round , and again the Oilers would win , this time in five games , and again the Oilers went on to win the Stanley Cup . In 1988 , the Kings were again blown out of the first round , but by the Calgary Flames , while Gretzky led the Oilers to another Stanley Cup . The entire world of sports was shocked on August 9 , 1988 upon the announcement of the Oilers trading Wayne Gretzky along with Mike Krushelnyski and Marty McSorley , to the Kings for two rising young players ( Jimmy Carson and Martin Gelinas ) , three first - round draft picks , and $ 15 million in US dollars . Gretzky would lead the Kings in the 1988 – 89 season to vast improvements . For the first time , the Kings had a better season record than Edmonton , finishing second in the Smythe Division over the third place Oilers . This also led to another first round match up between the Kings and Oilers . This time , it was the Kings , with Gretzky , against the Oilers , and the Kings also had home ice . The Oilers first took command of the series and jumped ahead three games to one above the Kings . But Los Angeles answered back with three straight wins to win the series against Edmonton . In the next three playoff meetings between the two teams , the Gretzky - led Kings would be eliminated by his former teammates in four , six , and six games respectively . Edmonton also won another Stanley Cup in 1990 after sweeping the Kings in the second round . After the 1990 – 91 season , the rivalry would die down as players from the Oilers would move to other teams . Jari Kurri and Charlie Huddywould rejoin Gretzky on the Kings and go on a playoff run to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1993 , losing to Montreal in five games . Mark Messier , Glenn Anderson , Adam Graves , Craig MacTavish , and others would move to the New York Rangers and go on a Stanley Cup winning run in 1994 . Furthermore , the two Pacific Division teams have not met in the playoffs since 1992 , nor have been regularly competitive at the same time , thus keeping what once was an intense divisional rivalry dormant . When the Oilers made it to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2006 ( losing to the Carolina Hurricanes in seven games ) , the Kings failed to make the playoffs . And Edmonton has not made a postseason appearance ever since that 2006 run , while Los Angeles won the Cup in 2012 and 2014 .