Flyers: Debating the franchise’s top rivalries

Over the course of their 53-year history, the Philadelphia Flyers have developed some contentious rivalries, but which stands above them all?

Maybe the early Broad Street Bullies persona that the Philadelphia Flyers adopted meant that they were destined to get into heated rivalries with a number of teams. That, plus geographical proximity to other major markets, have combined to give their fans numerous opportunities to witness some truly great conflicts over the years.

The Flyers have been equal opportunity pains to various clubs, and they’ve had the favor returned to them by numerous teams as well. Depending on the time period, the state of the team, and other factors, the Flyers have cycled through several top rivals throughout the decades, giving us a laundry list of teams to sort through. It’s a difficult task, then, to declare one club as the team’s greatest rival overall, because so much goes into it. How much do Flyers fans hate the other team’s players? And the other teams fans, for that matter. Are there truly great games and playoff series to look back on? And does a “great rivalry” have to mean that the Flyers have gotten the best of it? Because, let’s face it, they’ve come out on the short end of most scenarios.

So, given all these criteria to work with, let’s do our best to decide, as WIP would say, once and for all, which team is at the top of the heap as the Philadelphia Flyers’ greatest rival in team history.