1. Detroit Red Wings vs. Colorado Avalanche
Picking between the Habs versus Bruins and Detroit Red Wings versus Colorado Avalanche was a very tough decision. I can see the argument for both sides, but I lean towards the latter. The former have been rivals for nearly 100 years, so I can see why people think they have the best rivalry in NHL history.
However, no rivalry has had as much tension for as long as the Red Wings and Avalanche. Their rivalry started when the Quebec Nordiques moved to Colorado and became the Avalanche in 1995. The previous year, the Red Wings lost to the New Jersey Devils in the Stanley Cup Final and then-Devils forward Claude Lemieux did what he did best – he made everybody on the opposing team pissed off.
Lemieux got traded to the Avalanche following that season and if he wasn’t public enemy number one in Detroit already, he became it in 1996 when he injured Red Wings defenseman Kris Draper with a late hit to the boards that caused numerous facial injuries to Draper.
The Red Wings had to wait nearly a full year to get revenge in March of 1997. This led to one of the most violent games in hockey history. It featured nine fights, which is more fights than you’ll see on most boxing, wrestling, or MMA cards.
From 1996 to 2003, the Avalanche and Red Wings were common postseason opponents, as they faced each other five times in eight seasons. They were two of the best teams in the NHL. Moreover, the constant drama and hatred between the two teams was something the WWE could only dream of scripting.
The retirement of Avalanche goaltender Patrick Roy quieted the flames of this rivalry quite a bit. But they remained intense rivals until the Red Wings moved to the Eastern Conference in 2013. This rivalry was a short one, but no rivalry delivered so many intense, violent, and unforgettable moments in such a short period of time.