A Look at the LNAH's Newest and Most Intense Rivalry

When Saint-Hyacinthe and Laval met on November 15th, the game resembled one from the early 2000’s when gloves hit the ice almost as frequently as pucks hit the back of the net. Anyone watching for the first time would have simply seen a game that got out of hand. Anyone who has been watching for the last two seasons would have seen something else; the latest meeting in the LNAH’s most intense rivalry. Since Saint-Hyacinthe rejoined the league in the Fall of 2024, it seems these two teams have naturally had it in for one another. The league enjoys its share of longstanding rivalries, but in just over a season of co-existence the Bataillon and Petroliers have become the LNAH’s version of the Backyard Brawl. 

In their first season together, the two met 5 times with Laval taking a 3-2 regular season series win. Consequently, just 2 points would separate them at the end of the regular season. The playoffs would feature an extension of the regular season when the two met in round one. Again, Laval would get the edge, winning the series in 6 games. While it didn’t go to a seventh game, it was easily the closest and most entertaining matchup of the first round. Every game was decided by a single goal and two of them needed overtime. 

Fast forward to the current season and the two would be the league’s opening night act. Almost as an extension of the playoffs, fans were again treated to glass rattling intensity, back and forth scoring and plenty of spirited fan chants, with Laval pulling away at the end. All of that brought us to November 15th. 

The 130+ PIM game in Laval wasn’t a simple fight fest, but a showcase of the raw emotion that’s been generated in just under a season and a half. The kind of emotion that can't be quantified and relies on stats like “50% of Saint-Hyacinthe’s majors happen against Laval.” Said another way, the fighting hasn't made the rivalry, it's a symptom of it.

How this rivalry evolved so fast is anyone’s guess, but we could make some assumptions.

The last time the two markets were in the league at the same time was the 2003- 2004 season. The Laval Chiefs and Saint-Hyacinthe Cousin competed against one another between 2001 and 2004. Three seasons isn’t a long time, but it was during the league’s fight happy era. With records being few and far between, we can speculate that some bad blood brewed (and spilled) between them. The players from those teams have moved on, but the fan bases remain and add their fair share of passion to the current games.

There’s also the common franchise thread. Fans of the league know the legend of the Laval Chiefs- the team made famous by the documentary film of the same name. The Laval Chiefs story ended at the conclusion of the 2003-04 season with their sale and relocation to Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu. Two seasons later, the Chiefs were again sold and relocated to Saint-Hyacinthe, still operating under the Chiefs name. Who ran it better could be a factor but, again, we can only speculate.

Of course, there’s location. In sports, few things build a rivalry quite like proximity. In this case, the Montreal Skyline and 35 miles of provincial highway are all that separate the two arenas. During a game at either arena, visiting fans can easily be heard starting chants for their team, only to get the home crowd wound into a louder frenzy.  In a pair of small 2,000 seat arenas, it’s easy for fan and player interactions. With rosters featuring no-nonsense tough guys like Danick Paquette and Chris Cloutier and agitators like Zach Gravel, fans don't have to wait for a home game to stir the pot. 

Finally, it’s not a rivalry until someone wins. While Laval wasn’t the first home game for the Bataillon, the two met early in the 2024 Season in a game that may have set the tone for their existence. An uncharacteristically lopsided outcome (5-1 in favor of the Bataillon) included a series of fights, a pair of instigator majors, a lone aggressor major and a host of other minor penalties. Again, we can’t quantify things like emotion, but the ways it’s displayed give us an indicator of how much there is. 

Was any of that what got the two teams to this point? We may never know. We can say with certainty though, that when they get together, it'll be a great night for fans. The score will be close, the game will be physical, and the atmosphere will be electric. The league’s newest rivalry is arguably its best and is showing no signs of letting up.