The rivalry between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens is the oldest and most bitter rivalry in the history of the National Hockey League, which has led to these teams being each other’s arch-rivals. From 1944 to 1978, the two teams met each other in the playoffs 12 times, and faced off in five Stanley Cup Finals. While the on-ice competition is fierce, the Leafs-Habs rivalry is actually symbolic of a much deeper cleavage in Canadian history and society ” that between English and French-Canadians. It’s the rivalry between Canada’s largest cities: Toronto, the largest and the heart of Anglo-Canada and Montreal, the second-largest and the heart of Franco-Canada.

When the NHL was created in 1917, these differences received the opportunity to play themselves out in a rivalry between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens. The Maple Leafs’ fan base consisted mainly of English-speaking Canadians of British descent; in fact, the team’s logo was in essence a stylized version of the Canadian Army’s Cap Badge Insignia during World War I, This held particular significance for Leaf owner Conn Smythe, who had served as an artillery officer during the Great War.

While the Leafs appealed to the British-loyal Canadian citizens, the Montreal Canadiens reached out to a different demographic. Those in Quebec were mainly French, and even chose to use a different national anthem for their games “O Canada”, having sung most of the anthem itself in French.

The most memorable stage of the rivalry between the two teams occurred during the 1960s. It seemed as if each team switched off Stanley Cups every year of the decade, and 8 of the 10 cups during the 60s were won by either the Habs or the Leafs. 1967 might go down as the most legendary showdown between the two. Montreal was hosting the World’s Fair, was favored to win against the Leafs, and the nation of Canada was celebrating its centennial. Toronto defied the odds and won the series, marking the last time the team won a cup.

Toronto’s luck has since changed. Since 1967, the team hasn’t even made a finals. Montreal, on the other hand, has seen great success as a franchise, with ten more cups won since. Toronto once made the conference finals in 1993 and nearly faced off against the Habs for the Cup, but the Leafs were stopped short in their tracks by the LA Kings.

Eleven seasons ago, the NHL decided to switch the Maple Leafs into the same division as Montreal. While the teams often play each other and the games are heated, they haven’t met in the playoffs since this shift occurred.

In 2007, right before the start of the playoffs, the Leafs and Canadiens had a game that would decide which team would proceed to the playoffs. The Leafs won, but ultimately did not proceed to playoffs when the New York Islanders stole their spot. The 2009/10 season is coming, and the rivalry continues with Toronto and Montreal facing each other in the opening game of the season. As well as the last game of the season they face off again.

I would like to add a funny story to this article as well, there is a huge rivalry going on between myself and in-laws. I’m the Habs fan and my father-in-law is a Leafs fan. About three years ago my daughter (who is 5 now) was out with the grandparents, in the van my mother-in-law kept saying to my daughter “Taylor say go Leafs go”. At that time my daughter and I had been watching Montreal games every night that season, she looked at her grandmother and said “No Nana, I like Montreal..Daddy says the Leafs are the bad team.” I trained her well, and if anyone is wondering on how I got a little girl to sit down with her father to watch hockey - chips and dip.

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