3 memorable NHL rivalries that have faded over time

Throughout the history of the National Hockey League, there have been several notable rivalries between teams that have featured heated battles in both the regular season and playoffs.

But as the years have passed, many of these once-fierce rivalries have quieted down, many times due to key players moving on or retiring and the lack of postseason matchups.

Which key rivalries have died down in recent years?

Detroit Red Wings and Colorado Avalanche

Typically regarded as one of the fiercest rivalries in NHL history, the Red Wings and Avalanche were bitter foes for years stemming from an incident in the 1996 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Avalanche forward Claude Lemieux slammed Detroit's Kris Draper head-first into the boards in the series-deciding Game 6, causing serious injuries. The Red Wings avenged their teammate with the infamous "Fight Night at the Joe" on March 26, 1997, en route to winning the Stanley Cup.

The two teams battled one another several times in the postseason in subsequent years, but the Red Wings moved to the Eastern Conference in 2013 and only face the Avalanche once or twice a season now. While the rivalry has faded, the intense battles still provide their respective fan bases with plenty of memories.

Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby vs. Washington's Alexander Ovechkin

Both Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin took the NHL by storm in their rookie campaigns of 2005-06. Both became the faces of their respective franchises and quickly filling up the stat sheet.

Regarded as two of the best players in the League, both Crosby and Ovechkin would face one another in several heated postseason battles. It would be the Penguins who gained the upper hand over Washington in 2009, 2016, and 2017, all en route to winning the Stanley Cup.

The Capitals got their revenge on the Penguins during a Stanley Cup run of their own in 2018, dispatching their rivals in the second round of the postseason. To date, that remains the most recent playoff matchup between the two sides.

Chicago Blackhawks vs. St. Louis Blues

Due to their close proximity to one another, the Blackhawks and Blues formed a bitter rivalry with one another over the years that, like the aforementioned examples, included several postseason matchups.

In recent years, the Blackhawks dispatched the Blues from the postseason in 2014, while the Blues returned the favor in 2016. And while the Blues won their first Stanley Cup in 2019, both franchises have entered a rebuilding phase and won't be competing for a title any time soon.