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Los Angeles Kings: Who are the most hated rivals?

By David Katzner

ANAHEIM, CA - MAY 16: (L-R) Justin Williams #14 of the Los Angeles Kings shoves Corey Perry #10 of the Anaheim Ducks, as Jake Muzzin #6 of the Kings looks on in the third period of Game Seven of the Second Round of the 2014 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Honda Center on May 16, 2014 in Anaheim, California. The Kings defeated the Ducks 6-2. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images)
ANAHEIM, CA - MAY 16: (L-R) Justin Williams #14 of the Los Angeles Kings shoves Corey Perry #10 of the Anaheim Ducks, as Jake Muzzin #6 of the Kings looks on in the third period of Game Seven of the Second Round of the 2014 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Honda Center on May 16, 2014 in Anaheim, California. The Kings defeated the Ducks 6-2. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images) /
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Los Angeles Kings fans are divided about which team they love to hate most.

Rivalries between sports teams are the lifeblood of any professional league. They are the games that fans circle on their calendars the day schedules are released. From the Yankees/Red Sox, Warriors/Cavs, Giants/Cowboys or any in-state college football or basketball teams. Everyone has a different take on which is the most intense or heated or has earned the title of must-see or attend. Los Angeles Kings fans are no different.

In many cases, it takes years for rivalries to develop. But in other cases it might emerge after a particularly intense or nasty playoff battle. Sometimes it can be two star players whom each fan base believes is better than the other. For example, Crosby/Ovechkin, Curry/James, etc. And finally, a good old-fashioned brawl can be at the core of what blossoms into full-blown loathing between franchises.

It isn’t always the fans that fuel the rivalry. Players are frequently at the center of these simmering disputes. Whatever the cause or reason, rivalries make for great fun and heated arguments either in the stands, in bars or on social media. For Los Angeles Kings fans the biggest rivalries exist within the confines of the Golden State, with the Anaheim Ducks to the south and the San Jose Sharks to the north.

Kings v. Ducks

In the case of the Ducks, perhaps it is the proximity of the two teams. Just an hour’s drive separates the two, or as is frequently the case in Los Angeles traffic, two to three hours. For years, the Kings and Ducks traded seasons where one or the other would be in the playoffs. Because of this, they never got to square off against each other with the highest of stakes on the line. That all ended in 2014 when the two faced off in an epic second round series that went the distance. Los Angeles prevailed in seven games, winning the series on Ducks home ice.

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The Kings would go on to win their second Stanley Cup that year which eclipsed the Ducks one Cup win back in 2007. For LA fans, this was the redemption they desperately needed after suffering an inferiority complex for four long years until they finally claimed a Cup.

The so-called Freeway Faceoff had long existed thanks to hype and hyperbole from breathless announcers and TV promos. However, there is no doubt that the rivalry took on a new level of intensity after 2014. Players like Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf became public enemy number one for Kings fans.

Kings v. Sharks

If you believe that it’s playoff series that create and cement the status of hated rivals, then without a doubt the Sharks would not only qualify for but run away with the title. The Kings and Sharks have faced off four times in the playoffs since 2011. The Sharks won the first battle, the Kings took the next two in 2013  and in 2014, when they historically came back from a 0-3 deficit to crush the Sharks and their fans, serving up an epic humiliation on their way to their second Stanley Cup in three years.

The Sharks have had the last laugh, easily taking the Kings out in the first round during their 2016 playoff run to the finals, that would ultimately end in defeat, leaving the franchise still without a Stanley Cup. For the record, the Sharks hold a 14-11 mark in playoff games against the Kings.

Next: Who is on the Kings Mount Rushmore?

Sound off

As a Kings fan, I can tell you that I hate both teams and I truly despise Perry. But, I absolutely love going to those games. When the season schedule is published I make sure the dates of those games are clear of any conflicts on my calendar.

What’s your take? Who do you hate more? Let’s call it an informal poll based purely on emotional, visceral reactions when you see or hear the other team’s name.

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