OTHL - - The OTHL has yet to see any regular season games being played. But there are still some rivalry's brewing around the league. Some rivalry's that are living on from the NHL, while some are fresh but still not less heated. Lets check out the top 3 rivalry's in the OTHL right now.
People thought the Roy - Domi wars where over. Far from it we say, Ray is back with the Sabres and he has got some new friends with him. Buffalo went out and got Peter Worrell, the 240 lbs goon that scares everyone. Even his mom is afraid of him... And if that was not enough Donald Brashear was acquired and added to the roster from Florida. So now the Sabres have Rob Ray, Peter Worrell, Donald Brashear, Eric Boulton, Brad Brown and the always pesky Adam Mair on the roster. Add in young Andrew Peters and the up and coming enforcer Sean McMorrow and the Sabres have the toughest enforcer lineup out there.
Teams don't get the Philly flue these days, they get the Sabres flue...
But is there one team that really, really, really hates the Sabres and are out to do everything they can do hit them through the wall, or fight them through the hallways. Then its the Toronto Maple Leafs. Old war horse Tie Domi signed a new deal not long ago. Making sure he will stay a Leaf for life. The Leafs have also got him some knuckle help this off-season. Add during the off-season where Krzysztof Oliwa and Jody Shelley. Oliwa, the toughest Polak found around a hockey rink, is itching to play the Sabres once the regular season starts. And Jody Shelley haven't found a fight he did not like. Add in punks like Bryan Marchement and Darcy Tucker and you have the ingredients for a brawl.
But before you think the rivalry will have to wait until the regular season starts, then you are kidding yourself. The two teams have played each other 4 times this pre-season, with more then one fight to be registered. The first game saw 67 penalty minutes and 2 fights. The second game was calm, only 12 penalty minutes. Game three woke the rivalry up again in front of the Buffalo fans, 52 penalty minutes and a fight. Game four saw 58 penalty minutes and no fights, but 3 game misconducts and 4 injuries.
Add in the score lines, 7-0 to Buffalo then 8-0 to Toronto and 8-5 also to Toronto. And we see no reason that this little rivalry is going to calm down. We are just hopping that we will see Razor and Domi get at it at least one time this season.
"If its preseason, and points in the standings don't matter, then maybe the leafs will act differently when a few of them are visiting the emergency room. And i need to fight Eric again. I don't lose allot of fights, and i do not plan to lose to him again." - Peter Worrell said after the first pre-season game...
The Hawks went out and got tougher during the off-season. Added to the team where Nathan Perrott, Richard Scott, Denis Gauthier, Steve Webb and not to forget old hawk captain Chris Chelios. Who haven't been quiet on an north american ice surface since he took the ice for his first junior game. Add in a throwback winger as Marcus Nilson and the guys already on the Hawks roster, and its pretty clear the hawks are not gearing up for a cup run this season. And it did not take long before someone would object to the lineup. Just before the first pre-season game Columbus Blue Jackets gm Graeme Dickson jumped out and accused the Hawks for gooning it up against them.
"Their putting a squad full of apes dressed in hockey equipment on the ice tonight, I would forfeit the game if we could.I am not going to allow my top forwards to get hurt in a meaningless game like tonight, hopefully no one is to seriously injured." - Columbus gm Graeme Dickson said prior to game one.
The two teams have played each other three times this pre-season. But without any real fireworks so far. Chicago's Scott Nichol have done his best to spark something in the games, with a total of 22 penalty minutes to his name in the three games played. But so far, it looks like most of the rivalry is being played out in the press. But in game three sparks started to fly as Richard Jackman injured Jim Vandermeer with a nasty charging. Something that got the game going, leading to a game filled with scrums and almost fights. And after the game, the Hawks vowed to get back at the Blue Jackets.
"We will hunt them all season long. We don't care what it looks like, we will get back at them. This is not a threat or anything, its a promise." - Said the Hawks winger Nathan Perrott.
This is a rivalry in the making. Washington Capitals have gone out and filled the roster with tough guys and the pre-season games against the Hurricanes, the most penalized team so far is making it look like we could have a rivalry on our hands in the southeast division this season. It all started with a nasty elbow from Chris Neil in Washington. A elbow that lead to some yapping between the two teams in game one. In game two Justin Williams got back on the Capitals when he took a run at Sebastian Caron in the Capitals net. An incident that was revenged in game three when Chris Neil injured Justin Williams late in the game. A hit that went uncalled, and only added more fuel to the fire that is the rivalry between Carolina and Washington.
In game four everything got even worse, when Eric Cole went down with a injury and the game was back on. When the game was over, 55 penalty minutes had been handed out, including a game misconduct to Rob Brind'Amour after he had sent Josef Boumedienne out of the game with a late high elbow.
"It looks like they want a war. They will get it. We are not going to back down, just because they have resorted to cheap shots." - Rob Brind'Amour said after the game.
Other rivalries that could spark this season:
Toronto - Chicago
Lets face it. Two teams that loves to play rough hockey, two teams that have been around forever. Two teams with GM's that hate each other. Probably the most heated GM rivalry around the league. Could be the top rivalry once the season is over. Would just be even more heated, if the two teams where in the same conference.
Montreal - Boston
You cannot have a list of rivalries and not list the Hab's and the Bruins rivalry. Once the most heated rivalry in the hockey. So far there haven't been any action when the teams have played. But we can hope that it will change.
Detroit - Colorado
Will the two teams rekindle there slumbering rivalry? We can hope. They have a history of hating each other, and they are both expected to be top teams this season, there is nothing like a good playoff series to wake up a rivalry.