Great potential rivalries that never happened

[NyQuil]

I do think the Sabres infamous 2007 offseason ending that rivalry does overshadow how much the Sens core also went nowhere after 2007, despite still being together. Which was a surprise because I thought they were a team who the Crosby/Malkin Pens would have to overcome, but they completely faded away.

The timing of the cap wasn’t ideal for the roster at the time.

Chara, Havlat, Smolinski and Hasek gone after 2006.

Schaefer gone after 2007.

Redden gone after 2008.

Heatley and Vermette gone after 2009.

They didn’t have the kind of mid to late round drafting necessary to sustain it and the cap room didn’t allow for a lot of free agents to fill the gaps.

 

[JianYang]

From 1980 to 2020 Montreal and Toronto played 0 playoffs games against each others

Miss an epic cup final in 1993 and when In 1999 the Leafs come to the eastern conference, they both had issue making the playoff on a constant basis, Ottawa-Toronto had good team at the same time on a constant basis and could develop one.

Koivu mtl vs Sundin Leafs could have been a lot of funs, but montreal was bad, then the Leafs miss the playoff like 15 years in a row...

The Leafs moved east in 1999 in the same division as montreal. It was remarkable that it took that long for them to meet while in the same division but less surprising they they didn't meet from 80-99. They would have had to meet each other in the final back then, which almost happened in 1993.

The more amazing one to me was Ottawa and Montreal not meeting each other until 2013. They shared the same division since 1993.

 

[ChiTownPhilly]

Pittsburgh and Chicago traded Cups from 2009 to 2017 and yet never met in a playoff series. Just bad luck on either side in certain years. Would have been nice to see.

I also would have liked to see Pittsburgh and Chicago clash in a SCF or two. Felt like they were on a collision course that never happened.

Q.V.: Top-100 Hockey Players of All-Time - Round 2, Vote 2

Posts #6/#7- "Chicago-Pittsburgh: The Epic Rivalry That Never Was."

 

[Chainshot]

Good rivalries require intense and frequent playoff encounters to really simmer, but regular season frequency of play and similar levels of Stanley Cup competitiveness helps as well.

Buffalo-Ottawa obviously met in the playoffs in back to back years but the regular season series was spicy as well at that time.

Both teams very competitive. It was a solid rivalry and as a mod at the time, I got to know and respect @Chainshot in our efforts to curtail the worst of it around here.

While Ottawa has played Pittsburgh a number of times, they were never really competitive at the same time.

Malkin and Crosby were making their playoff debuts in 2007, and the Sens fell off soon afterwards.

Ottawa played Montreal twice since but both teams were sort of mediocre so, while entertaining, there weren’t really any big stakes.

We tried.

 

[Staniowski]

Ken Dryden lobbied hard for the Leafs to change conferences when he was Leafs' President. It was one of his main projects. He did it to increase the number of games played against more natural rivals, and I'm sure he hoped it would lead to playoff meetings against those teams, including the Habs.

 

[Matty Sundin]

Anaheim-Calgary mostly due to Calgary just not showing up. Both teams played a style that could have been a blood bath, Calgary has the most dull effort ever for a game 7 in 2006. They couldn’t win in Anaheim at all forever. The two series they had a decade later were really short and not competitive.

 

[McGarnagle]

The Bruins and Kings just kept missing each other in the finals from 2011-2014. Both played heavy, both had elite goaltending, a Selke-worthy #1 center, defense anchored by a Norris winner, etc. Would've made for a fun finals or two during their overlapping primes, but they traded off years they appeared in the final.

 

[CrosbyIsKing87]

Cup Finals I wish would have happened:
1. Edmonton vs Pittsburgh - If Gretzky doesn't get traded then this would be the dream final in 1991. It almost happened without him in 1991 but the North Stars caught fire.
2. LA vs Pittsburgh in 1993 - Would have happened but the Pens choked against the Islanders
3. Montreal vs NYI in 1980 - Like the original poster said this would have been pretty special
4. Montreal vs Toronto in 1993 - Almost happened but Gretzky pulled a Gretxky in games 6 and 7

Intra-division or conference rivalries that never really happened:
1. Pittsburgh and Philly 1995-1998 - One team up or down
2. Quebec vs Montreal 1995-1998 - If the Nordiques hadn't moved this would have been fun to watch but probably pretty one-sided
3. Boston vs Philly 1972-1979 If the Bruins don't lose key guys to the WHA and Orr doesn't have knee injuries this would have been a lot better. As it was it was pretty good anyway

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

i would have liked to see a sustained canucks and jets rivalry in the early 90s

bure vs selanne, tkachuk was a fun guy to root against, essensa was a fun goalie to watch (and, much later, to cheer for—i loved backup bob), potentially could have seen some memorable gino vs domi bouts

but unfortunately that team with so much young talent and promise fell alart after they turned the room over to tkachuk

 

[JianYang]

Cup Finals I wish would have happened:
1. Edmonton vs Pittsburgh - If Gretzky doesn't get traded then this would be the dream final in 1991. It almost happened without him in 1991 but the North Stars caught fire.
2. LA vs Pittsburgh in 1993 - Would have happened but the Pens choked against the Islanders
3. Montreal vs NYI in 1980 - Like the original poster said this would have been pretty special
4. Montreal vs Toronto in 1993 - Almost happened but Gretzky pulled a Gretxky in games 6 and 7

Intra-division or conference rivalries that never really happened:
1. Pittsburgh and Philly 1995-1998 - One team up or down
2. Quebec vs Montreal 1995-1998 - If the Nordiques hadn't moved this would have been fun to watch but probably pretty one-sided
3. Boston vs Philly 1972-1979 If the Bruins don't lose key guys to the WHA and Orr doesn't have knee injuries this would have been a lot better. As it was it was pretty good anyway

Hard to say what Quebec would have looked like if they stayed. I highly doubt the Habs would trade Roy to QC..... and who knows how much talent QC would have retained considering their finances.

 

[FoxYou727]

I remember thinking Kakko vs Hughes was going to be the next big thing

 

[The Panther]

1. Edmonton vs Pittsburgh - If Gretzky doesn't get traded then this would be the dream final in 1991. It almost happened without him in 1991 but the North Stars caught fire.

You refer to Edmonton almost making the Final in 1991, but really the best team in the West that year was Los Angeles with Gretzky. The Kings suddenly lost three overtime games to Edmonton in the second round and were out. I have no doubt that if L.A. had gotten by Edmonton (which they probably should have), they would have beat Minnesota. Either way, there went the chance of a Gretzky vs. Lemieux Final...

3. Montreal vs NYI in 1980 - Like the original poster said this would have been pretty special

I think the reall missed opportunities there were 1978 (Isles choke vs. Toronto) and 1979 (Isles choke vs. Rangers). Those series would have beent too close to call (probably Montreal wins in '78; probably the Isles win in '79).

I don't doubt 1980 would have been great, too, but by then the Habs' peak is over, it's post-Bowman / post-Dryden, etc...


On a separate note, it remains incredibly depressing to me that from 1992 through 2021 (thiry years), Calgary and Edmonton never met in the playoffs. As the NHL is run by a team of idiots, they've also managed to make it so that those clubs play each other as little as possible in the regular season.

 

[Hockeyville USA]

We've had so many Boston Los Angeles Final series/rounds in the NBA, MLB, and NFL, but missed out on having a Bruins Kings Cup Final in the 2012-2014 window where both were really good.

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

We've had so many Boston Los Angeles Final series/rounds in the NBA, MLB, and NFL, but missed out on having a Bruins Kings Cup Final in the 2012-2014 window where both were really good.

Good point, it would've had extra juice among fans with the Celtics and Lakers being really hot at that time and meeting in the NBA Finals in '08 and '10.

 

[CrosbyIsKing87]

You refer to Edmonton almost making the Final in 1991, but really the best team in the West that year was Los Angeles with Gretzky. The Kings suddenly lost three overtime games to Edmonton in the second round and were out. I have no doubt that if L.A. had gotten by Edmonton (which they probably should have), they would have beat Minnesota. Either way, there went the chance of a Gretzky vs. Lemieux Final...

I think the reall missed opportunities there were 1978 (Isles choke vs. Toronto) and 1979 (Isles choke vs. Rangers). Those series would have beent too close to call (probably Montreal wins in '78; probably the Isles win in '79).

I don't doubt 1980 would have been great, too, but by then the Habs' peak is over, it's post-Bowman / post-Dryden, etc...


On a separate note, it remains incredibly depressing to me that from 1992 through 2021 (thiry years), Calgary and Edmonton never met in the playoffs. As the NHL is run by a team of idiots, they've also managed to make it so that those clubs play each other as little as possible in the regular season.

I think the 1991 team was the Kings' best with Gretzky on the roster. I remember watching those Kings-Oilers playoff games that year and rooting for the Kings because I wanted the matchup in the final but they couldn't get the OT goals. Tomas Sandstrom never seemed to score a big playoff goal for them when it mattered most. Then during the Minnesota series the Oilers were banged up. Messier had a pretty serious knee injury and i think Lowe and Smith were hurt too.

 

[Jimmy Firecracker]

From 1980 to 2020 Montreal and Toronto played 0 playoffs games against each others

Miss an epic cup final in 1993 and when In 1999 the Leafs come to the eastern conference, they both had issue making the playoff on a constant basis, Ottawa-Toronto had good team at the same time on a constant basis and could develop one.

Koivu mtl vs Sundin Leafs could have been a lot of funs, but montreal was bad, then the Leafs miss the playoff like 15 years in a row...

We were agonizingly close to having a Leafs-Habs series pre-lockout. Both teams just missed each other in '02 and '04. Boston beat out Toronto for the division title by one point each year. The division winner, Boston in this case, played Montreal in round one both years. Who knows how different history would be had each team met in either or both years.

 

[Jimmy Firecracker]

Leafs-Red Wings in the early-mid 90s could've been better and more historic if things went a little differently. '93 was a minor upset for the Leafs and pitted pivots Doug Gilmour and Steve Yzerman against each other. It was a good series and if not for Detroit getting upset in '94 and the Leafs falling off in '95 and '96 we potentially could've had three more series with these teams.

For 1994 we would've needed Detroit to not blow it against San Jose and then for Toronto to beat Dallas and Detroit to beat Vancouver for a Conference Finals date. 1995 the Leafs lost to Chicago in Game 7 of Round 1 and the Blackhawks went on to face Detroit in the Conference Finals. Leafs would've needed to exact some revenge (assuming '94 plays out the same as reality) and beat Vancouver in Round 2 like the Blackhawks did to set that up. 1996 would've been easier to get as it only would've required the Leafs to win one series and beat St. Louis to set up a 2nd round date between the two teams.

Alas it wasn't meant to be. The Gilmour Leafs well and truly fell off after '96 and by the time the team was good again the Leafs were in the East.

 

[Hockeyville USA]

Leafs-Red Wings in the early-mid 90s could've been better and more historic if things went a little differently. '93 was a minor upset for the Leafs and pitted pivots Doug Gilmour and Steve Yzerman against each other. It was a good series and if not for Detroit getting upset in '94 and the Leafs falling off in '95 and '96 we potentially could've had three more series with these teams.

For 1994 we would've needed Detroit to not blow it against San Jose and then for Toronto to beat Dallas and Detroit to beat Vancouver for a Conference Finals date. 1995 the Leafs lost to Chicago in Game 7 of Round 1 and the Blackhawks went on to face Detroit in the Conference Finals. Leafs would've needed to exact some revenge (assuming '94 plays out the same as reality) and beat Vancouver in Round 2 like the Blackhawks did to set that up. 1996 would've been easier to get as it only would've required the Leafs to win one series and beat St. Louis to set up a 2nd round date between the two teams.

Alas it wasn't meant to be. The Gilmour Leafs well and truly fell off after '96 and by the time the team was good again the Leafs were in the East.

We need Toronto Detroit in the playoffs again

 

[ES]

I remember thinking Kakko vs Hughes was going to be the next big thing

Yes, and thinking it was great to have those two in true rival teams.

Big part of Crosby vs. Ovechkin is that they play for teams which had notable history before those two arrived. Had Crosby ended with Ducks for example (I say this because Ducks got #2 pick in that draft) it would have been much different when those players potentially meet only twice a year.

 

[PurpleMouse]

I feel if the Wild & Stars had been in the same division off the hop of the Wild coming in, it could have been a big rivalry with the Stars having just recently departed from Minnesota. But being in different divisions it was like they were just another team to each other and by the time the were in the same division, too much time had passed.

 

[Hockeyville USA]

Detroit Carolina could have been huge if they were in the same conference back in the day. The 2002 Final was great, but the off ice rivalry between Ilitch (Little Caesars) and Karmanos (Compuware), whether it be in minor hockey or business, was a Cold War of sorts. Wings fans and Detroit locals remember this all too well.

 

[torontoblood]

Buffalo Sabres vs New Jersey Devils, late 1990s- early 2000s. between 1997 and 2001. Both teams were competitive and contending in the east at the same time. I know they met each other in the playoffs before back in 1994 (a first round series win that the devils won in 7) but witnessing hasek in his prime against brodeur in his prime would have been epic.


Both teams were solid defensively, had grit, had speed, were defensively sound and were underrated offensively. They scored much more goals than people think. They had scoring punch and could score in bunches.(it rhymes lol)

 

[VaporTrail]

Waterloo, IA vs. Fort Dodge, IA...A shame the NHL never did this.

 

[Hobnobs]

Another example is Detroit vs Dallas between 1995-2002. Dallas was the 3rd wheel of the Colorado/Detroit rivalry, and together the 3 dominated in this span. In addition to the heated Avs/Wings rivalry, there was also the 1999 and 2000 WCF where the Stars beat the Avs in 7 in both, which each at least close to their peaks. But the Stars and WIngs never had that. They only met in 1998 (Dallas wasn't elite in 1995, so I won't count that for the sake of this thread). For the Stars, Nieuwendyk (who won the Smythe the next season) was injured in the first game of the playoffs, and it was the season before they signed Hull, so they struggled to score that postseason, which was a big motivating factor in signing Hull. Without those two, this wasn't as good a Stars team as the one who beat the Avs the next 2 seasons and won the 1999 cup. Meanwhile, had the Wings not blown their 2-0 series lead to the Avs the following season, I think they lose to the Stars in the 1999 WCF. Not only because the Stars were better, but because the Wings were worn down from their B2B cup wins. If looking for a season where both were close to peak form aside from if Nieuwendyk was healthy in 1998, the next best postseason would probably be 2003, when they were the top 2 seeds in the West but both fell victim to Giguere's legendary postseason.

What other examples can you guys think of similar to this?

I see you are focused on the playoffs here but Wings vs Stars was definitely a rivalry. Though Stars had a rivalry with most teams then since they were considered one of the dirtiest teams in the west.

 

[Brodeur]

Maybe more a player rivalry, but Rick DiPietro was supposed to be in the 2001 Draft if he wanted to maintain his NCAA eligibility but the rules of the time. But his advisor(s) were worried that DiPietro might be the third goalie taken in 2001 (behind Pascal Leclaire and Dan Blackburn), so he entered the 2000 Draft after getting indication that he'd be a top 5 pick.

Blackburn would go to the Rangers in 2001 and got thrown to the wolves as a teenager. My memory is fuzzy now, but I seem to recall seeing the raw ability. Unfortunately Blackburn suffered a career altering injury while training as he didn't have full range of motion with his left arm.

Maybe in a parallel universe where both guys are healthy, DiPietro vs. Blackburn was that decade's Sorokin vs. Shesterkin?