The Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers will meet for the sixth time in the NHL playoffs next week. Besides the fact that both teams have a chance to win the Stanley Cup and they both call Pennsylvania home, they have only one other thing in common: hatred for each other.There are many factors that go into a really great hockey rivalry, but true hatred for an opponent and their coaching staff is essential. Typically, this occurs during a game or in the middle of a season. However, it kicked off early last summer when Jaromir Jagr made it known through an intermediary that he wanted to sign with his old team, the Penguins.
It was going to be a great reunion, except for one thing: Jagr and his agent used Pittsburgh as leverage to get more money from the Flyers. GM Ray Shero was incensed, and Mario Lemieux probably wasn't very happy to be used by his former line mate in this manner. Penguins fans didn't like Jagr much anyway because of his moodiness the last few years while he played with the team, and then when the Penguins got nothing in return when he was traded, they liked him even less.
Still, they would have welcomed him back with open arms, but he burned the very last bridge between him and Pittsburgh with this manipulation.
Typically, a close geographical proximity is also necessary to make for a really heated rivalry. The two cities are approximately 300 miles from each other. Even though Buffalo and Columbus are closer to Pittsburgh, and New York, New Jersey and Washington are right around the corner from Philadelphia, it doesn't matter.
The Battle of Pennsylvania is a blood feud.
It was going to be a great reunion, except for one thing: Jagr and his agent used Pittsburgh as leverage to get more money from the Flyers. GM Ray Shero was incensed, and Mario Lemieux probably wasn't very happy to be used by his former line mate in this manner. Penguins fans didn't like Jagr much anyway because of his moodiness the last few years while he played with the team, and then when the Penguins got nothing in return when he was traded, they liked him even less.
Still, they would have welcomed him back with open arms, but he burned the very last bridge between him and Pittsburgh with this manipulation.
Typically, a close geographical proximity is also necessary to make for a really heated rivalry. The two cities are approximately 300 miles from each other. Even though Buffalo and Columbus are closer to Pittsburgh, and New York, New Jersey and Washington are right around the corner from Philadelphia, it doesn't matter.
The Battle of Pennsylvania is a blood feud.