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Over the years there have been many rivals. Most notably, the Colorado Avalanche were a strong rival, largely due to a cheap shot made by Claude Lemieux on Kris Draper (of the Wings) following a playoff game which shattered Draper's jaw. From that time forward, the teams played with intensity that approached hatred.

But in spite of any short term rivalries, there are five other teams that will always be strong rivals and those are the other original six teams. Of those five, the two nearest teams are strongest. There is a particular rivalry between Detroit and Toronto, particularly because Toronto is a Canadian city and hockey is a Canadian sport. But due in part to both teams continuing to be in the same conference, the strongest rivalry would have to be with the Chicago Blackhawks, also an original six team.

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17y ago

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