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*Toast* · 12-21-2020, 11:32 AM

While Minnesota is one of the most historic teams in the SHL, I'm going to focus on recent seasons. With the then-Chiefs and now Monarchs consistently falling short of making the post-season, the new rivals of the Monarchs are seemingly the Winnipeg Jets. The Jets are easily the #3 team behind Calgary and Edmonton and keep a strong lead on Minnesota. While this can be chalked up to the fact that the Monarchs simply don't have that strong of a roster, it is always exciting to see these two teams rooting against one another (more-so for Minnesota as the Jets look ahead to their playoff run).

Going into the future seasons this might get a bit more interesting as the younger Minnesota players get stronger and Winnipeg is left to re-tool what they have going. It will be interesting to see if the Monarchs can break their curse and surpass Winnipeg before the aging Monarchs hang up the skates.

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*AgentSmith630* · 12-21-2020, 11:38 AM

PT Pass

DELIRIVM · 12-21-2020, 11:40 AM

I think Baltimore has been pretty bad the last 5 or so seasons. So we're not really in a place to be declaring rivalries. But I believe that there is definitely some playful animosity between the Platoon and Wolfpack. Both teams are pretty young and not having good recent seasons. While New England is further along in their build, Baltimore is not too far behind. I believe that in the next 5 seasons we will see both teams more competitive and looking for playoff spots. We'll see this rivalry heat up a lot when both of these teams are able to ice more competitive rosters. I know there is not much trash talking between the teams at the moment but there is a reason we call them the Trashpack in the locker room. Just the beginnings of a playful rivalry brewing with two young growing teams. Give it until S62 and we'll see some real heat with this rivalry.

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***hhh81*** · 12-21-2020, 11:46 AM

If I’d been named Co-GM of Seattle, I think our biggest rival from a personal beef would have been the Jakarta Dragons, right off the bat. There is some deep seated dislike there, that would only get worse if I was in GM chat. Tig made the right choice to limit drama, and I support it fully.

For now, I’d say Seattle’s biggest rival is our division opponents the Minnesota Monarchs. The games have all been pretty close, and both teams are in a position of (re)building their systems: Seattle as an expansion team and Minnesota after being woefully mismanaged during the sarmo shadow GM era. Each team has won 3 games this season (with one game going to OT), after Seattle won the season series 3-1 last year. Neither team has had much success competing against the rest of the division, so the Monarchs-Argonauts games take on extra meaning in the standings. There’s not a ton of bad blood off the ice to date (though I *was* part of the Buffalo Stampede during the infamous tampering scandal of a different Minnesota era). It feels very much like a “let’s fucking beat these guys, then shake their hands and grab a beer” sort of situation.

Not the same for Calgary. Fuck ‘em.

Wearingabear · 12-21-2020, 12:08 PM

It's tough to say who exactly is the Armada's biggest rival at the moment. The past 4 seasons the boats have been eliminated by Newfoundland, Maine, Kelowna, and Anaheim. So there isn't a clear cut rivalry built anywhere with the current group of players where the blood will boil over. If anything this season, I think the boats have their eyes on Quebec City. They're currently top of the league, came out with a hot start, and are only 8 points ahead of the Armada for best record in the league now. We find ourselves rooting for teams like Maine, and Newfoundland in hopes of getting some wins against QCC. The boats didn't have the best start, but have been on a tear as of recently and making big pushes to come back not only in their division, but in the league as a whole. We'd love to find a way to overtake the top seed in the league. That's why i think at the moment, QCC is on Anchorage's radar more than any one else and the closest thing to a rival.

SewingWithNancy · 12-21-2020, 12:30 PM

Maine's main rival would have to be the Newfoundland Berserkers. Last season they eliminated us from our playoff run after we had defeated Detroit. And of course the main reason would have to be Maine losing to them in the championship in S55. We have yet to play them this season, so Im not sure how we stack up yet. However, when we do play them this week, that is the game I will be paying attention to the most. We need to beat those berserkers and we need to beat them badly. After that, I would say that our eyes are set on Quebec. Having such a strong opponent in our division is leading to some animosity. Especially that we have played them 6 times now and we've only managed to take 3 points from them is frustrating.

***Bayley*** · 12-21-2020, 12:36 PM

I think the Quebec City Citadelles biggest rival has to be the Nevada Battleborn. I think everyone would agree that it would be the biggest rival because of the fact that they joined the league at the same time as expansion teams. I think that this would be an easy rival as you really compare to that team given the fact they started with the same assets and had to build their teams from scratch in the same season with the same battles. So, I really have to say that this is the biggest rival. I think it is a natural rival rather than a grown rival because of something that happened or games that the teams have played against each other. It just grew from the fact that they joined in the same season as expansion teams. I think that it is the easiest way to be a rival and really compare yourself to another team. So, that would have to be the biggest rival at this point.

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Mr. Finland · 12-21-2020, 12:40 PM

Detroit Falcons obviously rival team is and will be St. Louis Scarecrows. They doesn't like birds and skrees so it's clearly that we want beat St. Louis every games. We, Detroit Falcons have been weak teams these season which I have been part of our team, but same goes to St. Louis Scarecrows. I hope that someday our team can be stronger and beat Scarecrows and everyone else, every night. To me personally, it's fun to upkeep rivalry with Falcons and Scarecrows and it's very interesting to see results between our games and in the end of regular season, we will start fighting at playoffs which is even more interesting, if we are playoff pair. I also honestly think that Detroit Falcons players and locker room have a lot of more cutier pets and animals than St. Louis Scarecrows, since Detroit Falcons is very pet and animal friendly team, so they never gonna win us, what comes to that section.

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Tate · 12-21-2020, 01:14 PM

In terms of a rival for the Los Angeles Panthers I am a bit torn on one team to pick. I have always viewed the Calgary Dragons as a powerhouse team that we need to face every season. I also look at the Edmonton Blizzard in that same fashion as they always seem like a team that is built very good and difficult to face. However, if I was to pick a team that I believed was our true rival (in my time with the team) it would have to be the New Orleans Specters, and a lot of that has to do with the playoff matches we've had against them. There was the controversial win from a few seasons ago, but much like Calgary and Edmonton they've been a team that was built well and gave us a run for our money. So if I was to put us on a poster against any team, it would have to be the Specters, they're a hell of a good rival.

Kalakar · 12-21-2020, 01:30 PM

Pt pass

***KaleSalad*** · 12-21-2020, 01:40 PM

That Maine timbers rival has been the Newfound Land Berserkers the over the past few seasons. Despite both being in the East two seasons ago they met in the finals and really duked it out over the course of 6 games. The Berserkers getting the best of the Timber in the finals that year. They have had a lot of bad blood between them since then. Going head to head in each of the past years. They are two very equally matched teams that not only battled for positioning in the standings but in the playoffs as well. In season 56 they met again in the East finals with Newfound Land getting the best of the Timber again. But this rivalry will live on as both these teams continue to be top teams in the East and the league. This year it is looking like the Timber will finally be able to break through and take down the Berserkers.

WC 159

Mika_Kandinsky · 12-21-2020, 02:53 PM

I'd have to say that Toronto's biggest rivalry has got to be Buffalo. They have beat us in something like 30 games straight. We want to beat them pretty badly. They might think of us as a rival simply because they always beat us, but we aren't taking this losing streak to them kindly. I'd say most people in our locker room would want to get a win vs. Buffalo than any other team in the league right now. There's no real bad blood between the teams, but we see each other a lot in season being in the same division (fuck the great lakes) and losing over and over is getting tiring. So, we are going to keep coming at them as hard as we can and soon we are going to be an even better team and have a better chance at finally picking up a win against them.

Slappydoodle · 12-21-2020, 02:55 PM

As a long time Calgary Dragon, I’ve seen a lot of team success and a lot of rivalry. Strictly speaking on the ice, I think you’d have to say the Edmonton Blizzard are the Dragons chief rival. There have been some hellacious playoff battles against them over the years. That being said, the true answer is a bit more nuanced.

For a looong time there was no team that the Dragons hated more than the Buffalo Stampede. This was an almost entirely personal and off the ice enmity. The battles raged all over the site, thunderdome, written media, podcasts, pt’s wherever. Buffalo berated the HO trying to always get us in trouble . They manipulated events to cause us problems. It was a non-stop, shit stirring melee. What battles we fought. Much metaphorical blood was spilled and casualties mounted precipitously.

Then, suddenly, amazingly, along came those total fuckwads the Hamilton Steelhawks. They destroyed the SHL I knew and loved. They purposefully and with malice afore thought burned the league down to cinders. They could never be good, could never win a cup or sustain any success within the existing system. So those total douchebags destroyed everything. They then manipulated events to re-build under a system they could finally be successful within. They even managed to get one of the chief architects of the fall into the ownership group, where their manipulation could be papered over and erased from league history.

I now look upon the rivalry days between us and Buffalo as the good old days. As they say, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. I therefore stand in unison and a sense of bonhomie with my Stampede brethren. We all hate Hamilton and that’s good enough for me.

**JamesT** · 12-21-2020, 03:12 PM

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Which team is your team's biggest rival in the league and why? This could be due to recent history, old history, medium history, personal beef, branding antagonism, etc. - whatever the reason, which team in the league would you consider to be the biggest rival of your team? (SHL or SMJHL).

For my team the Edmonton Blizzard

our biggest rival in the SHL would most likely have to be our cross town rivals the Calgary Dragons

We have been the dominant forces in the West for a while now and are constantly being compared to one another. Recently we have been getting the better of Calgary by defeating them in recent playoff matchups. The battle of Alberta is true in the NHL with the Oilers and Flames and is no different in the SHL with the Blizzard

and

While there is a tremendous rivalry there is still a high amount of respect for one another as each team has been consistently making the playoffs and competing for top spot in the Western conference since my time in the SHL. To be consistently vying for top spot in the conference speaks to how well managed that organization is and how good their roster is as well.

Looking forward to seeing how the battle of Alberta unfolds for the rest of the regular season and into the playoffs for S57!

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*Otrebor13* · 12-21-2020, 03:13 PM

Well I’ve been on a few different teams in my career, but I know Hamilton has had some history of being the bad guy and in my time in the league it felt as though there were times where the whole league seemed to be Hamilton’s rival. However, since joining the team that’s died down and to pick a single rival would be difficult and I wouldn’t know who to choose.

I think it is safe to say that the biggest rival to the Steelhawks would have to be the Great Lakes Division. It is known that this is the hardest division in the league right now and it is always a battle when going up against anyone in this division. There have been some memorable matchups within the division, there have been key pieces moved within the division and lots of Challenge Cup Playoffs matchups, even in the finals with the recent playoff format switch. However, if I had to rank the rivalry between the other teams in the division, it would be as follows:

1. Buffalo
2. Chicago
3. Toronto

It’s going to continue to be fun watching this division battle it out every season for the foreseeable future as it continues to be one of the strongest divisions in the league.

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