Maple Leafs vs Canadiens

The rivalry between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens is the oldest and most bitter rivalry in the history of the National Hockey League. From 1944 to 1978, the two teams met each other in the playoffs 12 times, and faced off in five Stanley Cup Finals. While the on-ice competition is fierce, the Leafs-Habs rivalry is actually symbolic of a much deeper cleavage in Canadian history and society — that between English- and French-Canadians. It's the rivalry between Canada's largest cities: Toronto, the largest and the heart of Anglo-Canada and Montreal, the second-largest and the heart of Franco-Canada.