NHL Rivalries

The rivalries in the National Hockey League (NHL) have occurred between many teams and cities.

Rivalries have arisen 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 (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 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 the New York Americans.

However, the economic turmoil of the Great Depression and World War II forced several teams to fold with the result that by 1942, the NHL consisted of only 6 teams.

Original Six Rivalries
From 1942–1967, only 6 teams (the Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, Montreal Canadiens, Detroit Red Wings, New York Rangers and the Toronto Maple Leafs) played in the NHL.

With so few opponents, the 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.

Atlantic Division
The current 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 Upstate New York.

The division became the Northeast Division in 1993 and then the Atlantic Division in 2013.

Battle of Ontario: Ottawa Senators vs. Toronto Maple Leafs
The Battle of Ontario is a rivalry between the Ottawa Senators and the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The teams compete in the same division and they meet frequently during regular season games and the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Ottawa Senators vs. Montreal Canadiens
Just like Toronto and Ottawa, the rivalry began in the early days of the NHL. The first NHL game was between the original Ottawa Senators and the 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. These two teams face each other often as they are both in the Atlantic Division and there is only a two-hour drive from Montreal to Ottawa.

The modern Ottawa Senators' first NHL game was held in Ottawa on October 8, 1992 where the expansion Senators defeated the Canadiens 5–3.

That victory would be one of the only Senators' highlights of their inaugural season; they would win only nine more games the rest of the season to finish with ten wins and 24 points (tied for the NHL's worst record with the San Jose Sharks) while the Canadiens went on to win their 24th Stanley Cup that season.

The Senators and the Canadiens faced each other in the playoffs for the first time in 2013.

In that series, there were a large amount of controversial events. In game 1, Senators' Eric Gryba laid out Montreal's Lars Eller in an open ice hit.

After the game, Senators' 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 5-3.

Plus, Brandon Prust also insulted Paul MacLean after the game, saying that he doesn't care what that "bug-eyed, fat walrus has to say."

In Game 3, 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 3rd 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.

Two years later, the rivalry was renewed in another playoff series.

In Game 1, Montreal's P.K. Subban slashed Ottawa's Mark Stone, breaking his wrist and Subban was later kicked out of the game.

Senators' coach Dave Cameron called the slash vicious and said that Subban deserves a suspension. Ottawa's Clarke MacArthur called it a lumberjack slash and Mark Stone said that he was being targeted throughout the game.

Meanwhile, Michel Therrien said that Subban did not deserve to be ejected and should have only gotten a minor penalty. Montreal won that game 4–3.

Both Game 2 and Game 3 were decided in overtime, which were both won by Montreal.

Riding a 3–0 lead in the series, Montreal saw Ottawa win the next two games, before closing the series in Game 6 with a 2–0 win in Ottawa.

Governor's Cup: Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Florida Panthers
The Tampa Bay Lightning and the Florida Panthers 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 (Atlantic Division from 1993–98, Southeast Division from 1999–2013, and the new Atlantic Division since 2013).

Despite the Lightning outperforming the Panthers in many ways, including winning the Stanley Cup, the Panthers hold a dominating series record of 58–37–10–12, the best record the Panthers have against any team in the NHL.

These two teams have never faced each other in the playoffs.

Prior to the 2013–14 season, it was announced that the two teams would compete to win the "Governor's Cup." The team who earns the most points in head-to-head matchups is awarded a trophy in recognition of their regular-season series win.

If the teams finish the season with equal points earned in games against one another, the first tiebreaker is the goal difference in those games.

Boston Bruins vs. Buffalo Sabres
The Bruins and Sabres have had a rivalry since the Sabres joined the NHL back in 1970.

These teams have met in the playoffs eight times with the Bruins winning the first five meetings in 1982, 1983, 1988, 1989 and 1992.

Their 1983 series was most memorable when in game 7 of the Adams Division final, Brad Park scored the winning goal at 1:52 of sudden death overtime.

The Sabres would finally be victorious in 1993, when they swept the Bruins in the opening round on Brad May's famous "May Day" goal called by longtime Sabres broadcaster Rick Jeanneret.

In 1999, the Sabres beat the Bruins in six games in the Eastern Conference Semifinals on their way to the Stanley Cup Finals where they lost to the Dallas Stars in six games on Brett Hull's controversial goal. The teams met in the opening round of the 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs.

The Sabres, who won the Northeast Division with 100 points and were seeded 3rd in the Eastern Conference, were upset by the 6th seeded Bruins in six games.

In April of 2013, the rivalry was set aside when both teams faced off in the Bruins first home game after the Boston Marathon bombing.

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, Bears–Packers rivalry and the Lakers–Celtics 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.

As of the 2014–15 season, the Bruins have won 264 of these matches, scoring a total of 1,916 goals against the Canadiens with the Canadiens winning 351 of them, scoring a total of 2,194 goals against the Bruins with 103 other games between the two teams ending in ties, all before the 2004-05 NHL lockout's rule changes mandated the "shootout" format to break such tie games, going back all the way to the Bruins' first NHL season of 1924–25.

In the playoffs, the two 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 Red Wings and the Maple Leafs.

The two teams have faced each other 9 times in Game sevens, more times than any other opponents in NHL history.

Buffalo Sabres vs. Ottawa Senators
The Sabres and Senators have had a strong rivalry since after the 2004–05 NHL lockout, when both teams were vying for the Northeast Division title.

Ottawa generally had the upper hand on Buffalo during regular season games, but Buffalo usually beat them in the playoffs.

The best known game in this rivalry occurred on February 22, 2007, which included a large fight that included both goaltenders and verbal sparring between the two coaches (Buffalo won the game 6–5).

The teams have met 4 times in the playoffs, with Buffalo winning three series and Ottawa winning one.

Ottawa also beat Buffalo in the final game of the 1996–97 season to make the playoffs for the first time since entering the league.

Battle of the QEW: Buffalo Sabres vs. Toronto Maple Leafs
The rivalry between the Buffalo Sabres and Toronto Maple Leafs is due to the close proximity of the two cites and their connection via the Queen Elizabeth Way highway.

The distance from the south end, the First Niagara Center from downtown Buffalo, New York and the north end, the Air Canada Centre in downtown Toronto are 89 miles (145 kilometers) from each other.

Thus, the Leafs-Sabres games in Buffalo are attended by large crowds of Leafs fans.

Since the 1998–99 season, both teams have played in the Northeast Division (now the Atlantic Division).

The teams' only playoff confrontation occurred in the 1999 Eastern Conference Finals, won by Buffalo.

The rivalry continued in May of 2015 with head coach Mike Babcock signing with the Leafs (who the Sabres were close to inking a deal with the day prior).

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 and ass 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 they 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.

Montreal Canadiens vs. Toronto Maple Leafs
The Canadiens–Maple Leafs rivalry is the oldest in NHL history.

From 1944–78, the two teams met each other in the playoffs 15 times and faced off in five Stanley Cup Finals.

While the on-ice competition is fierce, the Leafs-Habs rivalry is symbolic of the rivalry between Canada's two largest cities: Toronto & Montreal and by extension, its two major linguistic groups, anglophones & francophones and their status as hubs for English Canada and French Canada, respectively.

Notably, the Canadiens and the Maple Leafs have won the most Stanley Cups in the NHL with 24 and 13 respectively.

As a result of their success, they have the two largest fanbases in the entire league; both teams have an influx of visiting fans in their home arenas when they play each other.

Metropolitan 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 New York: New York Islanders vs. New York Rangers
The Islanders–Rangers rivalry (also unofficially known as the "Battle of New York") is unique among New York City's major league sports as the Islanders and Rangers are in the same conference and division, guaranteeing plenty of matchups (similar to the NBA's Brooklyn Nets and New York Knicks (who since 2015) also share arenas with the Islanders and Rangers.

The MLB's New York Yankees and New York Mets are in different leagues as are the National Football League's New York Jets and New York Giants, so the only meeting opportunities are during inter-league or championship games.

The games are often characterized by more fights in the stands than on the ice.

The New York Islanders originally entered the league as the "step sister" of the New York Rangers, but their 4 straight Stanley Cups in the early 1980s generated a fierce rivalry between the teams and fan bases.

Battle of New England: Boston Bruins vs. Hartford Whalers
The rivalry was first started before the two teams ever met on the ice when the Bruins "blocked" the WHA merger in 1979 because "the Whalers were in their territory."

They first played against each other in the 1979–80 season with the Bruins flourishing during the season while the expansion Whalers played awfully that year.

The Whalers have played the Bruins twice in the playoffs in 1990 and 1991, with the Bruins winning both times. The rivalry got to a heating point when Cam Neely and Ulf Samuelsson would fight on a regular occasion.

It got to a point where Samuelsson hit Neely in the knees during the 1991 Stanley Cup Playoffs, but Samuelsson was traded to the Penguins earlier that season.

At the Hartford Civic Center (usually where the Bruins won) the Whalers fans would fight Bruins fans on Ann St. located in Downtown Hartford.

The rivalry ended in 1997 when the Whalers relocated to Raleigh, North Carolina.

Battle of Quebec: Montreal Canadiens vs. Quebec Nordiques
The Battle of Quebec is the nickname for a former NHL rivalry between the Montreal Canadiens and Quebec Nordiques. The rivalry lasted from 1979–80 to 1994–95.

The teams played against each other five times in the NHL playoffs and the Canadiens won three of the series.

One meeting in 1984, resulted in the Good Friday Massacre, a game in which multiple brawls happened.

The Battle of Quebec extended to politics in which the Canadiens and Nordiques became symbols for rival parties, and beer distribution, as the teams were both owned by competing breweries.

The Nordiques' departure from Quebec City to become the Colorado Avalanche in 1995 ended the rivalry.

Calgary Flames vs. Winnipeg Jets
The Calgary Flames and Winnipeg Jets (the original incarnation) met in the playoffs three straight years in the 1980s with Winnipeg winning two of the three matchups.

In 1985, the Jets defeated the Flames three games to one for their first ever playoff series victory.

The next season, the Flames got their revenge by sweeping the Jets in three straight games capped off by Lanny McDonald's overtime winner in the deciding game beginning Calgary's run to the Stanley Cup Final where they lost to the Montreal Canadiens in five games.

In 1987, the Jets upset the Flames in six games in the opening round in what would turn out to be their final playoff series victory for the franchise until 2012 (by that time, they were known as the Phoenix Coyotes).

Chicago Blackhawks vs. Minnesota North Stars
The North Stars and the Blackhawks played each other in the playoffs six times from 1982 through 1991.

The rivalry was at its most fierce from 1982 through 1985 when the teams played in four straight playoff series with the Blackhawks winning three out of the four.

In 1991, the Blackhawks had won the Presidents' Trophy with 106 points and were one of the favorites to win the Stanley Cup.

Despite finishing with 68 points (38 behind the Blackhawks) during the season, Minnesota upset the first place overall Blackhawks in six games beginning their Cinderella run to the 1991 Stanley Cup Finals where they lost in six games to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

It was the second largest upset in NHL history in points.

The rivalry died in 1993 when the North Stars moved to Dallas.

Colorado Avalanche vs. Detroit Red Wings
The groundwork for the Avalanche–Red Wings rivalry was laid well before Denver even had an NHL franchise, during games between Detroit and Quebec.

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 nine 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 five playoff series, three times in the Western Conference Finals. Out of those seven seasons, the teams combined to win five Stanley Cups and four 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.

Detroit Red Wings vs. St. Louis Blues
The rivalry began when the Red Wings switched divisions for the 1981–82 season.

The rivalry would develop in the late 80's when they had intense division battles. In 1988, the Red Wings would defeat the Blues in five games in the Norris division final. The rivalry really heated up in the '90s.

In 1991, the Blues would defeat the Red Wings in 7 games in the Norris division semi-finals after overcoming a 3–1 deficit. They would meet up in the playoffs three straight times between 1996–98; all three, which the Red Wings won. However, the Blues almost defeated the Red Wings in 1996.

They held a 3–2 advantage and it looked like the Blues would upset the Wings in Game 6, but the Wings would win the last two games including a double overtime victory in Game 7. This would also be part of the 1997 and 1998 Stanley Cup runs.

When the Divisions realigned in 1998, this was the most intense rivalry in the Central division as they had many division battles until the 2004 season. They met during the playoffs in 2002 in the conference semifinals.

The Red Wings defeated the Blues in five games as part of their 2002 Stanley Cup run.

The rivalry instantly died in the post lockout as the Blues entered a slump, only reviving as the teams fought for the Central Division title in the 2011–12 season. However, the rivalry died after Detroit moved to the Eastern Conference during the 2013 realignment.

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, 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 in 1985, 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. Wayne 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 Huddy would 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.

Edmonton Oilers vs. Winnipeg Jets
The Edmonton Oilers and the Winnipeg Jets each started their existence in the World Hockey Association in 1972 where the Jets dominated the Oilers winning the Avco Cup three times while the Oilers were not playoff contenders.

But when they joined the NHL in 1979 (along with the Quebec Nordiques and Hartford Whalers), the tables were turned, thanks to an 18-year-old from Brantford, Ontario named Wayne Gretzky.

From 1983 to 1989, the Oilers and Jets met in the playoffs five times, the Oilers won every one of them, losing only one game out of the 19 games played between the two on their way to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987, and 1988; with the Oilers winning the Stanley Cup in the latter four years.

Wayne Gretzky had been traded to the Los Angeles Kings by the time the two teams met in the first round of the 1990 playoffs.

The Jets took a commanding three games to one series lead and led Game 5 by that same margin.

Eventually, the Oilers fought back to win the next three games and the series in seven. The Oilers would lose just three more games the remainder of the playoffs, en route to their fifth Stanley Cup championship in seven years.

The rivalry ended in 1996 when the original Jets left Winnipeg to become the Phoenix Coyotes.

Montreal Canadiens vs. Montreal Maroons
The Montreal Canadiens and the Montreal Maroons had a rivalry that existed between 1924 and 1938.

Since 1918, no other team had been occupied in Montreal. The Montreal Wanderers had played for only six games before the arena they played in (the Montreal Arena) burnt down.

The Montreal Maroons were meant to appeal to the English-speaking people of Quebec while the Canadiens were meant to appeal to French-Canadians.

The two teams met in the playoffs for the first time in 1926 for a 2-game total-goals series. The final game had 11,000 fans packed in an arena meant for 10,000 as the Canadiens defeated the Maroons.

The next year, the Maroons would have their revenge as they defeated the Canadiens 3–2 in total goals. This would be their last playoff meeting before the Maroons eventually folded in 1938.

New York Americans vs. New York Rangers
The New York Americans and the New York Rangers had a rivalry that existed between 1925 and 1942. The two teams played in Madison Square Garden, however the Americans were the first NHL team to occupy the stadium.

Even though the Garden had promised team owner and bootlegger Bill Dwyer the Americans would be the sole hockey team in New York, fan popularity and ticket sales allowed the Rangers to come into existence, thus the rivalry was born.

The two teams first met in the playoffs via two-game total goals series in 1929. Both teams struggled to score in both games as goaltender Roy Worters of the Americans shut down the Rangers for the most part and the Americans struggled to find offense during the games. The Rangers would win the series 1–0 in overtime.

The Americans then struggled to make the playoffs only making it in 1936.

Under the ownership of Red Dutton, the Americans made the playoffs in 1938 with a 19–18–11 record. Facing the Rangers for the second and final time, the Americans defeated the Rangers in three games with the help of veterans Ching Johnson and Hap Day.

Once America joined World War II, both teams started to fade in terms of players; most American-born players went to fight in the war. The Americans folded in 1942 with the hope of coming back in 1946 after the war ended. However the League reneged the promises made to the Amerks and cancelled the franchise.

Owner Red Dutton was so furious at Madison Square Garden for not reinstating his team that he swore the Rangers would never win another Stanley Cup during his lifetime. This became true as the Rangers did not win the Stanley Cup again until 1994, seven years after Dutton's death in 1987.