In the world of sports, rivalries are built on tension, emotion, and a level playing field. The most memorable rivalries are often fueled by back-and-forth battles, iconic moments, and meaningful playoff series that leave both fan bases with bragging rights and heartbreaks. The best and most hotly contested battles between two teams that are considered rivals, have to feature some semblance of wins from both sides.
While geography might suggest that the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators should be fierce rivals, history tells a different story. The Maple Leafs simply keep winning when it matters most, and that has prevented this supposed rivalry from becoming truly legitimate.
Since the Ottawa Senators re-entered the NHL as an expansion franchise in 1992, they’ve naturally been compared to their provincial neighbors, the Toronto Maple Leafs. Both teams share the province of Ontario, and their fans coexist in many of the same towns and cities. On paper, that seems like fertile ground for a classic hockey rivalry. However, in practice, the Maple Leafs have consistently come out on top, particularly in the postseason, rendering the rivalry one-sided and, ultimately, unbalanced.
The heart of any great NHL rivalry lies in playoff history. The playoffs are where legacies are made, and for a rivalry to truly matter, both teams need to taste both victory and defeat against each other. In the case of Toronto and Ottawa, the Maple Leafs have dominated every meaningful postseason encounter.
The Leafs and Senators met in the playoffs four times in a five-year span during the early 2000s: 2000, 2001, 2002, and 2004. In each series, the Maple Leafs emerged victorious. These weren’t just close calls or games decided by luck—they were decisive wins that left Ottawa and its fans with a deep sense of frustration and futility. Whether it was Mats Sundin leading the charge, goaltenders like Curtis Joseph and Ed Belfour standing tall, or gritty depth players stepping up, the Maple Leafs consistently found a way to send the Senators packing.
For Senators fans, those playoff exits were emotionally devastating. They built up hope year after year, only to be crushed by their southern rivals. And for Maple Leafs fans, the series wins solidified a sense of superiority. The problem is, over time, that dominance turned what could have been a rivalry into something closer to a tradition. Rivalries thrive on competition and uncertainty—two things largely absent from this matchup during its most critical chapters.
One of the most telling signs that a rivalry isn’t truly mutual is when one side stops viewing the other as a legitimate threat. That’s where many Maple Leafs fans have landed when it comes to Ottawa. The Senators, despite having moments of relevance—such as their 2007 Stanley Cup Final run—have often been inconsistent or rebuilding, while Toronto, especially in recent years, has seen steady progress and a growing core of star talent (we will not mention how most of the playoff series not featuring the Senators have gone for the Leafs). When the games matter most, the Leafs have managed to finish on top every single time. Every. Single. Time.
It’s also worth noting that recent years haven’t rekindled any true spark in the feud. While Ottawa’s roster is young and promising, the Senators have mostly missed the playoffs during Toronto’s resurgence, and the two haven’t met in a postseason series in over two decades. Regular season matchups may be spirited, especially with fans from both sides packing the arenas, but without high-stakes playoff battles, the emotional stakes just aren’t there.
Compare this to the rivalries the Leafs have with teams like the Montreal Canadiens or Boston Bruins. With Montreal, there’s a century of history, cultural significance, and deeply emotional playoff moments—most recently the crushing seven-game loss in 2021. With Boston, the Leafs have endured a string of painful Game 7 exits that have left lasting scars on both the team and its fanbase. Those series were heartbreaking and, for that reason, they intensified the rivalry. That kind of pain and competitive balance is what cements rivalries in hockey lore.
Ottawa has simply not been able to inflict that kind of pain on Toronto. They’ve tried, and they’ve come close in individual games, but they’ve never gotten over the hump when it matters most. Without a single playoff series win against the Maple Leafs, the Senators have been more of a convenient geographic rival than a true adversary. Until Ottawa proves capable of beating Toronto in a postseason setting, the rivalry will continue to feel forced, more of a media narrative than an on-ice reality.
If the Senators do eventually build a contender and meet the Leafs again in the playoffs, things could change. Rivalries can be reborn in an instant, especially if the underdog finally flips the script. But as it stands, Toronto’s postseason dominance over Ottawa has left the "Battle of Ontario" feeling like a lopsided affair, not the intense clash many hope for.
Until that day comes, Leafs fans will continue to look at Ottawa not with hate or fear, but with the confidence that history—and the scoreboard—are firmly on their side.
The Senators are the little brothers to the Leafs and right now, they are still in that adolescent phase where Toronto will have the upper hand in every competition that matters.