The Detroit Red Wings are no stranger to rivalries. As an original six-team team in a new league, they've been witness to every single expansion team in NHL history. That alone is reason enough for rivalries to develop.
We all know the classic rivalry between the Detroit Red Wings and the Chicago Blackhawks or the Stanley Cup rivalries the Red Wings had with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Of course, we can't forget about the "Spirited" rivalry to end all rivalries between the Red Wings and the Colorado Avalanche.
March 26, 1997. 🐢 pic.twitter.com/P5QcQoeeVU
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) March 26, 2024
However, rivalries in the NHL have kind of gone away. Sure, you still have the Battle of Alberta between the Edmonton Oilers and the Calgary Flames, and the Montreal Canadiens and Boston Bruins also still have a bit of the "Original Six rivalry" magic. But all in all, rivalries like Detroit's with Colorado are practically non-existent in the modern-day NHL.
That hasn't stopped the Red Wings from doing their best to create a few, mostly within their Division. Varying factors have sparked these rivalries. Some started on social media between the fanbases themselves, while others started with something that happened on the ice between players.
The Florida Panthers have been a thorn in the side of the Red Wings for a while.
The newly crowned Stanley Cup Champions, the Florida Panthers, haven't always been this good. For most of their existence, they were one of the most "mid" teams in the league and, at some points, one of the worst. During all that time, they were the Red Wings' kryptonite.
No matter how good or bad the Panthers were, the Red Wings just haven't had any luck against them. In fact, until the 2023-24 season, the Red Wings had only won three of their last 17 games against the "Tropical Cats." Even last season, they only won one of their games against them, a 3-2 win in overtime.
Besides the current win/loss record between the two teams, their last few games against each other have been very chippy. Both seem able to get under each other's skin and can't seem to leave each other alone in front of the net or take "cheap shots" during board battles. Still, every game is entertaining in one way or another.