Just a wee question mates. I was living in Scotland when the Flyer's joined the NHL. I am curious though. Who became our first rivalry when we entered the NHL, and why?

I know fae the past we have never liked the new york rangers. But what about the Boston Bruins and the Montreal Canadians. When and how did the rivalry start?

I am a die hard Philly man, and would love tae here how it all started.


Cheers,


Scotsman.......

I think it was St. Louis & Pittsburgh. The first years they played in a conference of the newest 6 teams. The Blues drafted best when the other teams were dumping their castoffs on the newbies & the Pengies were a natural interstate rival. As we got better & tougher came the rivalries with the "Big Bad Bruins" (they were @ the time), the Rags, etc.

I'd say St. Louis simply because they were our first and second ever playoff opponents... both of which we lost.

If I had to pick a rival from the West Division, I'd probably say St. Louis Blues. But I don't think the Flyers formed any real rivalries until the realignment in '74. Then, the rival was, without a doubt, the New York Islanders.

Did the Pens enter the NHL in the same year as us?

Hands Down STL Blues. They beat us up pretty bad in the begining. But it went back and forth with battles and hard fought games.

Yes. Pens, Flyers, North Stars, LA Kings, Seals, and STL Blues. Were all apart of the "Next 6"

Seals. Haha, looking at their records, they were awful.

I definitely wasn't the Pens. That didn't become a rivalry til they joined the Atlantic conference. It was the Blues with 'Pretty Boy' Unger and then the Isles.

Correct. The Blues were the "bad boys" of the expansion era. The playoff series' in the late '60's were nasty battles; the Blues overpowered the Flyers. It was because of this that Keith Allen (first coach & GM) started drafting and acquiring tough players that led to the birth of the Broad Street Bullies.

Yeah, it was definitely the Blues. The Pens weren't a "rivalry" until the early '80's. The Round 1 series vs. the Blues in '68 was brutal. And St. Louis came back in '68-'69 as a very strong team, that swept the Flyers in Round 1 that year, on their way to another Cup Final. It was after that playoff series that Keith Allen knew a change needed to be made.

Thats what I was gonna say.