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5 best and bloodiest rivalries in the history of the NHL

By Mary Clarke

CALGARY, AB - FEBRUARY 1: Buddy Robinson #53 of the Calgary Flames fights Jujhar Khaira #16 of the Edmonton Oilers during an NHL game at Scotiabank Saddledome on February 1, 2020 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Derek Leung/Getty Images)
CALGARY, AB - FEBRUARY 1: Buddy Robinson #53 of the Calgary Flames fights Jujhar Khaira #16 of the Edmonton Oilers during an NHL game at Scotiabank Saddledome on February 1, 2020 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Derek Leung/Getty Images) /
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The NHL has had many rivalries over the course of its long history. However, these five stand the test of time as the NHL’s top rivalries in the history of the league.

There is nothing better than a bloody, brutal rivalry in hockey. Sure, playoff hockey may be the pinnacle of the sport, but rivalries are what drive the heart and soul of the sport. For teams across all sports, rivalry games are the ones that sell the most tickets and drive the most hype during the season.

Even if your team of choice is having a bad season, rivalry games are worth getting excited about. For some, winning a heated rivalry matchup can be just as satisfying as winning a championship, especially if your team puts a royal beatdown on your opponents.

In the NHL’s over 100 year history, the league has seen many rivalries come and go over the years, changing with time and division realignment. However, there are rivalries that remain the most entertaining and intriguing even to this day. With that in mind, here are the NHL’s top five rivalries of all time.

29 Apr 2000: Defenseman Eric Messier #29 of the Colorado Avalanche, left, battles right winger Martin LaPointe #20, center, and center Kris Draper #33 of the Detroit Red Wings during their Conference Semifinal game at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado. Mandatory Credit: Brian Bahr/ALLSPORT
29 Apr 2000: Defenseman Eric Messier #29 of the Colorado Avalanche, left, battles right winger Martin LaPointe #20, center, and center Kris Draper #33 of the Detroit Red Wings during their Conference Semifinal game at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado. Mandatory Credit: Brian Bahr/ALLSPORT /

5. Colorado Avalanche vs. Detroit Red Wings

Though the rivalry between the Avalanche and the Red Wings is less prominent now thanks to division realignment that knocked Detroit into the Eastern Conference, these two teams have a long-standing hatred for one another stemming from a very iconic moment.

The rivalry’s most explosive moment is no doubt the Brawl in Hockeytown on March 26, 1997, which had been brewing for over a year due to the 1996 Western Conference Finals where Avalanche forward Claude Lemieux sent Red Wings forward Kris Draper to the hospital with a hit from behind in a series that saw Colorado upset Detroit on the way to a Stanley Cup.

The 1997 incident saw the two teams combine for 148 total penalty minutes, and also featured an all-time goaltender fight between Patrick Roy and Mike Vernon.

Now, of course, the bad blood has cooled off significantly, at least for that era of the teams. And now, with the Red Wings in the Eastern Conference due to the 2013-14 realignment, the two teams hardly see each other in the regular season, let alone the playoffs.

Still, with how explosive those years were in the 1990s for the Red Wings and Avalanche, and with the subsequent brawls that followed in its wake, this rivalry deserves a spot in our rankings without a doubt.

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